Spongebob Sparks Interest in Lapsteel Hawaiian Music

[Jim Graham]

I teach at a local music store, mostly conventional guitar along with some banjo, ukulele and lapsteel. I have never seen a Spongebob show but I recently got a 14 year old asking for Hawaiin lapsteel lessons. I'm not big on this music so I dug around and bought Troy Brenningmeyer's "Hula Blues" lesson. I played the first couple of bars when the student attended his first lesson and lo and behold: he lit up and said YES! Spongebob music! Go figure....., anyway, I am enjoying exploring this music more than I thought I would.

[Jack Hanson]

...I am enjoying exploring this music more than I thought I would.

Be forewarned; it's addicting.

[Douglas Schuch]

For what it's worth, "Hula Blues"is "hapa haole" music - literally, "half-white". It is a combination of swing music and Hawaiian style. I honestly prefer it to true Hawaiian music, but you might want to check out a bit more variety. Maybe have the kid bring in some samples of what he wants to learn? Also, Hula Blues is no beginner piece! It can be quite challenging!

[Nic Neufeld]

The music on Spongebob, some of the steelers may be (possibly inactive) members here...Gary Brandin, Jeremy Wakefield I think?

Definitely has the midcentury Hawaiian sound which is quite hapa-haole influenced. I think for a more pure Hawaiian sound Feet Rogers with the Sons of Hawaii comes to mind, but that kind of came later...and was still not without some influence from the Hawaiian swing era.

While the show may be a bit silly (I have young kids and actually warmed to it quite a bit) sometimes you have to give credit to silly things for introducing you to things you grow to love...aside from a 1930s Mickey Mouse short I faintly remembered as a kid, my introduction to Hawaiian music was an episode of South Park where Satan and his minions sing "The Hukilau Song" at a luau in hell, which planted that song in my head...a Pandora station based on the song title later, and I was hearing the sounds of Hawaii Calls, Alfred Apaka, Sol Hoopii, and Andy Iona, and I was hooked. I would rather say I was lured to the siren sounds of Hawai'i by hearing serenaders in the moonlight under the swaying palms of Waikiki beach, or something romantic like that, but alas, no; and having been to Waikiki last year, your odds of hearing that kind of music there are slim to none anyway, these days!

[Scott Thomas]

Here is a YouTube playlist of Spongebob Hawaiian steel production music. I think of the Spongebob sound as mostly uptempo marches and some languid moody pieces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff204h0 ... 72&index=4

[Nic Neufeld]

Here is a YouTube playlist of Spongebob Hawaiian steel production music. I think of the Spongebob sound as mostly uptempo marches and some languid moody pieces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff204h0 ... 72&index=4

Funnily enough, that one is a loose adaptation of Hula Blues, although renamed Dancing the Hula.

Now that version of Honolulu March that leads off...I want to say that may be one of the Dutch / Dutch East Indies players. George de Fretes maybe? But yeah, all the Hawaiian marches fit the mood perfectly, Hilo, Honolulu, Kohala, you name it.

[Scott Thomas]

Right, Nic. While not an avid fan of the show, I have watched my share and enjoyed it. Occasionally I recognized that Dutch-Indo sound and suspected George de Fretes as well.

[Mike Neer]

JW played just about all of the Spongebob stuff and there is some usage of George DeFretes tracks too. Gary Brandin did something on an early episode, I believe, but it’s been JW ever since.

[David Matzenik]

While the show may be a bit silly

Spongebob silly!!! My sense of aesthetics is mortally offended!

[Jim Graham]

Thanks everyone for all of the info, and to address Douglas Schuch, the student has had a lapsteel for some time and has been picking up tidbits(and bad habits) from youtube. He had several bars of "Aloha Oe" down, albeit with a few technique issues.

For what it's worth, "Hula Blues"is "hapa haole" music - literally, "half-white". It is a combination of swing music and Hawaiian style. I honestly prefer it to true Hawaiian music, but you might want to check out a bit more variety. Maybe have the kid bring in some samples of what he wants to learn? Also, Hula Blues is no beginner piece! It can be quite challenging!

[Miles Lang]

...I am enjoying exploring this music more than I thought I would.

Be forewarned; it's addicting.

+1