 And welcome to the Hawaii Smooth Jazz Connection. I am your host, Gwendolyn Harris. My guest today has been a professional musician, band leader, teacher, composer, producer, and contractor for 40 plus years. He has traveled extensively performing internationally. A few highlights have been performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Irvine Metal Shoreline Amphitheater, Aloha Stadium, Tokyo Dome, and the One and Center in Golden City, Sinai, India. My guest has shared the stage with Tony Bennett, Larry Carlton, Lee Rittenauer, Dr. Khan, the Doobie Brothers, Isaac Hayes, Power of Power, Pauline Wilson, Michael Paolo, Sheila E., Brian Culberson, Dave Koss, James Ingram, Gloria Gaynor, Ray Parker Jr., The Captain and Tenille, Tina Easton, Martha Reeves and the Vendellas, Ben Vereen, Bobby Caldwell, Rick Braun, Peter White, Mindy-a-Bear, Warren Hill, and Michael Lincoln. He has also worked with Matt Patengub and the Honolulu Symphony Pops, Don Ho, Kalapana Apala, and Countless Others. In 1999, his solo record for Every Heart was nominated for Best Contemporary Album in Hawaii. This musician was awarded the 2000 Nahuca Hano-Hano Best Jazz Album for Hula Jo and the Hutt Jumpers. This producer and musician has eight CDs to his credit, his latest titled Coco with Maui singer-songwriter Ron Kuala O. He is currently performing with artist Kumu Hula Napua Gring as a music educator. My guest travels the world teaching music through the ukulele. Let's find out more about this music man and welcome Mr. Zanik Apala Lindsey to the show. Welcome, I'm out of breath. Yeah, I am out of breath. You did that well, Gwen, thank you for having me. Is this over? Woo, but you know, everybody needs to hear that. Everybody needs to hear that. I know for one thing, I go to a lot of concerts here, jazz concerts, and I see you. So I can definitely say people that some of these people I've seen him with, okay? All right, now what made you want to start playing music? I was watching the Ed Sullivan show when I was five years old and I saw The Beatles. I think a lot of people my age were influenced by that because there were only three channels on at the time and everybody gathered around the TV on a Sunday night and that was the show because there were comedy acts, ventriloquist, all kinds of entertainment and it was just a family show but The Beatles came on and tore it up and that started me thinking, wow, whatever they're doing, they're creating a mess here in the audience, people are going crazy for that. And then I started to listen to radio and I felt rhythm. I would grab pencils and chopsticks and drum on my transistor radio with the beat and I think that's when the bug started. Really? Yeah. Wow. Now, I know that you play, of course, the guitar. I do. And the ukulele. I do. But what other instruments do you play? I dabble in a little of piano but I wouldn't call myself a piano player and I'm a singer as well and I consider that an instrument as well. And you'll get to hear that later on. Tell us about your original song, Heat of the Night that won first place in 1987 in a national songwriting contest sponsored by Capital Records and Budweiser. That's a great story. I was in college, I was going to Cal State Northridge getting a music degree and I was a songwriter at that time and I entered a song and it was for a BRE Black Radio exclusive. So I didn't send a picture in and I just sent the tape and it was kind of a soul valid and a heartbreak song and they loved it so they brought me into the finals and they didn't know that I was in black. So they looked at the picture and wait a minute, this was so, it was too late, I was already in the finals but that was the song and I put it on my first CD for every heart. Oh wow, I'm gonna have to listen to that. I don't have to get your coffee. Okay. Get your coffee. All right, now, what type of music do you like playing the best? You play all types of music. I do. All types. What is your favorite? My favorite to listen to and what I aspire to playing better in my golden years would be jazz. I'm a big jazz fan. I grew up listening to a lot of rock and roll, the Beatles, then we got into Hendrix then we got into Led Zeppelin and then I found R&B so I started listening to Stevie Wonder and Earth But It Fire and I sort of merged those styles into something that I feel I like to play like. Right. You know, it's a blend of those two. I love the blues. I love it all. As long as the music has some soul and feeling to it, it doesn't sound mechanical. So Hawaiian music does that for me too. It's a beautiful music. Culturally I understand it a little better now and I enjoy playing those kinds of music as well. I don't have a favorite. I'm sorry, Gwen. I didn't ask you a question. I'm not trying to avoid it. I really believe that music language is the same throughout all the styles. Right. Okay, now you work at the University of Hawaii. What do you do there? I work for the Maui Division. I go over there and I teach at the Institute for Hawaiian Studies. They're developing a two-year program for people that don't want to enter into a music degree program, which is a very intense classical music-oriented type of degree. This is just teaching people practical hands-on information, how to read a little bit of music, how to understand the protocol of being in a studio and fundamental things that can help them get through on a gig, how to contract yourself out, how to use internet. It's a really good program. Awesome. Now, tell us about your work with the ukulele field of Hawaii. Ooh, that's vast. I made a conscious decision years ago to give back to the community in whatever way I could and I think the best way I can offer some help in that way is to teach. I've acquired a lot of knowledge over the years of just hands-on experience, being on the road, traveling a lot and now I want to just offer access to music that anyone can do. And ukulele is the simplest instrument to pick up and instantly make music on. So I understand that and now I travel, I work with the ukulele guild and the president, Kimohashi. I've been to Australia, Japan. There's been a ton of places we've been going to just to teach ukulele. And now I teach here. I work at Aliamanu Middle School. I teach at Tripler Hospital. I teach at the Shriners Hospital. I teach their nursing staff ukulele so they can play for the kids. It's sort of a music therapy kind of thing. Now, what is the difference? Is there a major difference between the ukulele and the guitar? It's kind of hard. What's the differences between them? First of all, the side. Right. And the number of strings. OK. The number of strings on a ukulele are four and the guitar starts with this thing. The tuning is a slightly different kind of tuning. So you have to learn the corresponding chords and things to each particular instrument. But they're both from the string family, obviously. And they work well together. They sound great together. That's why you hear a lot of in not just Hawaiian music, but both music, all kinds of stuff. Now, I understand you are also in another group called, and it's your group called, Dodiak Daimler. Yeah, that's the latest thing. That's the latest thing. Tell us about that. Sure. The group consists of Michael Grande on keyboards, Conrad Kendrick on drums, George Coffidge on bass, and Jason Gay on saxophone and flute. And as I get older and continue to make music in these years, I want to just work with people that I get along with. You get thrown into a lot of situations, impromptu situations, where you don't know what you're going to end up with. Everyone was handpicked because we've been old friends for at least now, 25, 30 years. Jason is my most recent acquaintance. But Jason and I get along really well. So the chemistry of the band is great. We all love the same kind of music. The stuff that we do is based in soul and R&B. And we're writing music now, and we'll be playing some of that at our gig coming up. And when is that? That will be April 19th, Friday at Medici's, 7.30. Do you hear that, everyone? Yep. Do you hear that, everyone? You should be there, because I'll be there. I'll be there, most definitely. And if you have not heard this band play, they are awesome. They are awesome. Just be prepared to dance. I can tell you that, too. And to see Jason and all the band members, they just really get into it, including Zanac here. You'll see him on his guitar just doing his thing. Just doing his thing. So what was the date of that again? April 19th, Friday night. It's going to be at Medici's from 7.30 to 10. And Medici's is in the Manoa marketplace. Lots of parking, great venue, very nice intimate venue. Now, is there anyone, if you could pick anyone, any musician, is there anyone that you would like to collaborate with? Wow. Collaborate with, that's a good question. There's too many of them. There's too many of them. Jazz musicians, I like a lot of rock musicians. I would love to write a song without John. I mean, Billy Joel or those kind of people. And then there are musicians that I just want to have an experience playing with and feel that upliftment of playing with someone of that caliber. Pat Matheny comes to mind. Kirby Hancock. Oh, yes. You know, of that caliber. Because I want to learn. I'm an eternal student. I want to continue growing as a musician. So whoever can give me that opportunity, that's what I'd like to do. Don't say it'll never happen. I know. Because you know. No, and I'm open. And you already have that wealth of experience you've played with all of these people. So don't say it'll never happen. No, no, it's this time. We're going to see that. We are going to see that. Now, what are your thoughts? And I ask this of all my guests, because it's big to me, OK? Growing up in, growing up in, you know, playing music in the school, now they're taking it out to school slowly. So it leaves our youth. It's kind of challenging. What are your thoughts on that? And what can we do? I think it's sad. I think it's unfortunate. I'm not sure what we can do. We need to reprioritize what, you know, what we think kids will enjoy. And I know this firsthand now, because I'm teaching the seventh and eighth grade levels. And their music now comes in the form of technology. Everything comes through their phone and their computers. And the real life experience of singing, interacting with instruments, that's something that's foreign to them. I think that's a shame. So I'm doing whatever I can by teaching privately or in classrooms and giving them, hopefully, an opportunity to see the value of that. But you can't fight city hall, as they say. There's a lot of bureaucracy in the system. And I don't want to talk about political things, but I'm just saying that, yeah, I wish there were more opportunity, because that's what gave me life and spirit, you know, and joy, joy for me in my years on the planet. That's what I live for. So I don't know what they're afraid of. I don't know why that's the first thing to go. I'm not sure. It is sad. And like I said, I set up all of my guests that I have on the show just because I want to know their thoughts and what are they doing and what can we do to keep it in there some way. I feel for myself, I speak personally, that I want to be a mentor to any kids who are interested and parents who are supportive of those children. I would love to share what I know. There's so much. Hold that thought. We've got to go on a quick break. OK. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. Hey, loha. My name is Andrew Lanning. I'm the host of Security Matters Hawaii airing every Wednesday here on Think Tech Hawaii, live from the studios. I'll bring you guests. I'll bring you information about the things in security that matter to keeping you safe, your co-workers safe, your family safe, keep our community safe. We want to teach you about those things in our industry that may be a little outside of your experience. So please join me because security matters. Aloha. Aloha. I'm Yukari Kunisue, the host of Konnichiwa Hawaii, Japanese talk show on Think Tech Hawaii. Konnichiwa Hawaii is all Japanese broadcast show and is streamed live on Think Tech at 2 PM every other Monday. Thank you so much for watching our show. We look forward to seeing you then. I'm Yukari Kunisue. Mahalo. Aloha, and welcome back to the Hawaii Smooth Jazz Connection with your host, Gwen Harris. My guest today is Mr. Xanak Apala Lindsey. And I am just so much enjoying talking with him because I see him all the time playing all over the place on stage everywhere. Now, before we went on the break, we were talking about the music in the schools and how gradually it is being taken out. Right. And you were saying? Well, I was talking about being a mentor. And I feel that there are many people my age who have been in music, fortunately all their lives. And I think I know I plan to share this information now in the remaining years of me being on the planet. That's the only way that we're going to get the interest of music again with the kids. If you give them a personal experience, an emotional experience, then I teach in several different locations, and I see a development of a lifelong interest, as you say. And I feel great to be somewhat influential in that. That feeling is very infectious. And I encourage more musicians to do that if they have an opportunity. That would be awesome. Whoever gets you as a teacher, I need to come take some lessons from you because I've always wanted to learn how to play guitar. I mean, I started playing the violin when I was younger, little bit of keyboards, clarinet, and then in college, I played the flute and piccolo. And I always said, I really want to either go back to the keyboards or really want to just learn how to guitar because then I can sit at home and just, you know, strumming and just play around with it. Now, before you get ready to play something, I want you to tell me about your experience in Cuba. You just got back from Cuba, and I know the music there is off the table. There are no words to describe it. I'm wearing my Cuban shirt today in honor of that trip. I just got back a few days ago, and we spent four days in Havana. You still can't be a tourist there. I just want to make that clear. You can't just trot right in. You have to have an educational visa of some sort where there's an exchange. They call it a people-to-people visa. So I went on an educational visa. So I had to do activities which were not, you know, I didn't feel forced into anything. I got to go to schools, listen to these virtuoso kids playing flamenco music. For me, I went to concerts and jazz concerts, Buena Vista Social Club style of music, dancing, salsa dancing. You did some salsa. Did you do some salsa? I did a little bit. I'm not that great at it, but you know, you have to down there. Yes, you do. It's in the air. It's in the water. Took a cooking class. So as long as your day is filled with these activities, you can get a visa and go. And I highly encourage anyone who's always thought about going there to go. That's on my bucket list. So many of my friends have gone. Amazing. And the heart of the people, remind me of the people from Hawaii too, just very open and genuine and hospitality is amazing. There's a lot of misconception. You know, we get media that slants stories for us over here. It's not the same. You go there and you'll see how wonderful it is over there. There is a lot of poverty. But then you walk right into a time warp where you see all these old 50s cars and then the people, they're just relaxed and it's great. It's great. Oh, wow. It's safe too. People think there's a lot of crime because of the poverty, but you can walk the streets at night. It's the safest place. Yeah. Did you share some of your music with them? I did. I did. I went to a music school. I brought over ukuleles to give to them. I knew I was going to see them. Oh, nice. So I brought ukuleles and some chocolate macadamia nuts. Nice. And I played a couple of songs. And my fiancee Stacy danced a hula while I was there. So we did a great exchange thing that day. Oh, that's awesome. And when I presented the ukuleles, the kids started crying. They started crying because they get all of their instruments passed down. They're not in great shape. But they're using it to the best of their ability. And they're amazing musicians at a young age because the musician is the most revered position in the Cuban society. Not the doctors and the lawyers, musicians. Yeah. It's an amazing turnaround. I'm coming over here. Yes. Well, speaking of musicians, the music, are you going to play something for us? I can. I can do one. I'm going to do a song from my most recent CD. It's been out for a couple of years now. And is that this one right here? That's that one right there. It's called Cocoa. Cocoa in Hawaiian means blood. And Ron, who I partner with on this CD, is my cousin. We grew up together. And now he lives on Maui. But our family always asked us to have a CD done before everybody passes away. So that was our project. So here's a song called I'm Ready. I'm ready now that you're in my life. I can put away my fears about tomorrow. I know your love is true, so I give my heart to you. Oh, I'm ready no matter where the road might lead. As long as I can feel you here beside me, so let the heavens fall. I won't care at all because I'm ready. I'm ready to let my soul break through. After all the years, I'm not afraid to start again with you. Sometimes I may stumble along the way. But I can finally say goodbye to yesterday. If you're ready, won't you take my hand and promise that we'll always be together. Please whisper now as we take this vow. I'm ready. Please whisper now as we take our vow. That was beautiful. Thanks. That was beautiful. I said, you're trying not to cry. Well, I've been a songwriter. That's something that I don't know if I mentioned, but for a while now, that's what brings me a lot of joy. Is writing songs, writing music. Well, that was beautiful. Like, I don't even know what to say right now. Well, you have the CD now. You can check it out. Now I can definitely check it out. Everybody, you need to go get this CD. I want to ask you a few more questions. What would you do or what would you say, because there's so many up-and-coming musicians that are coming up? And for some of them, it's hard, and some of them is not. You know? So what would you tell a new musician or up-and-coming musician coming up in the music? What advice? Or I should say, what advice would you give a new musician or up-and-coming musician in the music industry today? That's a good question. Well, my advice has evolved through the decades. Back in the 80s, I would have said, get off of this island and go to Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville, or a city, or it's competitive, where you can learn a higher standard of playing music. Not to say that the music here is not that way, but people are just hungrier and willing to put in the extra work to get the job. I mean, and there's a lot of that in those cities. And that was back in the 80s. So that's what I did first. And I was telling everybody, you need to do the same. Bruno Mars did it. I mean, that's a lot of kids from Hawaii did it, and they've excelled, because there's really no difference. It's just the amount of work that you want to put in to get there. So that's what's great about doing that. That's inspiring. But now, my advice was a change a little because of the advances in technology. Things seem to come a little easier, although there's no avoiding the actual hard work that goes into practicing and playing. You can't avoid that. I mean, if you're looking for celebrity, yeah, there are many roads to take now. You can get on TV instantly. You can create your own YouTube channel. And people are just going to be mystified because they're just zoning out, watching their phone or the computer. So they'll stop on anything. But if we're talking about developing talent, yeah, you need to really work at the craft. You need to, and I'm saying this to those potential students out there, people who want to make it in the music business, there's a lot of sacrifice in doing that. And there's, yeah, it's a tough road. And I feel like I'm lucky as maybe people my age are who are still in music and that. Well, we got the bug, and I heard the Beatles. I knew that was it. That's all I wanted to do. There was no plan B. And I stuck with it. And I didn't feel all of the hardship as much because I was in the music. Doing it, yeah. No, it's easy. It's just easy to let that go. And I'm not sure if they were really meant to be in music in the first place. But you'll know. If you feel that, you'll know. You'll know. Well, Zannick, I thank you. Our time has come to an end. Oh, it's too quick. I know, right? I know. But I thank you so much. Can I come back? Yes, of course. I will, I will. But I thank you so much for coming on Hawaii Smooth Jazz Connection. And your group plays with? Zodiac Diamond, April 19th, Medici's 730. Be there. Be there, baby. Be there. Thank you, everyone, for tuning in to the Hawaii Smooth Jazz Connection. Tune in next week with me, your host, Wendell and Harrison. Aloha.