The first songwriting course ever offered by the English Department at the University of Hawai‘i came to a close this week with a special songwriting competition and presentation. Jerry Brocklehurst, president of the Kaua‘i Music Festival, gave to English major
The first songwriting course ever offered by the English Department at the University of Hawai‘i came to a close this week with a special songwriting competition and presentation.
Jerry Brocklehurst, president of the Kaua‘i Music Festival, gave to English major Chaz Umamoto a certificate for free admission to this summer’s four-day annual KMF Songwriting Conference, held on Kaua‘i July 13 to 16.
Umamoto’s classmates accorded him this honor after judging all of the students’ lyrics submissions. He also received two other writing awards from the English Department this spring: the prestigious Hemingway Award for Poetry, and a Clark Award (with Distinction).
“I’m happy for Chaz,” said Brocklehurst. “I know he faced some tough competition from a class that had over 40 students.”
Several of Umamoto’s classmates have played professionally in clubs around Honolulu, and he has appeared recently with three bands: Restore, After Ever After, and Amanda Frazier. Encouraged by his parents, Umamoto began writing songs in the third grade, when he entered the statewide Reflections competition.
“I’m thrilled to receive this prize, and have the chance to go to Kaua‘i,” he said. “It’s the best opportunity I could hope for to continue my musical education, and meet professional singer/songwriters and record producers.”
Brocklehurst welcomes the English Department’s efforts. “I think what the university has here is a great start for an ongoing program,” he said. “Drawing in the state’s talented composers of song lyrics as well as partnering with the Music Festival for our winner has to be a big encouragement for these up-and-coming songwriters. The record industry is keenly aware that Hawai’i is a hotbed for musical talent, comparable in many ways to Nashville and Los Angeles. And the UH songwriting course received incredible support from the local music community.”
This year’s class featured guest lectures from Jack Johnson, Kenneth Makuakane, the De Lima Ohana, and Barry Flanagan. They also had David Trotter, founder of Studio 51 Music — a music library service that places over 20,000 pieces of music into film and TV each year, including Oprah Winfrey productions. Trotter will also be a presenter at the KMF conference on Kaua‘i this summer.
A follow-up course, English 411 Poetry and Songwriting Workshop, is being offered at UH in the fall, with more singer/songwriter stars and music industry VIPs slated to visit.
Brocklehurst hosts the ninth annual Kaua‘i Music Festival Songwriting Conference July 13 to 16. For details, please visit www.kauaimusicfestival.com.
