Rucci Aamodt - Piano Instructor / Accompanist

Rucci Aamodt began piano studies at the age of 5. She performed with the Honolulu Symphony as a Youth Talent Pool Competition winner and was also a winner in the Morning Music Club Competition. Rucci earned both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. She was head of the Music program at Maui Community College, choral director for the Maui Chapter of the Hawaiian Civic Club Association, and lecturer at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Currently, Rucci serves on the music faculty at Kap'iolani Community College.

Lauren Kanoelani Chang
- Hula Instructor & Choreographer

Lauren is an alumna of HYOC where she began as a member of the 1st Angeli ensemble. After her graduation from Punahou school in 2001, she studied at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA (Aunty Nola’s alma mater).

Lauren graduated in the Spring of 2006 with her bachelors in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawaii Manoa. She is currently employed by the Hawaiian Language department at UH Manoa.

Lauren has danced hula under kumu hula Leimomi I Maldonado, of Ka Hale I O Kahala, for the past 16 years and now teaches keiki hula classes at their studio in Kahala.