About Kaikana

Hi there! I’m Luis, a passionate musician and music teacher with a story to share.

I play the cello, and honestly, my dream was always to live off it—whether in the Vienna Philharmonic or rocking out at festivals with a metal band. I never imagined myself in a classroom. In fact, the idea of teaching terrified me (I still remember the look of despair on my high school music teacher’s face, dealing with us—a total pack of wild monkeys!).

But life works in unexpected ways. Shortly after finishing college, the principal of a nearby school mentioned they urgently needed a music teacher. My first response? A polite “no thanks.” But, two days later, with my bank account running on fumes, I thought, “Why not give it a shot? It’s only 9 hours a week… I can survive for a year.”

That first year? A rollercoaster. At 24, managing a class felt like trying to tame a tornado. I was as lost as a penguin in the desert. But over time, I found my footing—adjusting my expectations and figuring out how to motivate my students while keeping the chaos under control.

One year, with a group of particularly enthusiastic students, I had an idea: what if we put on a musical? I’ve always loved musicals and thought it could be fun. I looked for scripts, but nothing felt right, so, in a moment of inspiration, I decided to write one myself.

It was weeks of late nights, writing and composing while my girlfriend gave me that look—”Really? Another night without Netflix?” But it was so worth it. The kids’ energy, from picking roles to every single rehearsal, was absolute magic.

The premiere was equal parts chaos and joy. I barely knew how to handle sound systems or stage lighting, and I was pretty much on my own organizing the whole thing. Luckily, the kids stepped up, taking on roles like tech crew, set decorators, and more. Sure, some things went wrong, but the experience was unforgettable. At the end of the year, they gave me a letter signed by almost everyone in the class, thanking me for everything they’d experienced. That’s when I fell in love with teaching.

Years later, after many musicals and plenty of trial and error, I decided to take this passion even further. Together with my siblings—also musicians—I founded Kaikana (a spin on the word “siblings” in Hawaiian). With an amazing team of writers, educators, producers, choreographers, and more, we created our first musical: Askronauts. And this is just the beginning.