 "Photo: Courtesy of www.myspace.com/canefieldhero")
Many University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa students come to Campus Center during their breaks from class. Once a week, a little more variety is added to these students' schedules.
Local musicians are sponsored to play every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Campus Center courtyard by the Campus Center Board Activities Council and Apple Concert Series. One of the regulars is an aspiring solo artist, David Tamaoka.
Tamaoka, also known as Canefield Hero, is a 27-year-old youth ministries pastor at Faith Christian Fellowship. His acoustic, alternative and folk rock sound has been heard not only around campus, but throughout the Hawai‘i community.
He has been playing music since the fourth grade, and like many other local musicians, he started on the ‘ukulele. After playing for two years, he picked up the guitar and hasn't put it down since. Tamaoka said there are two types of music.
"There's no genres. ... There's good and bad music. I prefer good music," he said. He described good music as having a good melody, lyrical content and something he considers a spiritual quality.
"My music is more accidental than anything," he said. His music comes to him unplanned, and depending on how he feels, reflects his authentic sentiment. Inspiration comes from tension "between the good in you and the bad in you," he said. "The tension in wanting to give up or wanting to keep going or wanting to be more. ... The best songs come out of that."
Another inspiration in Tamaoka's life is his wife, Stephanie, who is also a musician and has played on campus.
"She inspires other things in me, like to be a better person, and to be more loving and to be more authentic," he said.
Before becoming a solo artist, Tamaoka was a member in several bands. He continues to perform as the bassist and lead vocalist with popular local band Pennylane. Emphasizing an indie-rock style, Pennylane has opened for a number of well-known mainstream bands, including Blink 182, New Found Glory, Underoath and Mae.
Besides his accomplishments with Pennylane, Tamaoka's most remarkable moment was winning first place in a songwriting competition at the Kaua‘i Music Festival in 2006. The prize was the opportunity to play a showcase for a number of record label executives.
Tamaoka is an inspiration not only to musicians, but to students on campus. UH senior Jeffrey Kajiwara often comes to listen to Tamaoka perform on Wednesdays.
"He's a good guy with good music. I'm a fan of the type of music. I skip class to come check it out," he said.
Although Tamaoka does not encourage skipping class, he does encourage others to "just love what you do. Don't go being an artist or songwriter to get love or be loved. Just do it because you really love it and like writing songs."
Tamaoka isn't slowing down as an artist.
"The greatest accomplishment for me as an artist would be to write that next song," he said.
Tamaoka is looking forward to releasing a full-length album next year and will be touring the West Coast next summer. Until then, he enjoys playing music locally and will continue to perform at UH this year.
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