Pacific Music Institute 2024 was a whirlwind of music, community, and fun! We’re already counting down the days until PMI 2025. In the meantime, we’re recapping some of this year’s summer so you can see what a day in the life is like for our students.
Saturday, July 6
Opening day is so highly anticipated as we welcome our students, staff, and faculty at McKinley High School. After an opening welcome, students jumped into group ensemble rehearsals, including Freestyle String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and combined Jazz! There’s nothing to break the ice quite like large ensemble playing.
Next, students headed into smaller groups like Solo & String Quartet and Wind Ensemble sectionals. Following this were MORE Solo & String Quartet practices, as well as Wind, Brass, and Percussion instrument workshops.
“Ensemble playing is super important for students,” explains flute faculty member Ellie Rose. “We have large ensembles and also chamber ensembles at PMI and they can do very different things. Chamber ensembles really bring out the confidence in the students because there’s only one or two on a part, whereas in the larger ensembles, sometimes we can get away with hiding a little bit! So I think it really builds students’ confidence and it also gives them an opportunity to have more musical say.”
A unique feature this year was two Singing for Instrumentalists seminars held for all students when their small ensembles were not in session. Presented by Alec Schumacker, these sessions aimed to help instrumentalists explore and feel comfortable with their singing voice, helping with basic breathing and phonation, as well as musicality, tonal, and physical expressivity through the voice.
Students finished their first day with instrument workshops, breaking out into sections. Within the Winds, Brass, and Percussion program, we held 9 workshops including saxophone, flute, oboe, percussion, clarinet, horn, bassoon, low brass, and trumpet. Strings broke out into sections as well, including violin 1, violin 2, viola, and cello.
Sunday, July 7
As our students got to know each other, their instructors, and the music, day two really encouraged students to push themselves musically. Following a similar format to our first day, day two started with large ensemble rehearsals, broke into small ensembles, and finished with instrument workshops.
This year on day two, we were excited to offer two unique seminars for our students–Injury Prevention and Stretching for Musicians, presented by Dr. Alex Hayashi; and a conducting workshop by maestro Joseph Stepec.
In the first seminar, Dr. Hayashi shared the importance of both physical and mental wellbeing for musicians and how it translates into performances. He also introduced basic stretches that students could incorporate into their practice. “This year, I was able to do a presentation for the students about injury prevention for musicians,” shared Dr. Hayashi. “It included a lot of information for students about how to warm up on your instrument and how to practice efficiently and incorporate proper rest, in addition to doing stretches and warm up exercises!”
Our second seminar by Mr. Stepec was tailored to aspiring musicians, helping them navigate auditions, college admissions, and beyond. Many of our students wonder what it would be like to be a music major in college; while the intensity of PMI is a great replication of how a student might feel studying music in school, Mr. Stepec added to this experience through key insights elevating students’ musical journeys, from conducting to singing, theory to aural training, and even score reading.
Violin faculty member Clara Kim explains that majoring in music and being a professional musician requires a lot of different types of skills, from interpersonal abilities to the discipline required to practice for hours each day. “For me,” she says, “PMI does really encapsulate in a very short amount of time what it might be like to pursue music and to attend, for example, a conservatory.” Providing our students with these types of experiences and perspectives is all a part of what makes PMI so special and valuable.
Monday, July 8
During the week, our rehearsals began later in the afternoon, allowing students to participate in local summer school if desired. While they had long days starting at school and ending with music, juggling different priorities and responsibilities is a part of the growth our students experience throughout our intensive week.
For our Strings Program students, the day may start or end with a private lesson. At PMI 2024, each string student received one 45-minute private lesson from a Solo & String Quartet faculty member whom they do not have as a teacher for another ensemble. This allowed our string students to learn from a variety of faculty members, gaining broad ranges of insight and experience from them. Seeing different interpretations of music and approaches to technique allowed them to grow even more, even faster.
Violin faculty member Khullip Jeung, for example, started each private lesson with scales. “It’s a thing that I also do back home and it just gives me a quick snapshot of what their level is and what we can work on,” he explains. After scales, he let students direct the lesson, choosing which piece or pieces they wanted to practice.
Day three of PMI also marked our first day of ‘Ukulele Workshop! Our PMI 2024 ‘Ukulele Workshop was created for both beginning and intermediate-level players, and scheduled so that students participating in other PMI programs could also sign up to play the ‘ukulele. ‘Ukulele instructors and husband-and-wife duo, Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel, provided video lessons for students to peruse prior to the week. The focus for their ‘Ukulele Workshop was to play different styles and learn new skills and techniques that students could apply to songs they already know and love.
Lastly, (but never least!) Monday welcomed our Middle School All-State Band students from all across the state. Nominated 7th through 9th grade students from various local schools joined us this summer to learn from faculty members Wayne Fanning and Guy Lum. This intensive week for our local middle school students always brings growth in technical ability, but we love the confidence and camaraderie the keiki also build. A 2023 PMI student remarked that “the thought of how my band teacher picked me for this out of the whole band makes me feel important, and PMI made it possible [for me] to see that.”
Tuesday, July 9
Days into PMI 2024, our students began feeling comfortable with their routines and schedules, rehearsal spaces, music, peers, and faculty. By this time, they were able to truly focus on improving their musicality and technical skills to get performance ready on all of their pieces. Knowing that performances were mere days away, when they had just started learning the music several days ago, motivates our students to work hard!
At this point in our program, students have also really started to build friendships, which is one of the hallmarks of PMI. A PMI 2023 student said, “this program really makes you feel welcomed, like you’ve been rehearsing with the band for a year.” Returning PMI student, Sophia, added that “PMI is unique because it’s where music students that like playing music go. It’s also a great place to make friends and have new experiences.”
If you’d like a quick glimpse into PMI 2024 rehearsals, seminars, and more, check out our PMI 2024 recap reels on Instagram:
- PMI 2024 Opening Weekend Seminars
- An Inside Peek at PMI 2024 Rehearsals
- By the Hour: A Breakdown of PMI 2024’s Day in the Life
And if you’re curious to dive deeper into days 5-9, stay tuned for part 2 of our PMI 2024 Day in the Life blog series! Don’t forget, for updates about PMI 2025 programs and enrollment, be sure to sign up for our email list.