Every summer camp needs a theme song, but the story of how the PMI theme song came to be is a testament to spontaneous creativity, old friendships, and the power of bringing people together through music…all things we love!
How it all began
Steve Treseler, Jazz Faculty, and Randy Wong, President of Hawai‘i Youth Symphony, first met years ago in music school, forming a connection that would eventually lead to something special for the entire PMI community. After last year’s PMI session ended, the two musicians realized they hadn’t played together much during the program, and they couldn’t have that!
The magic happened in the most unassuming of places: a Halepuna hotel room jam session. “I invited him to my hotel room and we jammed a bit,” Mr. Treseler recalls. What started as two old friends reconnecting through improvisation quickly evolved into something more purposeful. They’d been discussing an idea that had been percolating in their minds: PMI needed its own theme song!
The challenge was clear. PMI operates like a musical summer camp with various groups working simultaneously: chamber musicians during one hour, jazz ensembles in another, each focused on their own craft. What they needed was something that could bridge these musical worlds and unite everyone under one banner.
The inspiration for the song’s central message came from Mr. Wong and his signature summer greeting: “Happy PMI!” This simple, enthusiastic phrase captured the spirit of the entire experience, and it naturally became the chorus of their emerging composition.
The creative process was organic and collaborative. Mr. Wong laid down a bass line while Mr. Treseler played soprano saxophone, and they captured the entire session on video. From those raw improvisational sketches, Mr. Treseler took the material and shaped it into a proper theme song structure. The two then worked together on crafting lyrics that would resonate with the PMI experience.
This year, they debuted what Mr. Treseler calls “a little pilot version” to the entire PMI ‘ohana–a proof of concept that brought the community together in song. But true to the collaborative spirit of PMI itself, the theme song remains a work in progress, something that can grow and evolve with the community it represents.
The story of the PMI theme song is really the story of PMI itself. Just like Steve and Randy, friends from music school who reconnected years later to create something meaningful, students at PMI form bonds that last long beyond the summer session. These friendships, forged in practice rooms and jam sessions, through shared challenges and musical breakthroughs, are what make PMI truly special. The theme song isn’t just about bringing together different musical styles; it’s about celebrating the connections we make through music, reminding us that the people we meet and the friendships we build are just as important as the notes we play. Whether you’re a returning student greeting an old friend or a newcomer experiencing PMI for the first time, we’re all part of one musical ‘ohana. And that’s what makes it a happy PMI indeed.