Student’s passion: ‘I will never stop playing Hawaiian music’

Seventeen-year-old high school student Kalyn Aolani has been singing traditional Hawaiian music and playing the ukulele since age 12.

What started as a hobby has grown into a thriving musical career with monthly concerts and a partnership with the Hawaiian musical instrument store KoAloha Ukulele.

Kalyn’s interest in Hawaiian music was sparked when she attended a concert in 2010 with slack key guitar legend Keola Beamer and Grammy-nominated Hawaiian songstress Raiatea Helm.

“Once I heard Raiatea sing ‘Kalam’ula,’ that was it,” Kalyn said. “I knew I wanted to sing Hawaiian music.”

Since then, Kalyn has performed as an opening act for the 2012 Southern California Slack Key Festival, appeared on an episode of “Pakele Live!” and participated in the Waikiki Steel Guitar Festival.

Slack key is a finger-picked brand of guitar playing that originated in Hawaii and employs some slackened strings.

Playing in front of an audience is an exciting experience for Kalyn.

“It feels really amazing, like you’re floating,” she said. “I always get an adrenaline rush, and I think that’s one of the best parts of performing.”

The senior in the Orange County School of the Arts’ Classical Voice Conservatory plans to continue her musical career beyond high school.

Ultimately, she hopes to spread her love of Hawaiian music and inspire younger generations.

“I think it is so important to keep the tradition alive,” Kalyn says. “Not very many musicians still perform songs like ‘I Ka Po Me Ke Ao,’ so when I sing it, people always come up to me and say, ‘I used to listen to that when I was a kid!’”

With 10 shows already lined up over the next few months, Kalyn will not be leaving the spotlight any time soon.

“I will never stop playing Hawaiian music,” she said. “I love it and it’s my passion.”

Emma Anderson is a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. She writes for the Los Angeles Times High School Insider.