The Winter Aloha Music Camp at Kaupoa Beach was a truly inspirational week. We made new friends from Great Britain, Alaska, Virginia, the West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands and saw many familiar faces. The weather was great, the surf beautiful to behold, the kumu selfless in sharing their knowledge and aloha.

Highlights? There were so many:

• Kapono`ai teaching his students to make pu niu and leading them in chants at sunset and sunrise.
• Robyn's sweet voice and infectious laughter as her students discovered how much fun it is to play those fancy `ukulele chords.
• Sonny's incredible musicianship and his "extra" classes in steel guitar.
• Listening to Kevin and Sonny kani kapila at the opening night concert. Pure chicken skin!
• Kenny Burgmaier of Maui Reflection Films and his great crew were on hand to begin filming a documentary about Auntie Nona and the Camp.
• Watching Moana and Robyn take each others hula classes.. and both of them studying with Kapono`ai.
• Keola's terrific beginning slack key class. What a way to get started!
• Kaliko's beginning `ukulele class is so much fun it has to be illegal.
• Hearing Auntie Nona's stories & watching her perform at the Beamer Family show on Thursday night.
• Watching everyone shine at Friday night's ho`ike.

Here are some photos I took when I wasn't running around administering things. We'll post links to more as they become available, so check in often.

Mahalo to everyone who helped make this such a great camp. I may be a little biased, but I think it was the best one yet.