Strike up the Band! Hawai‘i County Band Entertains Hawai‘i Island for Over 130 Years

By Karen Rose

A great band makes music sound effortless—a cacophony of notes drifting through air like oxygen. Elements of music such as pitch, tempo, texture, and volume, when analyzed individually hold great importance, yet when married together, create an inspiring force that moves the human spirit and stirs the emotions. It takes every member of a band to create and form something unique and magical.

For more than 130 years, the Hawai‘i County Band continues to create and perform their enchanting works of music when they come together throughout east and west Hawai‘i. The group entertains Hawai‘i Island residents throughout the year with music for special community events and public concerts.

West Hawai‘i County Band member and French horn player, Peter Anderegg, talks about how the Hawai‘i County Band became a part of the government, inspired by the Royal Hawaiian Band on O‘ahu.

“It started on Honolulu in 1836 with the Royal Hawaiian Band. In 1871, Henry Berger came to Honolulu ‘on loan’ from the Prussian government to direct the Royal Hawaiian Band created by King Kamehameha III,” said Peter. “This started the tradition of bands on our islands.”

Today, the Hawai‘i County Band is one of the oldest professional music ensembles in the state, second only to the Royal Hawaiian Band.

There are two arms of the Hawai‘i County Band, the eastern side unit in Hilo, directed by Paul Arceo, and the western side unit in Kona, directed by Bernaldo Evangelista. Performing musical genres from jazzy Broadway tunes to classical music, the band is a special part of Hawai‘i Island’s cultural heritage and a valued part of the community.

“Our band started several decades after the Royal Hawaiian Band, so when statehood came about, the band was already in place. Fortunately, someone had the political know-how to have the band be a part of the county,” said Peter. “The Royal Hawaiian Band started this tradition of the band being part of the government, which is really interesting. It got started on the Hilo side with two Portuguese immigrants who brought their culture with them and started a band.”

The Hawai‘i County Band was founded in 1883 by brothers Joaquin and Jules Carvalho, immigrants from the Azores Islands of Portugal who moved to Hilo and hung up their barbershop shingle. On days when the band performed together, the brothers traded in their straight razors and creams for sheet music and set out to entertain their east side audience. When the concert was over they would re-open the barbershop and get back to work.

Joaquin directed the band for 41 years and coordinated the band’s rehearsal schedule of Tuesday and Thursday evenings. This same schedule is still maintained today for the Hilo side band. More than a hundred years and thousands of band practices later, the Hawai‘i County Band continues to entertain the community with its talent and versatility.

Known as the Hilo Band during the Hawaiian Monarchy, the band officially changed its name to the Hawai‘i County Band in 1900 after annexation. The band regularly performed at the Mo‘oheau Park Bandstand in Hilo, dedicated in 1904 by Hilo businessman Admiral George Beckley.

Since Joaquin’s passing in 1924, the band has seen several directors. Urban Carvalho, son of founder Jules Carvalho, became bandmaster in 1943. He also directed the Hilo High School Band and was known for recruiting the very best high school players. After Urban’s term ended in 1963, the band director position became a politically appointed position.

Andres Baclig was the first appointed director and led the band for 11 years. The band had a succession of other talented directors including, Armando Mendoza, John Hursey, David Lorch, Wayne Kawakami, Randy Skaggs, Paul Arceo, Lisa Archuletta, and current director, Bernaldo Evangelista.

One of the features that makes the Hawai‘i County Band unique is its classification as a government band rather than a community band. This contrast carries with it several important distinctions. Most notably, a community band is usually a self-supporting concert band or brass band ensemble composed of volunteer musicians, whereas a government band is generally sponsored by the local county government.

“We are part of the fabric of the community and that’s really cool,” said Peter. “It’s not something that happens much outside of the military. We differ slightly from a community band, because a community band will traditionally give concerts about twice a year and maybe march in the Fourth of July parade.”

Peter explained how community bands must spend a significant amount of time fundraising and working up big programs to be performed two or three times a year. However, a government band will respond to requests to play at various community events such as a new business openings, civic events or other special holidays. If citizens ask the band to play, the musicians will often show up with instruments in hand. Some of the band’s past performances include the International Billfish Tournament, Ironman® Triathlon, the Kona Coffee Festival and community parades.

“The most amazing thing to me about the band, is it being part of the county,” said Peter. “In the United States, most of the arts are traditionally handled outside of the government structure and that allows the arts to kind of go off on their own.”

“Community bands work tirelessly to grow their audiences because that is the main source of funding. Even if the musicians are volunteer and not paid, having a band costs money and music is not cheap. A county band is different,” said Peter, “and even the county budget can come and go…a couple of years ago our local government was trying to pull the county band out of the charter.”

The Hawai‘i County Band has been on the chopping block a couple of times in recent years, yet fortunately has managed to escape losing funding on both occasions. So while a band being funded by the local county budget has its perks, it also comes with the knowledge those funds can be cut during difficult economic times.

The proposed elimination of funding caused an outcry of public support and fierce opposition from the community. As a result of the community pulling together, the Hawai‘i County Band remains a part of the county budget. Because the band is such an important part of Hawai‘i Island’s artistic and cultural identity, residents would certainly feel the absence if the band were not performing at one of the many events such as veterans’ ceremonies, parades and free concerts.

In addition to entertaining locals and visitors, the band also offers unique opportunities to music students in Hawai‘i County that are otherwise unavailable due to lack of funding for art education. Local teachers can bring students to the Hawai‘i County Band and offer them first-hand experiences in performing for live audiences and collaborating with professional musicians.

One of the things Peter especially enjoys about playing with the Hawai‘i County Band is performing with people who represent multiple facets of the community. “One of the similarities between our county band and a community band is that it is made up of people from all walks of life,” he said. “I sit next to a woman who writes grants for a living, and the principle horn player is a vice principal at one of the schools. Then we have retired professional musicians who can be a little intimidating. For example, I sit in the horn section with a retired professional French horn player. Our tuba player was the tuba instructor at UNLV and was in the Studio Band of the US Army Field Band. He was also the principal tubist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic for many years. Then there’s a whole mix of folks like myself who were community musicians but never professionals. It is kind of amazing.”

Hawai‘i County is fortunate to have its own band woven into the fabric of the community. The Hawai‘i County Band entertains the public during holidays and special events at little or no cost, while promoting an appreciation for creative expression. Young and old alike join together in celebration, while generational differences are tossed aside for a shared appreciation of common enjoyment.

The Hawai‘i County Band encourages people from diverse backgrounds to enjoy what it means to be a part of a community. Here on Hawai‘i Island, residents are fortunate for these monthly opportunities listening to a live orchestra while setting aside the stresses of everyday life and allowing time to stand still, even if only for a few moments. ❖

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For more information about the Hawai‘i County Band: hawaiicounty.gov/pr-county-band or westhawaiiband.com.