Punahou was recently selected by the Virtual Guitar Orchestra (VGO), an international coalition of guitarists and composers, to participate in a professionally made music video. Led by Academy music faculty member Darin Au, Academy guitar students played “Kuʻu Home o Kahaluʻu,” a song chosen for its special meaning to students, as explained in an accompanying behind-the-scenes video.
VGO, founded in 2020 by Slovenian guitarists and composers Mak Grgić and Uroš Barič, brings together musicians from across the world through virtual ensembles for multimedia classical guitar performances. In February, Barič, VOG co-founder and producer, traveled from Slovenia to Hawai‘i to spend a week on campus recording the students.
Over 20 students took part in the recording, which was run like a typical professional music video shoot. To ensure high quality results, audio was captured first with individuals or small groups inside the classroom, then outdoor video was taken to sync to the audio. The project also featured four guitar students from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.
Punahou’s participation in the music video pilot project was made possible by a grant from Augustine Strings and the Augustine Foundation in New York. The result is a video that captures the colorful sights of campus and O‘ahu and the beautiful sounds of the Academy classical guitar group.
Enjoy the music video produced the Virtual Guitar Orchestra, featuring Academy guitar students. Best enjoyed with headphones.
A behind-the-scenes look at creating the music video.
Learn more about the Virtual Guitar Orchestra project at Punahou in this video by Punavision students.