{"id":136803,"date":"2021-03-09T08:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T18:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=136803"},"modified":"2025-05-22T18:15:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T04:15:28","slug":"na-wa-eha-uh-maui-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/03\/09\/na-wa-eha-uh-maui-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Grammy-nominated artists honed craft at <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> Maui College"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_15624\"  width=\"676\" height=\"676\"  data-origwidth=\"676\" data-origheight=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ztaf2H9ivKI?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Grammy-nominated artists honed craft at Â鶹´«Ã½Maui College\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;AAAAAAAAHHHaaaaahhhAAAAHHH!&rdquo; Sounding like a cross between a buzzsaw and croaking toad, <strong>Kamalei <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span><\/strong> demonstrated the vocal warmup he learned at the <a href=\"http:\/\/maui.hawaii.edu\/\">University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Maui College<\/a> that is helping to keep his voice healthy. It\u2019s a sound antithetical to the sweet falsetto and mellow harmonies he vocalizes as a member of the Grammy-nominated group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nawaiehamusic.com\/\">N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha.\">&#699;Eh&#257;<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha\">&#699;Eh&#257;<\/span> (&ldquo;four great waters&rdquo; in Hawaiian) is nominated for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammy.com\/grammys\/news\/2021-grammys-complete-nominees-list\">Grammy in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category for their &ldquo;Lovely Sunrise&rdquo; album<\/a>. The winner will be announced at the 2021 Grammy Awards, scheduled for March 14, 2021.<\/p>\n<h2>Warming up<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_136810\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-136810\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"people holding awards\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-136810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-1-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-1.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-136810\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha.\">&#699;Eh&#257;<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 2012, <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> started N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha\">&#699;Eh&#257;<\/span> with his brother <span aria-label=\"Kamaehu\">Kama&#699;ehu<\/span> and family friends Kahikina and Kalanikini Juan (also brothers). A couple of years ago, he decided to leave a good paying job in the construction industry to pursue a full-time career in music. <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> wanted to use his time wisely to better his skills, and his mother <strong>Luana <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span><\/strong>, director of <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> Maui College\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/maui.hawaii.edu\/paikamana\/\">Pai Ka M&#257;na<\/a> program, mentioned the music program and instructor <strong>Karyn Sarring<\/strong>. He took voice and piano lessons from Sarring as part of his work on an associate in arts degree in Hawaiian studies. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I learned how to use my voice correctly. I learned how to use vocal techniques, and the most important thing to me was how Karyn taught how to do vocal warm ups,&rdquo; <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> said.<\/p>\n<p>Warming up to him used to mean singing a song before a gig and he would often end up with a sore throat.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Now when I sing and I perform I use these techniques to eliminate the straining of my voice and I feel a lot better after a gig now,&rdquo; <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> said.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related <em><abbr>UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> stories:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2019\/06\/26\/ihm-apo-leo-learning-studio\/\">N\u0101 H\u014dk\u016b win for <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College, students urged to apply<\/a>, June 26, 2019<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2018\/04\/17\/uh-maui-hoolaulea-na-hoku-hanohano\/\"><abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College <span aria-label=\"hoolaulea\">ho&#699;olaule&#699;a<\/span> features N\u0101 H\u014dk\u016b Hanohano winners and nominees<\/a>, April 17, 2018<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Decades of experience<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_136806\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-136806\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"3 singers on stage\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-136806\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-2-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Na-wa-eha-2.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-136806\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha.\">&#699;Eh&#257;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sarring moved to Maui almost 20 years ago, and has been teaching voice for more than 40 years. Through the decades, she has been a vocal coach for students from Hollywood to Broadway, but doesn\u2019t like to name drop. When pressed, she reluctantly mentioned Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and Fall Out Boy.<\/p>\n<p>She still has mainland clients, but enjoys working with her diverse <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College students both on- and off-island, who range from rising local talents to lullabye crooning parents, and have included N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha\u2019s\">&#699;Eh&#257;\u2019s<\/span> <strong>Kalanikini Juan<\/strong>, a 2017 <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College graduate.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My biggest goals are that they sing healthy and that they have an authentic singing voice,&rdquo; said Sarring. &ldquo;There\u2019s so much going on now where I call them &lsquo;mynah birds.&rsquo; They mimic singers and they really don\u2019t know their true voice.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<h2>Elevating his music<\/h2>\n<p>Besides teaching him vocal techniques, <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> also credits Sarring with helping him to become a better piano player and increasing his appreciation for a broad range of musical genres. <\/p>\n<p>The multiple N&#257; H&#333;k&#363; Hanohano award-winning artist is passing on what he has learned as the director of the He <span aria-label=\"Haupu\">Ha&#699;upu<\/span> Aloha Program at Seabury Hall, a private high school on Maui. He said his goals after graduation from <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College are to keep pursuing and perpetuating Hawaiian music.<\/p>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> said, &ldquo;I plan to continue to use the things that I learned through my time at <abbr>UH<\/abbr>, especially in the music courses that I took, and to continue to elevate those skills and continue to utilize those things to help elevate my music.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/maui.hawaii.edu\/music\/\">Learn more about music studies at <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8212;By Kelli Abe Trifonovitch<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>N&#257; Wai <span aria-label=\"Eha\u2019s\">&#699;Eh&#257;\u2019s<\/span> Kamalei <span aria-label=\"Kawaa\">Kawa&#699;a<\/span> learned vocal technique and more from <abbr>UH<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,12],"tags":[299,133,660,71,60,56],"class_list":["post-136803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-people","category-video","tag-hawaii-music-institute","tag-music","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-maui-college","tag-video-2","entry","no-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136803"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":216571,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136803\/revisions\/216571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}