Meet Mary Lardizabal

For the past 31 years, I have been the Middle School Choir and Ukulele Band teacher at Kapa’a Middle School on the island of Kaua’i. This is my first year receiving the newsletters from ACDA and it’s been a joy seeing what other directors are doing across the state.

The Kapa’a Middle School Choir and ‘Ukulele band are very involved in community performances across Kaua’i. Within the first couple of weeks of the school year, we are preparing for our many performances. Each year, I take a selected group of students to participate in the WorldStrides Music Festival in Anaheim, California. This is a huge undertaking, which involves fundraising and preparing the students for traveling and learning the music. I want to provide my students with this opportunity to be a part of this nationwide festival and hear other choirs from across the nation to inspire them to be life-long musicians. For many, this is the first time that my students get to travel to the mainland.

I have so many memorable music moments in my 31 years of my teaching. It is wonderful to see my students build their confidence from the beginning of the school year and seeing the final product at the end of the year. Each year is different, each choral group is unique, and each group walks away with different musical experiences. The relationships that are built from being in the ensemble is truly rewarding as a teacher and I am so truly blessed to be able to keep teaching and doing what I love!