What are you reading?

I've read nonfiction almost 100 percent of my life, and by nonfiction I mean computer manuals and how to do something, how to make something. I'm a scientist at heart. I read both daily newspapers in Hawai'i, and get The New York Times. I read a lot of history; I really keep up on Hawaiian history. ... There's a book published in the '60s called "The Saga of the Sandwich Islands," by Edward Scott, that has a lot of imagery and history, some of it right, some of it wrong, since we've learned a lot since then. And if you want to get really deep, and I have on occasion, there's "Ruling Chiefs of Hawai'i" by Kamakau. It's fascinating, it's very deep and thick and mostly genealogy, but it's an amazing piece of literature. ... To tell you the truth, what I just finished reading is about 285 song lyrics from the Beatles, nonstop — I just went right through almost the whole catalog of the Beatles as a group and the individuals. The Beatles were a revolution in the music world and in our thinking world, and I find tremendous answers in their songs, and also in others' lyrics.

What kind of answers do you find?

Living — how-to-live answers — what to think about, what's important, philosophy. To me the Beatles lyrics are philosophical — they're deep. There's a lot of really light and fun and clever things, too, but there's a tremendous amount of answers about life in their lyrics and in others'. The music world used to be melody driven, but melodies are disappearing and it's beat-driven now. And melodies are lyrics in essence. ...

You're oft noted for mentoring, finding parts and making something new — as with the new symphonic reworking of Iz's music — is this why you're drawn to reading about the past, to help new artists move forward?

Yes, definitely. That's where I get my energy from.