MUSIC MAN MCINTOSH RETIRES

LIHU‘E — How do you feature 40 years of accomplishments in just a few hours?

That daunting task faces members of the Kaua‘i High School Band Boosters as they approach the 45th Annual Kaua‘i High School Spring Concert that will get underway tomorrow, Thursday, May 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center.

Larry McIntosh, the school’s music director, will be heading up the program for perhaps the final time, after being at the conductor’s podium for 40 of the school’s 45 presentations.

Over the years, McIntosh has elevated the Kaua‘i High School band program to beyond national recognition, his latest achievement being the incorporation of all the middle and high school bands on the island into the Kaua‘i All Island Marching Band that wowed spectators at the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade that was viewed by an international audience live and on TV from Pasadena, Calif.

Starting out as a teaching assistant to Bill Steinohrt in 1965, McIntosh took over the reins to the Red Raider music program in 1966, when Steinohrt left to pursue master’s and doctorate degrees.

When he started in 1965, McIntosh was the first traveling instrumental music teacher on the island and, at that time, worked with all the elementary feeder schools to propagate student interest in music.

Kaua‘i residents and music fans are well aware of McIntosh’s reputation of taking the high-school students to produce music that sometimes overshadowed game action at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation football games.

An avid football fan himself, McIntosh has religiously brought his band out to all Kaua‘i High School football games. During his 40-year tenure, there was only a single rainout, when inclement weather forced the cancellation of a Ku Kilakila Kaua‘i All Island Marching Band routine, during the Kapa‘a High School home-coming game in 2004.

Additionally, McIntosh has been at the forefront of hundreds of Kaua‘i music, dance, and choral students’ trips to Europe, as part of the all-Hawai‘i high-school band program. For this program, McIntosh worked with other high-school directors to take students on a two-week road trip through Europe, with stops in England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands.

Trophies overflow the cases in the school’s band room, another testament to the accomplishments McIntosh has brought to Red Raider musicians.

During the nation’s bicentennial celebration, McIntosh took his bands on a road trip to the nation’s capital, where the Red Raider students were able to be a part of the national celebration before ending with a show at Disneyworld in Florida.

Recently, McIntosh returned home with prestigious honors including a Grand Champion award for the school’s Jazz Ensemble.

For tomorrow’s concert, the Kaua‘i High School Band Boosters are inviting all former Kaua‘i High School band members as well as former Band Booster members to come to the KCC Performing Arts Center as a final tribute to the music man of Kaua‘i High School.

During a recent meeting at the band room, McIntosh unveiled the volumes of pictures he has accumulated, of his students, their bands, and some of their numerous achievements.

There are plans to have some of these available for viewing at the concert as well.

Earlier in the year, MacIntosh announced his retirement.

But, for McIntosh, what is retirement?

There is talk about possibly taking the Kaua‘i All Island Marching Band to the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, and more talks yet, about possibly a trip to Tachibana High School in Japan to repay their debt when the Japanese all-girl band (with two males) came to Kaua‘i to give a special performance, with the proceeds helping to send the KAIMB to the Rose Bowl parade.

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.