Celebrated Jazz Singer Brenna Whitaker Performs with LAPA

If you didn’t see Hollywood jazz singer Brenna Whitaker and her Little Big Band at one of the Four Seasons Resorts Lanaʻi, you missed a once in a lifetime experience.  She is a world-class singer with a heart as big as her voice.

Brenna’s passion is working with young people through her music. She searched the internet for talented musical kids to perform with her during the holidays on Lanai and she found us—the Lānaʻi Academy of Performing Arts.  LAPA is a volunteer community theater organization formed earlier this year by teachers Sandy Patterson and Matt Glickstein for the benefit of the children of Lanai. Brenna invited us to perform in her Christmas Eve and Christmas Day shows at the Lodge at Koele. 

I asked her why she reached out to us.  “I’m so blessed about what’s happening to me, that the least I could do is give a little of what I’ve learned to the universe. Google is a magical thing in that you really can find people—all you have to do is search and be a little creative…It happened with you and me, and it’s basically my Christmas present from the universe—being able to see those kids love singing, and being in a group where they’re happy.”

Credited with being a key influencer in the resurgence of the jazz scene in Los Angeles, Brenna recently signed with the label Verve Records. She is now working on her debut album with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Greg Wells, Tony Berg, and Jay Landers. Among her fans in L.A. are Stevie Wonder, Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, and Larry Ellison.

Brenna is passionate about working with at-risk kids and young adults in need of hope through music/arts education programs.  She regularly contributes to a long list of non-profits and performing-arts-based-charities in Los Angeles.  “I’ve always had a connection with children. Living in a place like LA or Hollywood, you have to find ways to balance it out. I like working with kids who need some hope.  It’s second nature now—I couldn’t think of not doing it.  My goal is to make my album, and everywhere in the world I go on tour, I’d like to stop in local schools with my whole band, and go through the process of what it is to be a musician—explain every instrument and how they got into it.”

As a bonus, LAPA also had a special rehearsal with Brenna and her band.  LAPA members, Danish Mohzani and Celina Romero, impressed them by singing and playing the piano.  Brenna sang “Jingle Bells Cha Cha” with her band for all the kids and parents who attended.   After the rehearsal, the students got to hang out with Brenna and the band, followed by potluck on the outside patio (with food generously provided by LAPA parents).

On Christmas Eve, LAPA was accompanied by Brenna’s Little Big Band on four songs:  “Silent Night,” “When Christmas Comes to Town,” “The True Meaning of Christmas (an original song by Matt Glickstein and Jason Spraggins),” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” A very special guest in the audience, Mr. Larry Ellison, led a standing ovation after the final number.  The audience was then invited to sing Christmas carols along with LAPA by candlelight on the back patio.

http://youtu.be/g-A9Z-LZujo: Click here for a video of "Jingle Bell Rock" with Brenna's band

On Christmas Day, LAPA added several more songs to the program, performing in front of a large crowd of hotel guests, friends, family, and community members.  A big mahalo to Brenna Whitaker, her Little Big Band, the Four Seasons Resorts Lanaʻi, Alice Bouman, Mohzani Mokhtar, Sandy Patterson, Anthony Pacheco (videography), Glendaile Llamelo and Zena Kageno (choreography), and all the families of LAPA.

We hope that Brenna will be back in the future (she says she’d love to) and that we can be lucky enough to work with her again. She agrees, “It’s good for their learning experience.  You have so many talented kids in your group.  Kids are sponges—they soak it in and just do it.  One day, they can do what I’m doing and what you’re doing!”

For more information on Brenna, please visit her website, brennawhitaker.com. To see video of the performance and a special music video, please visit LAPA’s website,
lanaiacademy.org, or songsforabetterworld.com.