A local nonprofit is hosting a statewide songwriting competition for students starting now through March 15.
The winning classroom will receive a visit from three-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning artist Paula Fuga.
Lōkahi: The Ukulele Collective has partnered with Fuga and two-time Grammy-nominated artist and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner Jack Johnson to support students in music education. This year’s theme is “Unity Through Music.”
Johnson has already been lending his voice to students to participate in the Ho'olōkahi Lyrics Writing Challenge.
“Songwriting can be a personal thing, but it can also be something that unites and connects you with other people,” he said in an interview. “If you open yourself up, it’s a valuable thing to do. Vulnerability can be good if you’re around other people that are up for doing that, too.”
The challenge includes 28 K-12 schools across the state with more than 800 students participating.
The classroom will be tasked with writing and learning a new song, then will work together to sing the chorus and verse. They will also learn the riff and chord progression on the ʻukulele. The final submission will be through video.
Fuga’s advice to young songwriters is to stay true to who they are.
“As you grow in life, you change,” she said. “You experience different things…. If you stay true to who you are in every state, in every phase of your life, all those changes in your style in the way that you play your music, the way that you write and sing, it’s all going to change as you grow.”
Click here to participate in the challenge.
