2 teens use their musical talents to spread happiness

When ‘Iolani student and ace multi-instrumentalist Logyn Okuda first heard that there was a new kid in sixth grade who was a guitar virtuoso, he just had to meet him.

Elvis Imamura was game, and in short order the two got together for an informal jam session. The meeting affirmed the level of their individual musical chops (high) as well as their mutual interest in exploring the limits of their abilities (also high).

“Logyn is a really versatile drummer with a wide variety of abilities, so he really matched with my playing,” Imamura said. “I play by ear, I don’t read, and he can adapt. We don’t follow a strict pattern. We just go with the flow.”

Since then the two friends have strengthened their musical bond by performing at a talent show, participating in the school’s acclaimed stage bands and playing in the student-teacher band Just for Funk.

“I’ve always had a musical bond with him,” Okuda said of Imamura. “He’s easygoing and very relaxed. When we jam we don’t get mad if someone messes up. We just keep going.”

Both are precocious talents.

Okuda took up drums at age 2 and expanded his musical arsenal to include keyboards, ukulele, bass, violin and vibraphone. His resume includes a stint with Aiden James and the Rising Sons as well as performances with national and international acts.

Imamura served his musical apprenticeship on his father’s guitar, starting with Christian songs before moving on to grittier material a la Guns N’ Roses and more recently to jazz giants Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Like Okuda, Ima­mura is skilled in several instruments, including piano, bass and drums. He’s performed in concerts in Japan and once recorded with a Japanese pop artist.

Beyond music, both are well-grounded young men with an interest in charitable giving and volunteer work. For example, Imamura and his father, Marc, spent part of the summer in Japan helping those affected by last year’s Kumamoto earthquakes. While there, Imamura played for people who were homeless.

“It was really humbling to see how privileged I was compared to these people, and I felt a need to give back,” Imamura said.

Thus, when it came time for Okuda to think about what he wanted to do for his eighth-grade community service project, he knew exactly what to do and who to do it with. This summer the two boys set out to share their musical talents with organizations that serve those in need.

At HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support), a nonprofit organization that provides financial and emotional support to families of seriously ill children, the pair played their guitar and piano arrangements of popular Disney songs. At Shriners Hospital for Children, they passed out shakers and other percussion instruments so the audience could participate in the performance.

“I’ve performed at a lot of different places for a lot of different reasons, but when Elvis and I played for the kids this summer, that was the best,” Okuda said. “Nothing makes me happier than to see their great reactions. Seeing those kids smiling and happy is the best feeling in the world.”

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.