Da Kine Star-Bulletin staff and wire services

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Convention hosts NPR's O'Riley

Christopher O'Riley, host of the National Public Radio show "From the Top," will perform in a concert capping the 40th annual convention of the Hawaii Music Teachers Association, Friday to next Monday.

The convention comprises workshops and recitals, ending with a performance by pianist O'Riley at 7:30 p.m. next Monday at Punahou School's Dillingham Hall. Tickets are $35, $20 students.

O'Riley will also conduct a master class at 9 a.m. Sunday. Cost is $20, $5 students. The following week he hosts two performances of "From the Top" at Hawaii Theatre Nov. 14 and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Nov. 16, to be recorded for later broadcast on NPR.

The convention will also feature a piano competition, with winners moving on to Southwest Division Competitions at New Mexico State University in January. They will be joined by winners of the Oct. 27 string competition: Teresa Yi Ou, Asia Doike and Chandra Susilo.

Also at the convention:

Friday: Recital by Gregory Partain, concert pianist and composer, 7:30 p.m., Mozart House, 720 Iwilei Road. Tickets: $20.

Saturday: Piano Competitions, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Orvis Auditorium, University of Hawaii-Manoa; free.

Next Monday: Workshops run 9 a.m. to noon, at UH-Manoa Music Department Room 36. Featuring Partain, Shellie Fielden, educational kinesiologist and owner of Edu-K Hawaii/Brain Gym, and Elden Seta, music director at Moanalua High School. Cost is $15 per workshop, $10 students. A recital for winners of the student competitions takes place at 3 p.m. at Orvis Auditorium. Cost is $5.

Call 398-0565. To register visit www.hmta.org

Craft workshops held at Na Mea

Hawaiian craft and cultural workshops take place today through Wednesday at Native Books Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse.

All craft classes include the making of an item to take home.

Today: Use of feathers as adornment, 3 p.m.; use of coconut palm in crafts, 5 p.m.

Tuesday: Uses of the pandanus tree, 10 a.m.; how tapa is made, 12:30 p.m.; Hawaiian spirituality, 2:30 p.m.; Hawaiian health, 5 p.m.

Wednesday: Simple hula lessons, 10 a.m.; fruit of the pandanus tree, including making of a hala lei, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday: Ti plant and its uses, 10 a.m.

Cost is $50 per workshop; all materials included. Call 487-2311.

DO IT!

Freaks and geeks head for Sony showcase

Gadget geeks and home entertainment freaks will be out in force for the annual Sony Expo opening tomorrow at the Ala Moana Hotel.

COURTESY SONY A side view of Sony's super-slim OLED TV.

Last year's event drew some 12,000 local residents, many of whom flocked to displays featuring new PlayStation 3 consoles. In 2008, Sony is focusing on HD television with the debut of a prototype OLED TV and its next-generation Blu-ray disc player.

Boasting a 1 million-to-1 contrast ratio and better efficiency than traditional light-emitting diodes, Sony's OLED TV is also slim compared with traditional LCD screens. A full lineup of Bravia models, from 26 to 70 inches across, will also be on display.

In a nod to the popularity of the iPod, Sony's new Walkman video player will support open-format files -- no more proprietary software needed, just load up your mp3s and go!

Also new: the Sony Home Entertainment Server, a 500-GB behemoth that includes Blu-ray disc recorder and the ability to stream music wirelessly to speakers in multiple rooms.

The 2008 Sony Expo takes place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow and Wednesday, and from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday. Admission is free; call 834-6611.