UH West O‘ahu offers free Summer Music Works song-writing program

11th and 12th graders from select Oʻahu high schools may apply

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 689-2604
Public Information Officer, Communications Department
Posted: Apr 7, 2014

This summer, UH West O‘ahu will offer a free, three-credit Summer Music Works song-writing program for high school students. Summer Music Works will break down the basics of music and help students write and record their next music hit – pop song, rap or instrumental.

The program is open to Ānuenue, Farrington, Nānākuli, Wai‘anae, and Waipahu High School students entering 11th or 12th grade this fall. Students will earn three college credits as well as high school credit for the five-week program happening June 3 – July 3. Tuition is free for all accepted participants. As part of Summer Music Works, students will also learn about higher education programs at the University of Hawai‘i System and how to be successful college students. Summer Music Works is spearheaded by UH West O‘ahu Assistant Professor of Music, Dr. Jon Magnussen.

“We’re so privileged to be able to offer this unique opportunity to our talented youth as they contemplate life beyond high school,” said UH West Oʻahu Assistant Professor of Music, Dr. Jon Magnussen. “Thanks to our partners, we are able to provide an experience that immerses our students in the creative process and basic music theory, as well as giving them firsthand knowledge from a roster of music industry veterans which in past years has included Willie K, Na Leo Pilimehana’s Angela Morales, jazz composer Dean Taba, and Hiʻikua’s Kamuela Kimokeo and Kalehua Krug.”

Summer Music Works aims to improve the quality of life for Hawaiʻi citizens by providing an awareness of skills helpful for success in college and in life, supporting the growth of new musical talent at the pre-college level through music creation, and providing an awareness of potential career paths in music. Summer Music Works is offered through a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant, with additional support from a University of Hawaiʻi Diversity and Equity Initiative Award, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i’s Wai‘anae Clubhouse, and the UH West Oʻahu Music Fund.

Interested students should contact their Ānuenue, Farrington, Nānākuli, Wai‘anae, and Waipahu High School college counselor to enroll in UH West O‘ahu’s Summer Music Works through the Running Start Program. Application materials are due May 13, and include a letter of recommendation from a teacher and a statement of intent from the student. No audition or portfolio is required. For specific program information and how to apply, visit http://www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/musicworks.

UH West O‘ahu became a four-year, regional comprehensive university when it served its first class of freshmen in fall 2007. The University offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention at convenient locations. UH West O‘ahu serves approximately 2,400 students at its brand new, state-of-the-art campus that opened in the City of Kapolei in 2012. For more information, visit uhwo.hawaii.edu, twitter.com/uhwestoahu, facebook.com/uhwestoahu or call (808) 689-2800 or toll-free (866) 299-8656.