Artist's Note
Welcome to soulful guitar music conveying the energy of life and love.
Click the Album Liner Notes tab (above) for details on my albums.
(Radiance-2023, Homespun-2022, Affinity-2021, Resilience-2020, Elua-2019 and Aloha This Is Who We Are-2017)
2024, A Synopsis of Music Released & Coming Soon:
On the Horizon:
“Salt and Sand” releases May 24, 2024. Inspired by the relaxing beaches where I grew up fishing on Oahu, Hawaii, “Salt and Sand” brings its soothing vibes to one’s ears.
Consider pre-saving this single now via https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/lancetakamiya/salt-and-sand
2024 Releases:
“Road Trip” released on April 26, 2024. This song is dedicated to my daughter and her boyfriend, who drove from the United States’ west coast to the mid-west. I hope that “Road Trip” brings you fond memories of your journeys!
March 29, 2024, featured “The Promise of Dawn”. No matter what life throws at us, it is reassuring knowing that our beacon of hope lies in the anticipation of waking up to a new day, with the calmness and clarity needed to persevere and overcome our struggles. This is the essence of my new song, “The Promise of Dawn.”
March 1, 2024, featured Ko'olau Lullaby. Whenever I drive over the Pali to the Windward side, there stands one of the most beautiful mountain ranges on planet Earth. I hope the pure Hawaiian slack key guitar style of my new original “Ko’olau Lullaby” delivers the calming spirit that I feel in the presence of the majestic Ko’olau mountain range.
February 2, 2024, featured Rest Assured. For many, music is therapeutic as it can enrich our mood and well-being. Rest Assured” falls into this category. It has a comforting and hopeful vibe. My wish is that it will bring you many pleasant days and restful nights.
January 5, 2024, featured my new single “The Sweet Life”. It is one of hope and happiness gifted to us through the goodness of others. Let the song take you to that special time and place in your heart.
Additional Notes:
Please consider searching for song’s you like and saving them to your playlists or sharing with your friends. That really helps stimulate my algorithms. Also, please consider joining the mailing list at the bottom of this page and you’ll receive links to my latest songs on the day they’re released.
Finally, check out my playlists by clicking on the “Curated Playlists” tab above. They are updated weekly with the finest songs for your listening pleasure!
Mission:
Helping the Art to Flourish!!!
My mission is to perpetuate the art of Slack Key by composing beautiful music that can be enjoyed not only by traditional slack key enthusiasts, but also reach listeners of other genres as well. My love for folk, New Age, classical, and Easy Listening pop music has resulted in composing and arranging crossover pieces that carry this DNA. Delivering them through a Hawaiian Slack Key guitar playing style offers a uniquely relaxing sound. Hopefully, these pieces will inspire others to learn the art and leave them a road map for future artists to learn its fundamental and technical aspects in order that the music they compose or arrange will carry the same traditional Slack Key guitar principles into future generations.
A Look Back:
I was born and raised in Halawa Heights on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i. During high school, I began picking up the acoustic steel string guitar and enjoyed strumming chords to popular songs of the 70s“. My interest changed after hearing my brother’s friend play Mason William’s “Classical Gas”. This was the era of cassette tapes and 33-1/3 RPM vinyl records called LPs. (Long Plays). To figure out how to play the song, I would listen to this piece on Mason William’s 33 LP a few notes at a time lifting and dropping the record player needle arm over and over. Eventually, to my surprise, I was able to play “Classical Gas”. During that time the Hawaiian music renaissance was in full swing. A Keola and Kapono Beamer album caught my ear. The Slack Key guitar was the most beautiful sound I had heard. Not only that, I could feel the spirit (mana) of the islands in those songs sung in perfect harmony. I tried playing it but due to the lack of my understanding of tunings and its fundamentals, was not able to replicate it.
While finishing my final semester at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, I entered the Pro Guitar Shop on Waialae Avenue looking for a classical nylon string guitar and the owner told me, “you play pretty good, want to take lessons for $5 a session? The teacher’s only in the islands for a few months at a time and plays at Bagwells restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. Now that he’s here, you should give it a try.” Back then, 5 bucks was a lot as I had worked myself through college with money made from trimming pineapples at the cannery, being a companion for cognitive impaired residents at Waimano Home, a stock boy at Kress Store and selling fish that I caught. I had only enough money saved up to buy a cheap guitar. My girlfriend, now my wife, bought me the guitar for $600 so I could afford the lessons. The teacher’s name was Jose Ortega. I remember hearing him practicing before he entered a lesson and was awe struck as I watched him play complicated pieces as he sight read from classical music sheets. Jose Ortega trained me on the fundamental positioning, posture and fingering techniques. He told me to buy an exercise book and said, “that person on the book, Andres Segovia, was my teacher.” I began to learn how to read music. Progress was slow as it was like starting from scratch. Shortly after, I began my career as an Engineer and stopped the lessons but continued to work on the classical exercises for years. Looking back, the classical training paid dividends as it strengthened my fingers and disciplined my guitar skills.
Years later, I observed Ozzie Kotani playing a beautiful Slack Key piece at a Slack Key Festival with the same classical style hand positioning. I found that Ozzie was teaching at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa Outreach Program. I took some classes and Ozzie asked me if I was interested in undertaking an intense program in the art of Slack Key. We applied and were awarded a Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) Folk Arts Apprenticeship grant in year 1992. The SFCA was established by the Hawai’i State Legislature to promote, perpetuate, and preserve culture and the arts in Hawai’i. It was Ozzie’s efforts during and after the apprenticeship that allowed me to transform from a guitar hobbyist to a Ki’hoalu artist. He gave me opportunities to play at public events and meet other Ki’hoalu Masters like Raymond Kane, Leonard Kwan, George Kuo and Dennis Kamakahi. Upon completion of the SFCA Apprentice Program, Ozzie provided me the opportunity to teach at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa Outreach Program in year 1994. I would continue teaching there for 15 years. Teaching kept me focused and devoted to the art while experiencing great fulfillment by being around those who shared a common passion and love for Ki’hoalu. The warm aloha and appreciation I received from my students, and the friendships made over the years have been gratifying experiences. I want to thank Ozzie Kotani and the SFCA for making this journey possible. I also want to thank all of my students for learning the art of Ki’hoalu and sustaining the art by playing it for the enjoyment of their ohana (family), friends and audiences.
Lance’s Interpretation of The Art:
“If executed correctly, Hawaiian Slack Key guitar music has a mesmerizing effect on the listener. The casual listener may not be able to discern why. Much is made about the slacking of guitar strings, “Ki” which means “keys on the guitar” and “hoalu” which means, “to loosen”. However, the playing technique is what sets Slack Key guitar apart from other styles of guitar playing. The alternating bass pattern played by the thumb and the melody played with the index, middle and ring fingers on the picking hand optimizes a guitar’s resonance and creates a uniquely warm, flowing and sweet sound. Ornamentation techniques used by fingers on the fret board such as chimes (harmonics), hammers, add-ons, pull-offs, slurs and slides give Slack Key pieces a uniquely Hawaiian sound. The fullness in sound also gives the listener the impression that more than one instrument is playing. Through the art of Slack Key, I’ve developed an appreciation for Hawaiian music and for the island culture in general.”
Mahalo Nui Loa:
SFCA
Ozzie Kotani
Jose Ortega
Agustin Amigo: Florecilla Records
Milton Lau and Chris Lau
Lilia Merrin, Hawaiian translation for Lance Takamiya’s Elua album track titles.
My wife, Jan, and our two children Andrea and Evan Takamiya for their love and inspiration. Together we explored the islands, learned the passion of its people, ate its food, witnessed the indigenous art forms, observed its breathtaking beauty and learned its history. Our life in Hawai’i inspired me to compose these songs.
Andrea Takamiya & Jan Takamiya: Website design, Resilience album concept, photography and graphics.
Kelli Borgonia and Andrea Takamiya: Album cover graphics for Aloha this is Who We Are.
Eric Lagrimas: Pass Out Records and Songs of Passout (ASCAP)
Fred Domingo
Michael Cheape
Les Lichtgenberg
Steve Grimes of Grimes Guitars.
Contact Lance Takamiya at: alohaslacklt@gmail.com
Homespun Album (C) 2022, Produced and Published by: Akule Productions LLC
Affinity Album (C) 2021, Produced and Published by: Akule Productions LLC
Resilience Album (C) 2021, Produced and Published by: Akule Productions LLC
Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by: Lance Takamiya