Aspiring musicians are invited to apply to a new, two-year program at University of Hawai‘i Maui College, beginning in January. The culturally oriented certificate program, led by four-time Grammy Award-winning record producer George Kahumoku Jr. and a notable list of local performers and recording artists, has been named the Institute of Hawaiian Music.
The first step is applying for auditions, to be held Friday and Saturday on Maui. Registration deadline is Thursday.
Just 25 musicians will be admitted to the program, which includes one-on-one mentorships with Kahumoku and many other Hawaiian entertainers — Dennis Kamakahi, Ledward Kaapana, Richard Ho‘opi‘i, Herb Ohta Jr., Brother Noland and Willie K among them.
Kahumoku anticipates that "a couple hundred kids" from all over the state will compete for seats in the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the Rural Development Project through 2014. "It’s like ‘American Idol,’ you have to compete for your position," he said.
The program is intended to "perpetuate Hawaiian music as a folk culture and help get jobs for Hawaiian musicians" and is open to anyone who plays Hawaiian music," Kahumoku said. Those accepted will be UH Maui College students; they must also apply to the college.
The curriculum will include courses in Hawaiian language and music, as well as coursework in cultivating taro, fishing, hunting and other aspects of the culture, Kahumoku said.
Since it is a certificate program, students won’t have required courses outside of those pertaining to "music, (Hawaiian) language and culture."
The list of mentors includes more than 30 island artists and music-industry figures — slack-key masters like Kahumoku, Kaapana and Kamakahi, and also steel guitarists, ukulele players, Hawaiian falsetto singers, songwriters, record producers and several who are masters of several disciplines, drawn from varied generations.
"Whatever (the students) want to learn, we’ll hook ’em up (with someone who does it), and they’ll work with the mentor for two years," Kahumoku says.
The program will culminate with a formal public performance and also the recording of a full-length album for commercial release.
After students complete their stint with the institute, Kahumoku and the mentors will help them find work playing Hawaiian music on the world market.
"The whole idea of this from the Department of Labor is to get ’em jobs and place ’em in the music industry," Kahumoku said. "We have several venues (for Hawaiian music) on Maui and all throughout the state, but also all over the U.S. — and even in Germany and Japan. The demand (for Hawaiian musicians) is unbelievable."
"They want Hawaiian musicians in Disney World in Florida, in Disneyland in L.A., in Bronson, Mo., (and) all over the place."
Applicants must register online for the audition at www.maui.hawaii.edu/ihm. At the auditions, applicants will have six minutes to introduce themselves, present a brief explanation of their performance piece and then take their best shot at qualifying for the program with a song or medley.
