Music Faculty

Dr. Keola Donaghy  (personal website)

keolasmnhhDr. Keola Donaghy holds a B.A. in Hawaiian Studies and M.A. in Hawaiian Language and Literature from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, a Graduate Certificate in Telecommunications and Information Resource Managmement (TIRM) from UH-Mānoa, and a Ph.D. in Music (ethnomusicology focus) from the University of Otago in Aotearoa (New Zealand). His is a member of the Board of Governors of the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts, and an active member of the Society of Ethnomusicology, and the International Council of Traditional Music. He also serves on the Board of Directors of PBS Hawai‘i.

Keola is a prolific haku mele (composer of Hawaiian poetry), whose compositions have been recorded by Keali‘i Reichel, Kenneth Makuakāne, Kainani Kahaunaele, Amy Hānaiali‘i, The Pandanus Club, The De Lima ‘Ohana, O’Brian Eselu, Patrick Landeza, and Steven Espaniola. His co-composition “Aloha Keauhou” (with Makuakāne) was performed by the senior women at the 2012 Kamehameha Schools Song Contest. He produced the Institute of Hawaiian Music’s Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning compilation “Aloha ‘Ia Nō ‘O Maui,” and has received numerous nominations for the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards as a composer, producer, and liner note annotator. Keola is the Faculty Coordinator of the Institute of Hawaiian Music and Music Studies at UH-MC. He teaches Hawaiian and world music, music theory and applied music.

Lecturers

Joel Katz, M.S. Ed., BA, Psychology (personal website)

Joel170x200Joel Katz been performing professionally on Maui for 25 years. Joel operates the award winning Seaside Recording Studio and is music director of the popular Maui band “Jimmy Mac and the Kool Katz”. He is also one of the foremost practitioners of the Hawaiian steel guitar on Maui, and is passionate about carrying on the tradition of this instrument and style. Joel teaches guitar, Hawaiian steel guitar, ‘ukulele, pop/rock music, recording, and audio technology programs at UH Maui College.

Karyn Sarring

karynSarring170x240Maui resident the transplanted Chicago native has been performing and working with many diverse talents (not just music but any creative expression) for over 35 years

Karyn began at the age of 5 when her piano teacher assigned her to learn to read 2 notes on the piano. For her next lesson she sat down and played with both hands while also singing. Her college years she wrote her own arts management degree at The University of Illinois (music and business) there being no arts management degrees at any college except a Master at UCLA.

In the next 35 years Karyn was adjunct professor, lecturer, conducted workshops at various colleges and also held self-produced workshops and conferences (egs..The Singers Conference/Chicago, American Music Festival and Conference/Maui etc.), worked with many organizations (Chicago, Nashville, LA, New York City, Maui) (eg. ASCAP, NARAS, Chicago Symphony, Chicago League of Theaters, Interscope Records and many other major and indie labels and international artists to name just a few). She has performed improve theater (Second City Chicago) a bit of standup comedy (short lived!) songwriting, host of own cable and radio shows, writer columnist and has perform as an accomplished musician everything from classical to rock. Her recognized reputation is mostly for her music and vocal studio, arts management consulting and now her classes at UHMC always having been a teacher at heart.

Karyn teaches piano, voice, theory, world, popular and rock music at UH Maui College and she is known for her very personal approach, pinpointing needs, inspiriting and discovering a student’s true creativity. She lives on the west side with her husband, son and bird, Scratch.

Dr. Stephen Fox (personal website)

StephenFox240x182Dr. Stephen Fox holds a BA in music and a Master’s degree in Community and Cultural Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Doctorate in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand. His doctoral research focused on ways participation in traditional arts such as hula and taiko influence well-being, and his ongoing research investigates these well-being influences across musical settings. Fox has played extensively with African musicians including bala master Lansana Kouyate and kora master Boujou Sisoko, with taiko master Kenny Endo, as well as numerous others from the British Isles and Europe, South America, Egypt, the Carribean, and New Zealand. On returning to academia, Fox studied Okinawan sanshin with National Living Treasure Harry Nakasone and Indonesian gamelan with emeritus pimpanan Hardja Susilo. Fox actively composes, primarily for film, and performs most frequently on santur with guitarist Michael Tanenbaum.