LIHU‘E — His baton may be resting on his music stand, but the legacy of Larry McIntosh lives on in the music and leadership of his former students. McIntosh, 67, died April 15 at Wilcox Memorial Hospital after a 14-month
LIHU‘E — His baton may be resting on his music stand, but the legacy of Larry McIntosh lives on in the music and leadership of his former students.
McIntosh, 67, died April 15 at Wilcox Memorial Hospital after a 14-month battle with cancer.
He was director of bands at Kaua‘i High School and Kaua‘i Community College, and his bands had a deserved reputation of being well-prepared every time they took the stage, a testament to the tireless man their director was.
McIntosh, who had a love for water skiing on Wailua River as well as for his wife and family and his chosen instrument, the saxophone, was named a Kaua‘i Museum Living Treasure in 2007 for artistry in music.
Before he retired from Kaua‘i High School after a 40-year career there, McIntosh, of Wailua Homesteads, hand-picked as his successor Darryl Miyasato, one of his many former students.
Miyasato had been first chair string bass with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra for five years, and at McIntosh’s urging got his teaching degree and decided to come home.
“I knew from when I was young I wanted to be a music teacher,” Miyasato said Tuesday. “He just kind of guided me along.
“It was an honor to follow him. It was tough, too, because he was such a great band director,” said Miyasato, adding that he still has people telling him he has big shoes to fill even though Miyasato has been director of bands at Kaua‘i High School for five years.
“I think I’m doing OK,” and thinks McIntosh is nodding in agreement from his new podium, Miyasato said.
The challenge is trying to get numbers of students in bands back up, with pressures coming from scheduling conflicts and needs of students to get certain numbers of credits in non-elective classes, Miyasato said.
Miyasato teaches ‘ukulele and piano classes in addition to directing the symphonic, jazz and marching bands and wind ensemble. “I really enjoy it.”
McIntosh’s influence on his former band students is still felt even by those who did not choose to major in music, said Miyasato.
“He was such a great inspiration to a lot of students. They remember what they learned in band class,” said Miyasato.
“Larry really lived his life the way he wanted to,” said Linda Smith, Kaua‘i High School principal and at one time the band director at Kapa‘a High School.
“He played hard and he worked hard. He lived a good life,” said Smith. “He put his heart and soul into his programs.”
Arnold Meister of Po‘ipu, friends with McIntosh for 40 years and a colleague who shared the music building at Kaua‘i High School when Meister was in charge of the Kaua‘i Performing Arts Center company headquartered there, misses their friendship.
“He was the best. I have a big hole in my heart,” said Meister, recalling days even after McIntosh became ill when they would go out to lunch and end up talking for hours on end.
“How did he do a full high school instrumental music program and college music program?” asked Meister, a man also well-known as a tireless practitioner of musical and theatrical arts.
Meister recalled when McIntosh was director of the pit orchestra in a production of “Peter Pan,” and Meister played the mean, manipulative Captain Hook.
During actual performances, the two would have conversations, deciding on what type of dance Hook would make the minions perform for his pleasure, with McIntosh eventually deciding on a tango.
“I remember Mac was in the pit and we would have a conversation” about the dance, Meister said.
On another occasion, McIntosh asked Meister to sing with the KCC Orchestra, and Meister suggested a number of songs, with McIntosh deciding on songs by the Russian composer Prokofiev instead.
Prokofiev’s vocal works are difficult in any language, with Meister deciding to sing them in Russian. “And that was a pleasure, too.”
When KPAC developed from having musical productions with just keyboard, bass guitar and percussion to having a full-on orchestra, McIntosh “was really important,” providing contacts of both high school and adult musicians to fill out the productions, Meister said.
Sometimes artists can get territorial, not wanting to share their resources, said Meister. “Larry was never like that.” He was proud of his students, and their presence made a difference in the KPAC productions, he said.
Even after being diagnosed with cancer, McIntosh showed up in the audience at St. Michael’s & All Angels Episcopal Church in Lihu‘e, where Meister and others were conducting jazz Masses and an annual jazz festival.
Even though he was in pain and his health was failing, “there he was, supporting us,” Meister said.
“I could always count on him for help in contacting musicians” when the Kaua‘i Chorale performed pieces requiring orchestral accompaniment, said Lois Ricciardi, Kaua‘i Chorale director.
“It’s a small island, and we had to work together” when Kaua‘i Chorale did major works like “Messiah.” And McIntosh was there, directing the orchestra in rehearsals.
December and May, when holiday and spring concerts are booked, respectively, the calendar gets full, so coordination is necessary for venues and “overlapping people” who play instruments and sing as well, she said.
“Between us we could always work together and always work it out,” and oftentimes one or the other would have to bend, said Ricciardi.
They were colleagues, and many of Ricciardi’s piano students were also McIntosh’s Kaua‘i High band students. “He respected what I did as well,” she said.
“The amount of commitment to so many groups, and that commitment after he retired,” is what impressed Ricciardi most about McIntosh. “He was tireless.”
Ricciardi visited McIntosh in the hospital the day he died, and was moved by the love shown for him by former students also in his hospital room that day. “Just to see the love the people have for him was very heartwarming. We had a great loss,” she said.
A musical tribute
Instead of a funeral service or celebration of life, a musical tribute is planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the War Memorial Convention Hall.
Billed as “Mr. Mac’s Encore Music Festival,” the event will feature his KCC bands (string, wind and jazz ensembles) and other individuals in performances being coordinated by Barry Toy, a current KCC band member, said Theresa Schenk, sister of Lauretta Cook McIntosh, Larry McIntosh’s widow.
“Music was his total life,” said Schenk, of O‘ahu, adding that her sister did not play an instrument but always supported her husband’s professional endeavors. Larry McIntosh recognized his wife’s sacrifices for his work in at least one public function.
During his entire musical career on Kaua‘i, spanning nearly 50 years, McIntosh “wanted to give everybody their moments” in the spotlight, and “wanted his students to do well, to shine,” said Schenk.
McIntosh met Lauretta Cook when she was working at Kinipopo General Store and McIntosh would come in and flirt with her, Schenk said.
Among the jokes is that McIntosh died on purpose on April 15, one of the busiest days of the year for his wife, who prepares taxes for others for a living, Schenk said.
They met 27 years ago, and were married 21 years. McIntosh held a master’s degree in music from Brigham Young University and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Cincinnati. He was born in Monroeville, Ind.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughters Traci (Luis) Alaniz of Corpus Christi, Texas; Leana Scibetta of Buffalo, N.Y.; Sydney McIntosh of Wailua; son Larry Wayne McIntosh of Wailua, and three grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family suggests donations to The Larry L. McIntosh Music Scholarship at KCC. A box for donations to that scholarship will be set up at the convention hall Saturday, said Schenk.
She said deciding on a venue was made more difficult when people began coming forward and offering to perform at Saturday’s concert, with place after place under consideration being determined to be too small.
“It’s been very overwhelming,” the support from colleagues, students and friends from across the state and Mainland, she said.
She is planning on shining up and displaying one of McIntosh’s saxophones at the concert, she said.
McIntosh was cremated. Arrangements are being handled by Borthwick Kaua‘i Mortuary in Koloa.
