THE LATE Shigeru Hotoke was Kailua High’s "Music Man." Saturday, the school’s music building will be named the Shigeru Hotoke Music Building in his honor. The program will run from 10 a.m. to noon. Shigeru started the Kailua High music program in 1954. He began with a choir of 16 students and by the end of the second semester there were 100, said Terry Kaanapu Kaolulo, one of his Kailua High School Madrigal Singers. "The momentum kept growing until the choir swelled to over 500 voices in the 1960s," she said.

Shigeru, who also sang opera and was the Hawaii Opera Theatre’s choral director in earlier years when it was connected to the Honolulu Symphony, is best known for forming the Madrigal Singers, a smaller select part of the school choir. Over the years, they performed on the mainland, Asia, Europe and around the world during summers when school was not in session. They were known as Ambassadors of Aloha, the Sounds of Young Hawaii.

Shigeru’s widow, Grace, said the most important thing about him — as far as education is concerned — is that he pioneered student travel. Before he first took 100 student singers to his home isle of Kauai in 1960 and then to other islands, only athletic teams were allowed to go on trips.

Dew Weidknecht Babyack, another former Madrigal, said: "By the time he retired in 1986, Mr. Hotoke had touched and changed thousands of students’ lives. He saved many from taking a destructive path in life. He reassured his students of their worth, he instilled pride, and yet commanded humility. He taught order, discipline and respect."

Shigeru died Feb. 20, 2010, at 83. Committee members who worked two years to make the building dedication possible are Cindy Ernce Namahoe, Mark Kaanapu, Leslie Medeiros Carter, Terry and Dew …

MIHANA ALULI SOUZA was one of the Madrigal Singers and will be taking part in Saturday’s ceremony. Mihana as a youngster always wanted to be a Pam Am stewardess when she grew up, like Teresa Terrell Webber, another Madrigal. Mihana sang for the Hawaii Pan Am Association at its annual gala and Darlene Laster, president of group, presented her with an authentic pair of Pan Am stewardess wings, saying, "She gives so much to friends and community and has performed with such aloha for us this evening, we are proud to welcome her into the Pan Am family." The women also put together a uniform for her. Mihana beamed and said, "Now I’m the real deal" …

HONOLULU Museum of Art will hold its ConTempo fundraiser April 21 at Neiman Marcus. It includes an exhibition and art sale. The art will be on view Thursday through April 20. Prices for tables seating 10 start at $5,000, individual tickets are $500; call 237-5218 …

Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.