Finding 'Ohana Through Music

Mom held by Grandpa Jopie 1958

After the sudden, unexpected passing of my mother, Marieke Jacoba Paulina (Brouwer) Cummins, I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about what it means to belong. While her loss leaves an empty space in my life, it has also reminded me of the many forms that family can take.

Marieke Cummins

Through my work at Maui School for Strings, I’ve come to recognize that we have built a growing, evolving ʻohana. One shaped through music, shared experiences, and years of connection right here on Maui.

Music education is more than teaching notes and rhythms. As teachers, we grow alongside our students over the course of many years. We witness their progress, their dedication, their failures, and their growth not just as musicians, but as growing individuals. The relationships formed through that process often evolve into something lasting. We build a community one note, one lesson, one shared experience at a time.

In every student’s milestone, every kind word from a parent, and every moment of collaboration, I’ve seen how music creates bonds that go far beyond the classroom. Our shared musical journey connects us together.

I find comfort and meaning in the community we’ve built. Thank you for being a part of this journey, for helping shape something truly meaningful through music, and for your patience as I navigate a new reality.

“This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little, and broken, but still good. Yeah… still good.”— Stitch

Me ke aloha pumehana,

Roy D. Binder