(From FrolicHawaii.com 4/22/2013) – Amanda Stevens

Either Monday or Tuesday evening, Hawaii’s Duncan Kamakana will compete in the battle rounds of NBC’s reality show, “The Voice,” performing alongside a fellow member of Team Adam (Maroon 5’s Adam Levine). The singer Levine chooses will move on to the next round, while the other competitor, if not “Stolen” by another judge, will go home.

We recently had a chance to chat with Kamakana, son of Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Jon Osorio, over the phone about his experience on the popular show:

Tell us about your experience with the blind auditions, something our readers might not know from watching the show.

The process leading up to it was long, but once it was my turn, it all moved quickly. Leading up to it, I wasn’t that nervous because performing in front of an audience is not new to me. But right before I went on stage, the nerves kicked in and it went so fast. I don’t remember many details about my performance, I was on auto-pilot. But I can say, I remember the audience was great, they got to their feet and seemed to get into it.

Performing is not new to you. As a singer, musician and song writer, has that experience helped you through this process?

Having my guitar with me has been good, something I am familiar with. But if I move on in this process, I think I will perform with out it sometimes. Performing has been a part of my life for so long. I remember going with my dad when he performs — being used to and comfortable in front of an audience at a young age. But what makes this process different is the aspect of being judged, by actual judges.

Do you have a message for your fans in Hawaii?

The fans in Hawaii are great. I can’t say enough about how thankful I am for their support. They really only got to see me for about five seconds on screen so far, but their support and excitement means a lot to me.

How has your experience been with the other contestants, have you made many friends?

Going into this experience, I wasn’t sure how it would be. I thought it might be like some other reality shows, a dog-eat-dog kind of experience. But not at all. The people on Team Adam are talented and help each other out, and yes, I have made friends with people on the show.

Lastly, what are you looking forward to most, working with Adam Levine?

Adam is an incredible coach with great insight. He notices the little things, and has an incredible ear. He knows so much about pop music, and I am glad he’s my coach.

“The Voice” airs Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. Follow #TeamDuncan

Photo by Russell Tanoue