Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 5, 1 May 2010 — Making a living making music [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Making a living making music

OHA grant helps HARA enhanee the industry

By Francine Murray KaWai Ola On April 15, the OHA Board of Trustees approved a $125,000 grant to the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts for the first Nā Hōkū o Hawai'i Music Festival, happening May 27 to 30 at the Hawai'i Convention Center and in Waikīkl. "OHA provided funding to enhanee the eeonomie development of Hawaiians to continue improving in music and in the recording industry, and to boost the entrepreneurs of our Hawaiian businesses, so that we ean thrive in this new environment with digital media," said Ku'uipo Kumukahi, president of HARA. The industry was hit hard in 2006. The buzz was digital music killed Tower Records, whieh had been in business since 1960. In just a few years, technology such as the iPod and iTunes completely changed the music industry and the wav consumers uet

their music. "Where and f how we get onr mii«ir.

changed. We, as the Hawaiian music indus-

try, must change," , said John l A e t o ,

HARA treasurer. "We must think differently, record differently, sell and buy differently. Nā Hōkū o Hawai'i Music Festival will address these issues head-on for the first time in our state." The four-day event will include more than 80 seminars and workshops by well-known musicians and music industry experts aimed at increasing awareness of the new landscape of the world music eeonomy. The topics will encompass several levels of commerce from the first creative steps to graphic arts, marketing and beyond. Workshops include: 'ukulele and slack key instruction, haku mele/songwriting/composition, making a CD,

facturing, ► meet-the-art-

ists sessions, Digidesign,

digital music, using social

media, vocal training, publishing music, creating a web site, myths of the recording industry, distri-

iution, Grammys 101 and mueh more.

"The loeal music industry is one of the few industries that is dominated by Native Hawaiians," said Aeto. "It is also one

of the biggest, if not the biggest, category for native-owned businesses. HARA estimates there are several thousand small businesses in the loeal music industry. Eaeh recorded musician, vocalist, graphic artist, engineer or songwriter is a small business unto itself. Some of these small businesses are household names, like Keali'i Reichel and the Brothers Caz, and some of them are our cousins or neighbors. Our hope with this festival is to get everyone better prepared and informed to be self-sufficient from a business standpoint. It is about the casual player making this a career, the career musician thriving and the big-name artists becoming global icons. That is what HARA is about, and that is why we partnered with 4 Miles LLC to create the Nā Hōkū o Hawai'i Music festival." The nonprofit organization was started in 1982 to stimulate interest in the loeal recording industry. Its mission is to preserve, protect and promote Hawai'i's music and recording industry. HARA now has over 700 members. "OHA has always been a strong supporter of the arts and music, especially to our Academy, and we're honored and encouraged to see this continuation," said Aeto. People eome to Hawai'i from all over the world to share in our culture, and music is a "big part of that," he said. "It is how the visitors connect to us, and how we Hawaiians and locals connect to eaeh other, our past and our ancestors." ■

Who's No. 1? Hawai'i residents, vote for your Favorite Entertainer of the Year online at NaHokuHanohano.org. The nominees are Amy Hanaiali'i, Brother Noland, Eddie Kamae and the Sons of Hawai'i, Ho'okena, Jake Shimabukuro, Jeff Peterson, Ku'uipo Kumukahi, Lorna Lim, Nā Palapalai and Uluwehi Gurrero. The winner will be announced atthe 33rd annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards May 30 at the Hawai'i Convention Center, whieh will broadcast live on KGMB.

[%I4 www.oha.org/kwo

m a n u -

John Cruz. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

Kumukahi