Shakuhachi master John Neptune and his son, David Neptune, a documentary filmmaker, visited Punahou on Tuesday, sharing their music and inspirational stories with students across campus. Their day-long visit was organized by the Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship and Music at Punahou, as part of a program to expose students to “creative greats” in various fields.
John Neptune is one of the world’s pre-eminent shakuhachi artists – one of the few Westerners to master the traditional Japanese bamboo flute. David Neptune, who attended high school in Hawai‘i and now lives in Los Angeles, created a documentary about his father, “Words Can’t Go There,” which is being screened Friday at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
On Tuesday, the Neptunes led interactive sessions with fourth-grade students; sixth graders during Chapel; middle school and Academy Japanese classes; and a “Find Your Groove” session during the Junior and Senior Advisory at the Cooke Learning Commons.
At the Academy session, the Neptunes shared accounts of their life journeys and how they pursued their artistic dreams. “If you really focus on something you like to do, you can go a long way,” John Neptune told students. “The important thing is just to start.”
Here’s a look at John Neptune leading fourth graders during their music class.