My NPAC Story

Hey everyone, my name’s Rosalie Hobbs and I’m here to share about my NPAC experience.

One thing I hope you’d know about me is the fact that I love the idea of expression, I love music, and I love the arts… but growing up it was hard for me to actually get up and do it.

In front of family? Sure, I had no choice in the matter. Friends? Maybe, but it was on my terms. Anyone else? Nope, the closest thing to a solo I ever pursued was for small slam poetry competitions held in my middle school library.

So I wrote, I wrote poems, songs and even journals; I had so much stories that no one knew about, so many feelings and emotions that I felt I couldn’t share; because life at home was difficult, trying to relate to my peers was even harder, and expectations/trust and plain old confidence was just impossible for me.

However, once in High school I learned real hard that staying silent is a dangerous thing. It gave power to my surrounding and it felt as if “Life” held it’s foot on my throat for the longest.

The thing that made it worst was the fact that I went to a big school where almost no one would bother to stop and yank those words out of me. I was in the wrong place... going down the wrong path.

I knew things had to change (I had to express myself more), so I tried to change on my own.

And I know at this point half of this blog isn’t directly about NPAC, but please bear with me readers because we’re going to revisit this first half towards the end!

My story with performing arts had start off on a rough patch consisting of me running off and away from the stage.

You see, I signed up for private vocals with the phenomenal Christina Brown which entailed 1 on 1 lessons that honestly taught me so many skills and so much respect for the art; but I still wasn’t brave enough to conquer my fear of the stage, I still couldn’t handle the judgement that came with being so vulnerable.

And then I finally switched schools. I found my way to Nanakuli High and Intermediate at the start of my Junior year and my life took a full 180.

That year I was introduced to the Nanakuli High and Intermediate Performing Arts Center, a program that changed my life completely... simply because I took a chance in joining them and they took a chance in allowing me to be there.

And I think the moment I first realized how important this leap of faith would be, was during my very first audition for them. I cried in that audition, no correction.. I bawled and shook in fear in that audition. Yet, they (Mr. Kitsu & Andrew) saw something in me and somehow figured out a way to pull it out.

They immediately placed me in a duet for my very first show, which happened to be the very first time I didn’t run off the stage before finishing my song, and then they followed up that duet with another later that year.

That same year I was also a part of the touring cast, and let me tell you that even though those two duets played a major part in me being able to go on as a soloist, my confidence and trust got built up in those big group and small group numbers; because even if I messed up on my songs, I knew my family of castmates and alumni staff would awkwardly laugh with me rather than against me!

And finally Senior year happened, and I not only sang 4 solo numbers in and outside of NPAC, but through NPAC I sang a solo number in the Ala Moana during the craziest portion of the holiday shopping season. That night I could hear my voice echoing back in one of the biggest venues I’ve ever had the opportunity to perform for.

Being an NPAC cast member was truly a privilege that I could never repay or honestly deserve. This program has been here for so many years changing the lives of so many students like me and I hope it continues to do so for many more years to come!

So thank you to not only the Kitsu family, the alumni staffers, or even the kids themselves; thank you to people like you who aids in keeping this program alive. Thank you so much for believing in a place that believed in me and so many others.

A major reason why I finally stopped running away from the stage and began running towards it isn’t just because quick changes *Cue Ms. Chloe Kitsu*, but because of all of you!

As for the next stage I plan to conquer, my new story with college as well as my Political Science career is just opening up with brand new pages ready to be filled with so many more stories to tell.