On Saturday, April 25, the week’s activities culminate with performances by Joel Katz and his students at the Maui Steel Guitar Festival at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel.

KAHULUI – The University of Hawaii Maui College’s Music Studies faculty this week are opening the doors of their classes, holding special events and sharing their knowledge and expertise with the public.

“We held the first Music Week last year, and it was a huge success thanks to the support of students and the entire Maui community,” said UHMC Music Instructor Karyn Sarring.

“We not only opened up over 20 music classes to all students and the entire Maui community, but had guest lecturers, hosted performances by professional musicians on campus, organized an open ‘mic’ and offered master classes. It was so beneficial for everyone involved, and was also great fun!”

The Hawaii premiere of a new movie of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will be held on Thursday, April 23. This new documentary called “Following the Ninth” traces the “Ode to Joy” as an anthem of hope in five continents. Director Kerry Candaele, who will participate via video conferencing, quoted Beethoven: “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy,” and added “not all music achieves such an elevated status, but Beethoven’s music certainly does.”

Thursday evening at 5 p.m., the UHMC Music Club will host an open “mic” in the student lounge in the Pilina Building. Students and the community can come watch or perform their chosen talent at this family-friendly event.

On Saturday, April 25, the week’s activities culminate with performances by Joel Katz and his students at the Maui Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel.

Katz, musician and instructor at UHMC, encourages everyone to attend the free festival.

“It’s an opportunity to hear some of the best steel guitar music in Hawaii and in the world,” he said.

Katz’s new CD, “Adventures in Hawaiian Steel Guitar” was named a finalist in this year’s Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.

The public is also invited to view a new exhibit in Kupa’a Building Room 104: large acrylic and oil paintings created from the Maui Open Studios “Art and Music Improv” event.

All activities on the UHMC campus are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit maui.hawaii.edu/music/ for a detailed calendar and list of music classes.

For more information on the Institute of Hawaiian Music, visit maui.hawaii.edu/ihm/.