There’s something special about coming full circle. At our Pacific Music Institute, we’ve watched countless young musicians grow, flourish, and venture out into the world to pursue their musical dreams. What makes it even more remarkable is when they return, not just to visit, but to give back to the program that helped shape them.
Throughout the years, PMI has welcomed back many alumni who have traded their student chairs for faculty positions, staff roles, and mentorship opportunities. We’re sharing stories from alumni who returned this past summer in July 2025 to illuminate the lasting impact of intensive musical training and the bonds forged during our summer music intensive.
From Student Section to the Met Opera
Zoë Martin-Doike’s musical roots run deep in Hawai‘i soil. As the daughter of music educator Joan Doike, Zoë grew up surrounded by music, from Suzuki lessons to her mother’s Indonesian gamelan rehearsals drifting through the house. After progressing through Hawai‘i Youth Symphony’s orchestras and attending PMI around 2004-2005, she eventually left Hawai‘i at 16 to pursue her passion at Indiana University’s intensive pre-college program.
Today, Zoë holds a coveted position in the viola section of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City, a seat she earned during her graduation week from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. But what she remembers most about PMI isn’t just the intensive training, it’s the community.
“My favorite part about PMI was making music with some of my best friends, making new friends, and honing my instrumental and ensemble skills,” Zoë recalls. She describes PMI as “intense, like a music boot camp,” but emphasizes the rewards: “It is so rewarding to really focus on music for a week, to feel the exponential progress, and to share the journey with friends new and old.”
Now serving as a PMI viola faculty member, Zoë brings her experience from one of the world’s most prestigious orchestras back to Hawai‘i’s young musicians. Her advice to current students? “Push yourself to really take all the instruction in during rehearsals. Enjoy time with your friends, and make new friends during your down time!”
Bridging Islands and Generations
For ‘Alohi Igarta, PMI began as simply something their parents signed them up for during summer break. What started as a way to stay busy transformed into an annual tradition and, ultimately, a career calling. After years participating in PMI’s String and Symphony Orchestras beginning in 2010, ‘Alohi now serves as PMI’s Housing Coordinator and Hawai‘i Youth Symphony Academy String Program Coordinator.
Music has always been a family affair for ‘Alohi; their grandfather was a jazz pianist, and their father filled their mainland childhood with Hawaiian music. But it was at PMI where they discovered something equally valuable: connections across the islands. “Meeting new people from other islands was always fun because they brought their own stories and experiences to connect with,” ‘Alohi reflects.
Now on the other side of the music stand, ‘Alohi sees PMI’s value through a new lens, particularly the program’s intensive sectional rehearsals. These focused sessions with professional musicians provide “responsive feedback that may not be available in larger ensembles,” allowing students to tackle specific challenges and gain deeper mastery of their instruments.
Their message to hesitant students is clear: “Don’t let yourself miss an opportunity to try something new.” They acknowledge the challenge (so much music to learn in just ten days!) but emphasize that “the skills you learn, the people you meet, and the music you play are all essential to growing into outstanding musicians and, more importantly, outstanding people.”
The Oboe Section That Became a Brotherhood
Dr. Alex Hayashi’s PMI story stands out for one remarkable detail: the oboe section. While most ensembles might have two or three oboists, PMI regularly hosted around twenty oboe students annually. For Alex, who attended from 2003-2006, this created an unprecedented opportunity.
“My favorite part of PMI was the fact that we always were the biggest section in the entire ensemble,” Alex remembers. That large cohort fostered deep friendships that persist today, proof that PMI’s impact extends far beyond musical technique.
After fifteen years on the mainland earning three degrees in oboe performance and teaching at Western Michigan University, Alex returned home in 2020. He now serves as Lecturer of Oboe at the University of Hawai‘i, performs with Chamber Music Hawai‘i’s Spring Wind Quintet, and holds the Acting Associate Principal Oboe position with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra—bringing his wealth of experience back to PMI as oboe faculty.
The program’s inclusion of reed making, an intricate and challenging skill essential for oboists, gave students like Alex foundational knowledge they’d build on throughout their careers. Now he encourages current students to maximize their time with world-class musicians: “Ask many questions, be fully engaged, take in feedback, and produce those results!”
Finding ʻOhana from Across the Pacific
Faith Youn’s journey to PMI came from Northern New Jersey, where life moves at New York City speed. Attending PMI in 2019, 2022, and 2023, she discovered something unexpected in Hawai‘i: a different way of being in the world.
“Back at home, people tend to move really fast and they don’t really pay attention to the world around them too much,” Faith explains. “So being in an environment where people actually take the time out of their day to say ‘hello,’ even if you’re just passing by them, has been super great and has definitely added to who I am today.”
Now studying violin performance and music business at NYU and working in arts administration, Faith returned this summer as a PMI intern. The transition from student to colleague came with its own adjustments…calling teachers by their first names felt “pretty scary” at first! But that shift represents something deeper: “Now it just feels like we’re friends and that’s such a great feeling to me because the music world is so small, like we’re all in this together.”
Her behind-the-scenes view has given her new appreciation for what makes PMI work. And her advice to current high school students reflects the balance she’s learned: “Don’t procrastinate your college applications…but at the same time, don’t stress too much about it. There’s so much more to life than your college and professional goals.”
The Circle Continues
These returning alumni represent more than individual success stories. They embody the beautiful essence of PMI: to create not just skilled musicians, but thoughtful, connected human beings who understand the power of community and the importance of giving back.
Whether they’re teaching sectionals, coordinating programs, or managing operations, these former students bring invaluable perspective. They remember what it felt like to struggle with challenging repertoire, to feel nervous before the final concert, to forge friendships during breaks between rehearsals. They know firsthand that PMI’s intensity yields results because they’ve lived it.
As Zoë notes, PMI remains “a very special time that I still remember to this day.” For these alumni-turned-faculty, coming back to PMI isn’t just a job, it’s returning home to pass the gift forward, ensuring that future generations of Hawai‘i’s young musicians have the same transformative experience that shaped their own paths.