Mr. Abe shares his passion

“Nobody questioned us,” he said with a smile.

That concert helped direct his decision to pursue a career in music, one that would eventually lead him to his role as director of the ‘Iolani Stage Bands.

Besides teaching, Mr. Abe still plays music professionally. He gets called whenever famous singers and bands come to Hawai’i and need someone to play the trombone.

Mr. Abe’s musical career started in fifth-grade when he received two gifts from his uncle: a trombone and a trumpet. He tried to play both instruments, but he couldn’t make a noise on the trumpet, so he chose to play the trombone.

It was around that time when he first heard a big band jazz recording, and a “light bulb” went on in his head. “I felt a connection,” he said.

Mr. Abe became a professional musician after graduating from college with a major in Education and a minor in Jazz Studies.

He has been hired to play with famous singers and groups such as Johnny Mathis, the Carpenters, Burt Bacharach and, most recently, Katchafire, a Jawaiian group from New Zealand. He even played in the orchestra that backed up the group of Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, and Sammy Davis Jr. when their tour brought them to Hawai’i in the 1980s.

Now, Mr. Abe spends most of his time teaching. He enjoys it because of the students, especially those who show a genuine interest in music.

“Mr. Abe is like a chilled orange creamsicle,” said student Jana Dagdagan ’11, “because he is creative, relaxed, and gives us sweet musical tidbits everyday in class.” He tells stories, plays music, and shows Youtube videos to inspire his students.

Outside of school, Mr. Abe plays in his own group called the Ornery Horns. He and his friends write and perform original pieces that range in styles from funk to jazz.

Sophomore Sarah Carlile also appreciates Mr. Abe’s passion.

“He’s passionate about music and in sharing what he knows and loves with other people.”