This fall break a group of 27 members of the Soldiers of Light Select Choir and Wind Ensemble made their way to Texas for a school-sponsored tour called the “Gratitude Tour”. The students were made up of 7 sophomores and 20 seniors.
Todd Yokotake, high school choir director, explained the purpose of this “Gratitude Tour” saying “As a part of HBAʻs 75th anniversary, it was an opportunity to thank those MAC members and individuals who have given so much to the school over the years. The tour served as an important touch point to connect with those MAC members who are not able to travel to Hawaii (either because of age, health, etc.) and to say ʻthank you’.” Yokotake and his Wind Ensemble counterpart Dwaine Woo both shared that they thought the trip accomplished what they set out to do and stressed that the trip went better than they could have expected. Ethan Wut, senior trombonist, recalled seeing meaningful interactions between students and audience members after their performances. “I really saw the theme of gratitude come alive during the tour mainly after the concerts. The SOL and the Wind Ensemble conversing with the people who attended the concert and having smiles on their faces while having genuine conversations.” The students on the trip were appreciative of not just the opportunity to travel with HBA but also of the quality time they got to spend with each other. Aubrey Hew, sophomore SOL singer, said, “I think the one thing I saw in everyone was how grateful we all were to be together on the Texas trip and to have made the friendships that we made.” Hew added that there was a sense of a bond that was made that is still continuing on now being back from the trip. Fellow SOL member, Randie Lueder, a senior, agreed. “I saw gratitude in the passing moments of the tour. I saw it in the dressing room when the girls would discuss how they enjoyed the concert, at night in the laundry room when we all laughed at an inside joke, and when we shared pictures of amazing and interesting places we visited. Although it went unspoken, we all showed how grateful we were for God and for each other in moments of vulnerability and fellowship,” she explained.
Their first stop in Texas was the city of McAllen. In McAllen they visited the Valley Baptist Retreat Center, where they participated in an annual border patrol appreciation event. At this event there were donations that were given out, water slides for the children attending, as well as a raffle. Wutsaid, “It was pretty meaningful and fun for me because the smiles of the kids that were launching down the water slides were really wholesome and it made me feel like I was serving others and serving God. It was also really fun talking to kids about their families and their lives in general.” Josha Uyema, a senior, added he was grateful “to connect with many people and to have had had the opportunity to personally thank numerous service members.”
Their first performance of the trip took place at Calvary Baptist, after which they got to know some members of the congregation and made a quick stop at Cracker Barrel for a late night meal. Also during their time in McAllen, select students of the choir went to visit Genie Dun, the choir director for HBA in the 1950s, at the Golden Palms Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center. Cyrus Tsui, a sophomore, was “absolutely honored” by the opportunity. “It was amazing to see the great legacy Soldiers of Light has. As we sang a blessing song to Mrs. Dun, you could feel the connection for all of our love for music and God. Truly an honor to meet one of the first choir directors of HBA and wouldn’t have missed it no matter what,” he said. After three days in McAllen, the group got back on the plane to head to their next stop, Houston.
It was at the University Baptist Church in Houston that Lueder experienced what she thought was the most memorable performance of the trip.That day was insane: We got up at 5 am, spent 3 hours waiting for the rentals, and got our suitcases at the church which has all of our concert supplies. However, the craziness of the day only added on the additional pressure I felt leading up to the concert because we were singing for John Sweitzer, a longtime MAC member and close friend of my mom’s.” Lueder added that Mr. Sweitzer was a huge supporter of participation in Soldiers of Light. And due to his inability to come to Hawaii during MAC week she wanted to honor him for everything that he has contributed to HBA and to her life. During her solo she said that she had made a mistake and felt like a failure but despite this she said that “All I could do was sing my own “Broken Hallelujah” and give it my all. If my voice couldn’t carry the weight of my song then my emotions would.” Later that evening, she got to meet Mr. Sweitzer, and sang “May the Road Rise to Meet You,” an Irish blessing song. Saying that “I cried once again, but not because of my own disappointment, but because I was so touched by the intimacy and prominence of the moment since we got the opportunity to honor such a wonderful member of the HBA community.” Lueder also added that this night was one to remember. In Houston they also performed at River Oaks Baptist, a middle school. Matthew Shigatani, senior, said that he enjoyed playing for a school that had students similar to them. After two days in Houston they took a motor coach to Belton.
On the way to Belton, they stopped at Buc-ee’s, a large gas station chain. In Belton they toured Baylor and the University of Mary Hardin Baylor as well as attending the stunt night at UMHB. Going on these college tours gave some of the seniors more ideas of colleges and gave the sophomores an insight into the future college process. Hew, only being in her sophomore year said that before the trip she had wanted to go to UC Davis since she was ten but as soon as she had stepped into the welcome center of Baylor University, her perspective changed. She loved every part of the tour from the buildings to the choir program. Hew also added that this school is where she wants to be in the future. Other students enjoyed seeing the campus, enjoying the food, and seeing the sizes of the schools. Their time in Belton had a more relaxed schedule and many of the students said that this was a great time being able to relax, as well as having time to get to know each other better. Many students spend their time together in the early morning often staying up to talk, many of these hours spent talking were done in the laundry room, one student added.
To conclude their time in Texas they made their way to Dallas where they had their last performance at Dallas Baptist University. Woo said that “The performance at Dallas Baptist University stood out because the students there really showed their appreciation to our students. I think we all were energized afterward. It was a fun time for sure!” Yokotake keeps a memento of the trip in his office, a photo that he said “encapsulates the sense of unity and purpose that I felt that was achieved both on and off stage.”
