For the first time since the program’s launch, the Institute of Hawaiian Music at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College is accepting new students starting in fall 2013.
An information session is scheduled for Friday, March 8, at the UH Maui College campus in Kaʻaʻike 105BCD. Attendees will learn more about the history of the program, entry and graduation requirements, and availability of financial aid. The first auditions are scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Priority for the auditions will be given to those who attend the information session.
To receive additional information about the program and to reserve a spot in the informational session and audition, email ihm@hawaii.edu or call (808) 984-3622.
Musical mentorship program preserves Hawaiian music
The Institute of Hawaiian Music is a one-of-a-kind musical mentorship program dedicated to the perpetuation and preservation of Hawaiian music. Formal university classes are supplemented with direct mentorship sessions led by professional Hawaiian musicians. Students selected for the program will receive exclusive opportunities for personal training, guidance and knowledge through these mentor-mentee relationships with performers, composers and other industry professionals.
“Starting a career in Hawaiian music can be a challenge,” said Institute of Hawaiian Music Program Coordinator Keola Donaghy. “Aspiring musicians are often left to their own devices to locate willing mentors and performance partners, receive personal training, find gigs, gain performance experience, produce a recording, and learn the steps necessary to break into the industry. Many don’t reach their true potential because they don’t receive career guidance from experienced, professional musicians.”
The program offers classes in music theory, repertoire development, composition, music industry business and marketing, and recording. Students will be given training on their instruments, voice, and harmony. They will be directed in repertoire growth, stage presence, and recording techniques. Students will also complete courses in Hawaiian culture, hula, and Hawaiian language to understand the cultural roots of their art.
Students who successfully complete the two-year program will receive an academic subject certificate in Hawaiian music.
— Adapted from a UH Maui College news release
