The original Hawaiʻi All-State Marching Band (HASMB) was born from a single offhand question posed to its founding director, John Riggle, at a Tournament of Roses Parade luncheon: "Have you ever thought about making a band with students from all public and private schools, from all the islands?" From that chance encounter, the Hawaii All-State Marching Band was formally established in April 2002 as a special private performing organization, open to representative students from public and private schools across Hawaii with instrumental music and performing arts programs.
Over the last twenty-three years, more than forty schools have participated in each cycle, drawing students from O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i, and the Island of Hawai'i, making Na Koa Ali'i one of the most diverse student ensembles in the United States. The organization has given thousands of students once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to perform on the world stage, experiences they could not find anywhere else.
The HASMB has performed at two of the country's most prestigious parade venues. The band has marched in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade in 2003, 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024, and in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2005, 2011, and 2016. The 2016 Macy's appearance was historic: selected from over 200 applications, the HASMB was the largest marching band in the parade's history at the time. In recent tours, the band has partnered with Halau Na Maka O Pu'uwai Aloha, led by Kumu Mandi Scott, deepening its Hawaiian cultural presence on the national stage.
From its founding through 2025, the program was shaped by a dedicated core team. John Riggle, Director Emeritus of Kailua High School and Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus, served as the driving organizational force behind the band. Alongside him, Charles Iwanaga managed the considerable logistics of travel and administration that made each tour possible, while Claire Kim and Delbert Kim provided the administrative support that kept the program running year after year. Together, this team built and sustained one of the most recognized composite marching bands in the world.
In 2025, the nonprofit AlohaMusic assumed administration of the program, ushering the organization into a new era. Under the umbrella of AlohaMusic, Dr. Rickey H. Badua serves as Artistic Director, Kuʻulei Arceo as Education Director, and Bradford (BJ) Yamamoto, Jr. as Executive Director. Badua brings a uniquely personal connection to the program, having served as HASMB's first student drum major and later as a travel coordinator. The band itself is directed by Ian Cablay of Waialua High and Intermediate School, Darryl Miyasato of Kauai High School, Justin Bruss of Kūlanihākoʻi High School, and Kuʻulei Arceo of Hilo High School.
The band has been accepted to perform in the historic 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2026, returning to one of the world's most-watched stages for the fourth time.
