Music For Maui Updates: Expanded Support, Reach and Acceptance

The past month has been filled with numerous opportunities to share music experiences with many children and adults on  Maui. It’s been a privilege to see how this is growing organically through the support of people and organizations on Maui, its neighboring islands, and the mainland. 

While we continue to explore opportunities that will allow us to reach even more people on a long-term basis, I want to share several developments and send my heartfelt appreciation to everyone involved in this important effort. 

Expanded Access to Ukulele through the Ukulele Festival of Hawaii’s Ukulele Gift of Hope Initiative 

We are honored to be the recipient of 144 ukuleles, cases, tuners, and strings through the generosity of Roy and Kathy Sakuma, founders of the Ukulele Festival of Hawaii. The arrival of these instruments could not have come at a more opportune time, as we are experiencing an increased demand for ukuleles from individuals attending the weekly Kanikapila at the hotel shelters and other individuals and groups we are encountering. 

Aligning with the Maui Music Mission

We have been able to have meaningful conversations with Rueben Pali, a Maui-based music teacher and founder of the Maui Music Mission, which sadly burned down during the fires.  

Despite losing his business and home, Uncle Rueben has continued to share his time and talents by providing lessons to children living on the other side of the island. Supporting his efforts will help bring music to the children living outside the shelters without causing any financial hardship for their parents while they rebuild their homes and lives. 

Creating  New Opportunities to Share Music and Time with Friends

We were honored to have sponsored an afternoon gathering where more than 90 people from all across Maui gathered to connect with friends, be entertained by Jason Jerome, founder of Lahaina Music, Uncle Kimo Hussey, founder of the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii, and Ned Dana who traveled from Kauai with Uncle Kimo to play.

Many of these individuals have been affected by wildfires and recent events around the world. It was an honor to be able to help make this happen.  

During this three-hour event, more than 30 people learned to play the ukulele, sing songs, and create meaningful memories with new and old friends. We’re still receiving heartwarming feedback about the event and questions about how we can replicate this experience (we’re working on it).

Moving Beyond a Pilot Program at Hotel Shelters

When we began to bring instruments and offer music lessons and Kanikapila at the hotel shelters it was done with the knowledge that this would be a five-week pilot program. I’m so honored to share that, as a result of the feedback the hotels have received from the displaced residents living there, two hotels have decided to offer these weekly sessions indefinitely. 

This resource is so important for the mental well-being of these guests.  Throughout the development of this initiative, we’ve been advised by music therapists who focus on working with communities that have experienced a manmade or natural trauma that it can be incredibly harmful to offer a resource and then suddenly take it away.  We are grateful to the hotels who’ve chosen to allow these engagements to continue. 

2023 Year in Review

Dear friends and supporters of The Kanikapila Project:

Over the past few months, we’ve been exceptionally busy pursuing activities and developing new relationships that support our mission to increase comfort, healing and human connection through ukulele-centric initiatives. 

I am humbled and honored to share this brief summary of the significant impact we’ve been able to create in 2023 and look forward to sharing developments in the newsletters we will be introducing this year.

I am so grateful for everyone who have been willing to share their time, talents and financial support of our efforts. The happiness, comfort, and camaraderie we’ve been able to create wouldn’t be possible without you. 

Please don’t hesitate to share this email with any of your friends and peers who’d like to learn more about our efforts, explore ways to get involved or donate to help us continue this meaningful work. We’re only just begun and have great plans for the coming year! 

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Warmest aloha,

David 

2023 Highlights

Fundraising Dinner/Concert Event for Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children on Oahu

In Oahu more than 100 people gathered in support of this institution’s intentions to create a music therapy resource and provide instruments to the pediatric patients and famiies. We were honored by the opportunity to recognize Roy and Kathy Sakuma for their life time effort to bring music and comfort to the children of Hawaii. We also deeply appreciate the willingness of Kimo Hussey, Jake Shimabukuro and Zanack Lindsey for sharing their talents and spirits. This event allowed us to provide more than $10,000 to the hospital and raise awareness or the impact music has on the wellness of everyone who hears it.

Music for Maui Initiative after the Lahaina Wildfires

Immediately after the wildfires we set out to explore ways we might help address the short and long term impact that his horrible event would have on the Maui Community. Based on the support of music therapists, musicians and representatives of the Hawaiian government, we have three tiered response that will replace ukuleles destroyed in the fires, engage with local music teachers to bring music to the shelters or gatherings of displaced people and create a long term therapeutic music resource that can help ease the long term trauma that many Lahaina residents and first responders will experience during the recovery process.

We have made exceptional progress in a very short time and this wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance and support of our new friends on Maui who share our concern for the welfare of the community.  

Already we have been able to send several hundred instruments to Maui and they are being distributed to families living in shelters or who attend wellness events.

With the help of our newly established relationships with two local music teachers from Lahaina and representatives from the Governors Office of Wellness and Resiliency, ongoing music lessons and kanikapila are occurring several time a week at various hotels. To support this effort we have built online registration forms that allows  interested residents to be notified of upcoming events to play and gather.

At this time we are going to be expanding our focus on the development of music therapy or therapeutic music experience resource. This effort is being guided by the input of Ami Kunimura a music therapist from the Big Island who has just earned her Ph.D. in Mind Body Wellness. Through Ami’s help we have been able to gain valuable insights by connecting with speak with several music therapists with experience in working with communities suffering mass trauma. These conversations also involve determining the best way to approach a community, the creation of virtual music therapy resources and how to work with musicians in environments without access to music therapists.

Providing ukulele to children, veterans and families in need

In addition to the hundreds of instruments we’ve already provided to Maui, we’ve also been able to provide dozens of ukuleles to increase access to music. It’s been a privilege to provide instruments to the veterans and firefighters associated with the Aloha Brigade and Guardian Revival. We are also honored to replace the 30+ instruments that the high school choir from the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy donated to the elementary school students during their trip to the Bronx this past March.

Kanikapila Network Pilot Begins in Massachusetts

It continues to be our intentions to build a national network of ukulele players and teachers who will share their talents with individuals living in isolated environments or be looking for opportunities to play.

While we see a large demand for this service and have already met numerous musicians who want to help, we are approaching this cautiously to learn how to work in hospital environments and to build a dedicated team to support how we recruit players, identify interested organizations and to properly arrange and manage these events.

This year we have begun this process by establishing a relationship with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and have been satisfied their vetting process as an approved on site resource. This fall we have visited and played for patients in the pediatric and adult hospice wards and have gained valuable insights about working in these sensitive environments. We expect to see this area grow dramatically in the coming year snd have already identified several new locations where we know ukulele players.

One of a kind Ukulele donated in support of Kapi’olani Medical Center 

We were honored to have Mya-Moe Ukulele donate a ukulele based on the specifications suggested by one of its collectors. This beautiful instrument was included in a silent auction that raised money for Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children. Mahalo Kerry for making our event that much special. 

Ukulele Curriculum Development Committee taking shape

One of core motivations behind forming the Kanikapila Project was to help music increase their ukelele playing skills that should help their patient interactions and outcomes.

Unbeknownst to most, it turns out the ability to learn to play the ukulele is not recognized as an approved instrument by the American Association of Music Therapy (AMTA) and not formally taught by the majority of music therapy programs in America. This is despite the recognition by music therapist across the country how valuable this instrument is due to his easy it is to play, it’s warm tones and size (which doesn’t get in the way of IV lines and allows it to be transported with ease).

To address this need we have formed a committee comprised of several music therapists who will work with Kimo Hussey, a world renowned ukulele player and music teacher to identify and share technical skills that music therapists can incorporate in their work. It is our intention to develop a curriculum that can then be shared with music therapists at regional workshops and at AMTA events.

Music Education Experiences

During the year we’ve been able to meet with groups of students, veterans, first responders and families and share basic skills that slow people to experience the joy of playing music together.  This year we were so fortunate to share this experience with the elementary students in the Bronx, veterans in upstate New York, high school students in Ohio and with the Maui Community.

We look forward to continuing to create more these heartwarming engagements in the coming year.

Noteworthy Music Experiences

One of the most interesting “cross-over” we were able to create was when the Ohio high school choir from the Cuyahoga Valley ChristianAcademy to New York City to sing a Hebrew prayer at a Synagogue during Friday Night services while accompanied by Uncle Kimo Hussey and Zanuck Lindsey.  The prayer they sung asks that we be protected while we travel and sleep and this event touched everyone fortunate to be there or to listen on livestream. This event has been watched on YouTube by more than 6,000 people and you don’t need to know the words to feel the joy and comfort this performance created.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6mSqH_w2Aus

What an amazing year it was. To support our efforts please CLICK HERE or use the stay in touch link let us know how you might to be notified of upcoming events or get involved.

With Gratitude

Our ability to share music and create moments of joy with an ever-expanding group of people was made possible by the willingness of Uncle Kimo Hussey, Jake Shimabukuro and Zanuck Lindsey to share their time and talents. We are honored by their support and will be forever grateful for helping us connect with so many people on Hawaii and the Mainland. 

Maui Update

Collaborations with the Governor’s Office of Wellness and Resiliency, the Department of Health and Support from the Hawaii American Academy of Pediatrics Creates Ongoing Playing Opportunities

When we set out to create an initiative to replace 'ukulele that were lost in the wildfires and introduce music experiences to create comfort and human connection we felt the only way to build a meaningful and appropriate resource was with the guidance and support of the residents of Maui. 

Over the past few months we have had the very good fortune to meet a group of amazing Maui based music teachers, healthcare professionals and government representatives who recognize how music can positively impact the emotional well-being of thousands of displaced people living in hotel shelters. 

As a result of numerous conversations I am honored to share that our initiative is now being actively promoted through a formal collaboration with representatives several government agencies focusing on wellness initiatives. Their efforts have already created ongoing weekly group lessons and Kanikapila at two hotels and efforts are being made to identify a permanent location that can be used as people leave the hotels. 

Our ability to provide instruments  at the hotel shelters and a recent Community Keiki Wellness Fair has been made possible through the generous support of the Hawaii American Academy of Pediatrics. Their decision to help  allowed us to respond to a significant demand for replacement instruments after the wildfires and has increased our ability to re-introduce music to a community that has suffered such a great loss

To effectively promote and manage this effort we have created and shipped info cards that can be left behind at these events, left in the hotel lobbies or even slipped under the door of displaced person or family. These pieces will announce this initiative and include a QR Code that leads to form that will allow us to notify them about upcoming events and introduce links to wellness resources identified by the Department of Health. 

These on-site music experiences are offered without charge and are open to adults and children at all skill levels. I hope you won't hesitate to share this opportunity to play with anyone you know who lives on Maui. They simply have to click here to register.

Mahalo nui loa for your encouragement and support. It's a privilege to do what we can to make life less stressful during the long-term recovery process of rebuilding lives and community. 

If you want to support our efforts to bring music to Maui, please click below to donate.

Music for Maui Update: Music can be Heard in the Hotel Shelters!

I am so happy and honored to announce that our intentions to develop an ongoing initiative to replace ukuleles lost in the wildfires and arranging kanikapila and free group lessons for people living in the shelters have been realized.

During the past month we have been speaking with a growing group of amazing people from Maui and the neighbor islands who have been invaluable in helping us establish a process where we can provide opportunities for people living in hotel shelters to meet with music teachers and obtain ukuleles. This group includes two music teachers from Lahaina, a Maui based pediatrician whose introductions have made this all happen, representatives of the Governor's Office of Wellness and Resiliency, the Department of Health, leadership from Behavioral Health Department from The Queen’s Medical Center  in Oahu and a Hilo based music therapist specializing in trauma informed care and burnout.

As a result of support and guidance from our new friends, our music teacher relationships have visited multiple hotels and have distributed more than 140 instruments to children and adults who were impacted by the fires. The response from participants has been incredibly heartwarming and we have already ordered another 70 ukes to respond to immediate demand (and are actively seeking financial support to purchase more). We have also begun to expand our efforts and recently provided several dozen ukulele at a wellness fair for the community.

To properly manage this ongoing activity, we are developing online forms that allow residents to indicate their interest in being notified of upcoming events.  Already we have the names and contact numbers of almost 100 people who want to stay in touch. A similar resource to request events has been built for our government contacts who serve as liaisons to shelters and community events.

I am also very honored to share that a grant has been secured from the Hawaii Chapter of the American Association of Pediatric Medicine. This money has helped us provide instruments at last weekend's wellness event for children and their families and we are grateful for their support.

While we focus on responding to the immediate need of providing instruments and supporting music teachers, we continue to explore how we can introduce music therapy to those individuals who have been troubled by what they have experienced. We have made good progress identifying how this can be introduced on a local and virtual level and how local musicians can be brought into this process to create "therapeutic music experiences" with the guidance of music therapists.

Thank you for your interest in our efforts. These are the first steps of a long journey we are committed to take and your encouragement and support are incredibly appreciated.

Maui Update - First ukes shared at the hotels, a second shipment on the way and more events planned!

This week a group of displaced Maui residents living in hotels gathered to play ukulele and be taught by the owner of Lahaina Music Studios. We so are grateful for his willingness to share his talents and time. 

It was wonderful to see people smiling, laughing, and singing, and that we were able to give out close to 20 ukuleles for the attendees to keep. 

As we had hoped and expected, this event was well received, and another session has already been arranged for next week. 

The idea of replicating this type of event on a regular basis is taking hold and we've been asked by representatives of the Hawaiian government to come to a "wellness and resiliency" event being scheduled at hotels or community events.  We've already been asked to attend events this weekend and discussing creating regular visits at the hotel shelters. 

Based on the expected demand for instruments we have ordered a second shipment of instruments and are pursuing funding opportunities that will allow us to purchase hundreds of instruments. 

We've also been introduced to a defined music teacher to help us expand our ability to create opportunities to create comfort and distraction through playing music together. 

Music for Maui Update: First Instruments Have Arrived!

We've been so fortunate to have been connected with a group of inspiring Maui residents who have the resolve and selflessness to focus on the needs of the thousands of displaced residents, even while they confront the disruption the wildfires have caused in their lives. 

With their guidance and encouragement, we have been able to develop the framework for a long-term initiative that will replace instruments lost in the wildfires, bring music to the displaced families living in shelters and hotels, and to create healing opportunities with the guidance of music therapists.  

So I am so happy and honored to share that this weekend we have been able to provide 50 ukuleles to a music teacher in Lahaina. These instruments are going to be brought to several hotels for kanikapila (group jam session), and free lessons and then will be left with the residents to play. 

While we will need to secure hundreds of instruments, it's inspiring to see this come together so quickly and I am humbled by the "won't fail" attitude being exhibited by everyone involved in this effort. 

I am so grateful for those individuals who've chosen to donate towards the purchase of these instruments. Your support has already allowed us to start bringing music and comfort to Maui! 

And a special shout-out needs to be sent to our friends at Kala Ukulele for helping us secure these instruments so quickly and to Sounding Joy Music Therapy in Oahu for your support throughout this process. 

If you want to help our efforts to bring instruments, comfort and human connection please go to https://www.kanikapilaproject.org

Mahalo and aloha,

Bringing Music to Maui

We have made tremendous progress in our efforts to define the services we want to bring to Maui. While there’s a lot of work ahead and questions yet to be answered, I believe we’re rapidly approaching the point where we’ll

bring music, comfort and healing to Maui. Here’s a snapshot of an overly productive visit to Hawaii. 

We have identified people who will be involved in developing/managing resources, created new relationships on Maui that can how we can introduce these services in an “organic” way and have started a fundraising page that’s already showing meaningful results. 

I had the opportunity to meet withe founders of the Ukulele Festival of Hawaii, during my trip and we discussed how we might align our efforts to create the greatest possible impact. Roy and Kathy were very gracious and are interesting  in helping us secure ukuleles for children and to bring us into the Maui Ukulele Festival that’s currently scheduled on October 8, 2023. 

I had a great meeting the event planner who organized the live dinner/concert event we created in Oahu this past April. The focus of our conversation was the possibility of having her manage any upcoming events we hold in Maui, creating media exposure and the the possibility of helping us arrange a second concert event in the new year to raise money for our efforts.  

I was very happy to learn that she had already been thinking the same way and has spoken with the owners of the venue where we held our recent concert. I hope we’ll be able to have a repeat performance soon after the new year. 

Prior to meeting this meeting, I met with a retired Navy seal who’s managing an initiative where the charity he’s aligned with is purchasing  a home on Oahu to serve as a wellness counseling center for first responders and Navy Seals. This center will  provide a three night all expense paid opportunity to speak with counselors and find time to breath. We have agreed to align our efforts when TKP will help provide ukuleles, arrange to bring in musicians and possible music therapists. 

One of the most important meetings that occurred was a three hour working lunch with Kimo Hussey, Roy and Kathy Sakuma, Ami Kunimura Ph.D (who is a music therapist specializing in trauma and burnout, and three music therapists from Oahu.

 In the week prior to this meeting Ami and I have been speaking with music therapists from the mainland who have direct experience working with trauma impacted communities(mass shootings and natural disasters). 

During these calls they have helped us understand how to approach communities, the various ways resources can be introduced and how to enlist the aid of music teachers and musicians when there may not be enough music therapists to provide ongoing services. 

From this meeting we have developed an understanding of the resources we’d like to introduce and the need for residents of Maui to tell us how to best support their community

During this visit I was e-introduced by the Dean of a Pennsylvania based medical school to his counterpart at the school in Oahu.  This email was warmly received by the dean and she responded by copying six additional representatives living on Maui who are associated with the medical school or the University of Hawaii. The Dean’s response    led to the introduction to 18 more Maui residents including musicians, educators and healthcare professionals. 

Upon return from Oahu, Uncle Kimo and I had a great introductory call with a Maui based physician and a music teacher from Lahaina. There is strong interest bringing resources without delay and they are introducing us to the department of health, which will help us bring resources to the locations where displaced residents are living. We have arranged to speak with them again this coming week and we will be joined by additional members of the community. 

We’ve also seen a nice response from our fundraising page that was built to support Maui. We’ve already secured enough money to purchase 50 ukuleles that match the specifications of the instruments identified by the Lahaina music teacher and we have confirmed with Kala that they have the ability to provide them to us.  This donation link is now prominently displayed on our website. 

We’ve also begun to have meaningful conversation with several organizations on the mainland about creating fundraising concerts and know they will be of great help. 

So after a very short visit,  I am extremely encouraged by our opportunities to help Maui by bringing music and it’s healing power to people who’ve suffered such a horrible loss. 

During my visit to Oahu

Dear friends,

I’m currently on my way to Oahu to meet with a number of people who are interested in creating a ukulele based wellness resource that can be offered to the Maui Community and first responders who continue to search Lahaina. 

While we have an idea of what we hope to accomplish, I know this is fluid situation and that no one can truly be prepared to address the complexity of issues that arise from a tragedy on this level). But that’s a good thing. 

Going there to talk and explore without any preconceived notions about how things must  be done will create a more collaborative conversation that will identify new opportunities and challenges. 

To prepare for this trip I’ve been spending time talking with the leadership of a national organization that brings creative arts resources to communities that suffer from manmade and natural traumas (mass shootings, hurricanes, fires) about how to introduce services to a community and how to develop trust with people who are affected by life altering events.  

I’ve also been invited by a Hawaii based music therapist and wellness consultant to join several calls with therapists who were working with communities affected by mass shootings in Newtown, Pittsburg and Parkland and during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.  

These calls have focused on how to build trust in the communities, the various ways resources can be offered, how to enlist the aid of musicians and music teachers to increase resounds capacities and the long term commitment required to provide a meaningful resource. They’ve also helped my get a better sense of how this event has triggered generational trauma and the importance of this being a resource managed by local members of the community. 

During my time on Oahu I will be meeting with individuals who have expressed interest in helping in one of the three pillars of this initiative (replacing instruments, creating access to music therapists and organizing playing opportunities in the shelter or for organizing caring for people affected by this event) .   Some of the interactions will include meeting with: 

•Roy and Kathy Sakuma, founders of the Maui Ukulele Festival,  to provide instruments at their October festival tentatively planned to be held in shelters. We’ve already sourced $7,500 of grant money for his foundation to purchase ukuleles and fundraising efforts have secured another $3,000 in the past four days. 

•The event planner who helped us organized the fundraising dinner/concert that raised more than $10,000 for the local children’s hospital to explore the possibility of doing this again later this year. 

•Musicians and music educators to identify how they can share their talents and time with isolated and displaced individuals in Maui 

•A retired Navy seal who’s with an organization that is looking to purchase home on Oahu to serve as a retreat and counseling center  for first responders. We have the shared intention of being their source for instruments, music therapists and artists for these heroes to play with.  

•Five music therapists from Oahu and Hilo to discuss what could be offered to Maui, when it is appropriate for this to occur and the logistical/staffing challenges that need to be met. 

I am confident that the conversations we have in the next four days will be invaluable and lead us to an appropriate and meaningful resource to help these families in their very long recovery process. 

I am grateful for the encouragement and guidance of my families, friends and peers to pursue this initiative. There’s no telling where it will lead or how many people of will help, but it will make a difference.  

I’ll be working to update our website to 

Include updates about our progress and I’m always to connect about what we’re up to.  

With appreciation,

David 

https://www.mightycause.com/story/Music4maui