Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, State of Hawaiʻi, Alastar McNeil grew up surrounded by musicians who played ukulele and guitar. These instruments would play a pivotal role in his life as he became an ukulele luthier—for a time supervising a local factory—and eventually changed careers to fulfill the dream of being a full time musician. McNeil and his wife Miwa (herself a kihoʻalu or Hawaiian slack key guitarist) have played with the iconic band Kupaʻāina for years even as he earned a solid reputation for his instrumentation and adaptability playing with Honolulu bands doing everything from Irish to reggae and funk to classic rock and even a local Beatles tribute. “Playing with RAIN has challenged and improved my ability to express myself not just as a musician but as an actor and entertainer as well. Nothing is more thrilling!”