Maui Songwriter Rounds

About the Artists:

Gretchen Rhodes
Gretchen Rhodes is an American singer/songwriter who has made waves amongst the music industry. Her sound is a powerful blend of soulful blues and rock that captivates audiences far and wide. While she may be trained in the classical tradition, Rhodes has found her true passion is fronting rock and blues bands.”Playing in front of a live audience is what I live for. The transference of energy is incredible…and to be able to express my Soul and touch the souls of others is unlike anything I can describe. It’s a palpable rush…”Rhodes has toured extensively with the founding member of Traffic, Dave Mason, and the founder of ‘the Blues Brothers’ and Rolling Stone‘s 29th greatest guitar player of all time, Steve Cropper as well as performing often with rock icon Steven Tyler. She has also worked in many avenues of music with Kenny Chesney in his ‘Life on a Rock’ album and ‘Wild Child’ music video. Additionally, Rhodes has fronted the Mick Fleetwood Band for the last fifteen years and continues to do so to this day.”I love making music because, aside from my family, music is my Life. It always has been. It is the most basic expression of myself and if I weren’t able to do so a huge part of my life force would fade away.”Rhodes currently has a new EP out called ‘The Space in Between’. She is continuing to perform live shows with the Gretchen Rhodes Band. They are also in the process of writing more music and plan to release new music all throughout the year.

Jason Jerome
Jason met his wife, Vania, at a fundraiser for the music department while at UCLA.  The fundraiser was selling mistletoe.  But, she didn’t want to have anything to do with him.  There should be a song about that. Nevertheless, after moving to Maui (and marrying Vania), Jason transitioned from more formal musical pursuits to more Hawaiian ones, eventually being invited on staff as an instructor each year at the annual Uncle George Kahumoku Jr. Slack Key and Ukulele Workshop. Jason may be recognized most recently by his work with The Kanikapila Project, inspiring hope to those displaced by the Lahaina fires to the hotels in Kaanapali.  In the course of hosting these weekly ukulele jams, over 500 ukuleles were given out to residents.  To local musicians, he may be known as the guy behind the counter at Lahaina Music for 20 years.  In Christian circles, he may be recognized on guitar as the worship leader at an outdoor church on Sundays in Lahaina.  In rock circles, Jason was the bass player and lead vocalist for the Maui power trio known as Fred’s Garage.  More recently, Jason plays weekly at Leilanis with the Hawaiian trio Da Tree Podageez, and also on upright bass for the Napili Kai Keiki Hula Show.

Ryan Hooley
Ryan Hooley is a Henry Kapono Foundation On the Rise Artist for 2024-25. Ryan’s musical journey began at the age of 9 when his church leader encouraged him to learn the ukulele, sparking a lifelong passion for music. Inspired by Phillip Phillips’ rendition of “Home” at the Olympics, Ryan taught himself guitar, driven by the desire to evoke the same emotions in others.Guided by mentors like his high school music teacher Gary Washburn and renowned musician Brother Noland, Ryan honed his skills and found inspiration in artists like Relient K, Billy Joel, and John Mayer. Their influence shaped his harmonies, lyrics, and musical styling.In February 2024, Ryan released his first single, co-written with Ashley Jones, and his album released shortly after. With his infectious passion for music and dedication to his craft, Ryan’s professional musical journey is just beginning.

“Lia Live” Ledezma
Releasing Music on Maui for over a decade, Lia Live is a Maui based Recording Artist & Producer. Her vocal style has been described as a mix between Gwen Stefani, Selena & Sean Paul. She’s had many hits in the local airwaves and was nominated for Maui’s Best Female Entertainer in 2023. Her music is a result of her roots in the Caribbean, where Reggae in Spanish, Roots Reggae andLatin Music are prevalent. Lia loves to promote resilience, togetherness and positivity in her music. She has an energetic stage presence, and is known for her exciting live performances. This is why she goes by the name Lia Live. Besides singing, rapping, writing and producing her own music, Lia is also the afternoon DJ for Maui’s first reggae station, The Q103. She is also the host of The Weekend Vibe, the only radio show on Maui spinning two full hours of Dancehall and AfroBeat.Recently, she has taken her DJ experience to the stage and teamed up with her fiancé, Kai Akin (guitar), and long time friend, Berto Prieto (percussion), in a band called Lia Live & The Bandidos. The Bandidos are a mix of Latin, Reggae and Rock. Their first single, Reggae Cumbia, is an island version of Selena’s Techno Cumbia, and will be out October 8th, on all major platforms.