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.