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UH-MC Institute of Hawaiian Music auditioning new students

The Institute of Hawaiian Music at the University of Hawaii Maui College is accepting new students for the fall semester. Program staff and instructors are conducting interviews and auditions until Aug. 16.

Prospective students will be expected to perform a Hawaiian song or a short medley of songs for six minutes, introduce themselves and their music, sing and play their instruments, and carry themselves in a professional manner. The Institute of Hawaiian Music already has accepted 15 students and can accommodate another 10 to 12 students, according to an announcement. Scholarship support is available.

The Institute of Hawaiian Music is a 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 to receive personal training, guidance and knowledge through relationships with performers, composers and other industry professionals. Some of these mentors and instructors will be the judges for the auditions.

“Starting a career in Hawaiian music can be a challenge,” said IHM 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.”

IHM will offer classes in guitar, ukulele, singing, keyboard, composition, music theory, repertoire development, dance, 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, and complete courses in Hawaiian studies 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. Those who recently completed the IHM’s first cohort released a compilation CD in May titled “Pukana,” and held their final performance in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s McCoy Theatre.

For additional information about the program or to schedule an interview or audition, email ihm@hawaii.edu or call 984-3622.

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