Hawaii Preparatory Academy presents the award-winning Banana Slug String Band in concert at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17, at the school’s Gates Performing Arts Center. The children’s “eco-music” group concert, which is free and open to the public, kicks off the school’s 2014 Ohana Sustainability Event series.
Hawaii Preparatory Academy presents the award-winning Banana Slug String Band in concert at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17, at the school’s Gates Performing Arts Center. The children’s “eco-music” group concert, which is free and open to the public, kicks off the school’s 2014 Ohana Sustainability Event series.
The Banana Slug String Band is a group of musicians and educators from Northern California who helped pioneer the art of children’s “edu-tainment.” The Slugs are “Airy” Larry Graff, Doug “Dirt” Greenfield, “Solar” Steve Van Zandt and “Marine” Mark Nolan.
Known for the organic food anthem, “Dirt Made My Lunch,” the Banana Slugs have long been favorites of kids of all ages. The band’s music, which ranges from rock to ballads; folk songs to reggae and rap, features vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, harmonica and percussion. Shows include wild-and-wacky costumes, audience participation and puppets that entertain and educate audiences about caring for the Earth.
“Music resonates,” said Van Zandt. “Whether it is a song that is stuck in your head for a day, or a tune that lives within us for a lifetime, music holds the power to transcend time and place and to touch our deepest emotions.
“Now, after almost 30 years together as a band, we Banana Slugs can proudly say we have spread our music to schools, households, and nature centers throughout the country. Our songs appear in local, national, and international education curricula, and we continue to find new ways to collaborate with others to use music as a way to educate and promote social and environmental well-being.”
For more information, contact Koh Ming Wei at 443-9231 or mwkoh@hpa.edu.