Here’s a neat story by the Register-Guard’s Mark Brown about a Japanese American musician – 52-year-old Los Angeles transplant Maggie Matoba – who is bringing a little bit of Hawai`i to one lucky Oregon school.
It turns out that Maggie’s mother fell in love with Hawaiian music and influenced her daughter to pick up the ukulele in her late teens. Maggie learned a few island tunes before gravitating towards the guitar in hopes of becoming the next Joan Baez.
Decades later, Maggie discovered the uniqueness of Hawaiian music and is hoping that some young, aspiring musicians – with her help – will catch on too.
