—Machine or appliance.

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All ʻŌlelo of the Week

“In English, you would say, ‘there are plenty of machines within cars.’ In Hawaiian we’d say, ‘aia he mau mīkini i loko o nā kaʻa.””

—Kamananui Anderson, natural sciences program, Honolulu Community College

For more information on other elements of the definition and usage, go to the UH Hilo .

This week’s ʻō������� was recorded with the assistance of the (MELE) program.

With the help of , alumna Autumn Reynolds, 27, a first-generation college student, has overcome Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), COVID-19 and a stroke to pursue her musical dreams. Through the college’s (MELE) program, she earned her associate’s degree in May 2024.

“The MELE program provided me with a comprehensive education that combined creativity with practical industry knowledge,” said Reynolds. “It taught me that success looks different for everyone and that the possibilities in the music industry are endless.”

Early challenges

Growing up in the small town of Bristolville, Ohio, Reynolds faced numerous challenges, including her diverse cultural background (Black, Thai, Indigenous/Native American, and more) and the complexities of navigating higher education as the first in her family to attend college.

Her education journey began at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh as a voice performance major. However, a C-PTSD diagnosis during her first semester, stemming from adverse childhood experiences, made it difficult for her to find the resources she needed to succeed. After transferring to the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� and later taking a gap year, Reynolds discovered the MELE program at Honolulu CC and enrolled in 2020. The program’s unique focus on the music and entertainment industry immediately appealed to her.

Personalized attention, unwavering support

The COVID-19 pandemic presented additional hurdles, but Reynolds persevered, completing her courses online and taking time off to focus on her mental and physical health. Her determination was put to the test again when she suffered a stroke in spring 2022. Yet, Reynolds remained steadfast in her goal to complete her education and returned to Honolulu CC that fall and finished her classes, with her professors’ unwavering support and understanding.

“The smaller class sizes and the personalized attention from my professors at Honolulu CC were crucial to my success,” Reynolds said. “Their empathy and willingness to work with my accommodations made a significant difference in my academic experience.”

Reynolds said Maya Sypert, a music professor at the UH ����ԴDz�, and Lynne Johnson, a lecturer and philanthropist, were huge supporters. They made sure she was housed and safe. They provided guidance for apartment hunting and edited cover letters and personal statements for jobs, internships and summer programs. Her roommate Jeany Robledo, a 2022 UH ����ԴDz� alumna, whom she met at the UH dorms, was also a major help especially after her stroke.

Music pathway

Reynolds is looking forward to continuing her education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Honolulu CC has wishing to continue toward a bachelor’s degree with Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. Reynolds plans to major in songwriting with a minor in publishing.

Her passion for music extends beyond her personal aspirations. She would like to become a singer/songwriter and eventually own a publishing company to support independent artists and writers, ensuring they receive fair compensation for their work.

—By Iris Greges

The Honolulu Community College’s (MELE) program got a treat from ukulele maestro Jake Shimabukuro and his bassist Jackson Waldhoff, a Honolulu CC alumnus, with an exclusive performance and Q&A session on January 19.

“Hearing and meeting Jake and Jackson was one-of-a-kind,” said Noah Chee, second year MELE student. “Hearing Jackson’s story of how he worked for Jake while he was a student goes to show how important making connections and taking opportunities are in the industry.”

Shimabukuro and Waldhoff shared their expertise and insights with aspiring musicians including performance nerves, and when to know when a song is finished.

“They told us their stories about how they came to be and how they made connections with each other while they were here,” said Landon Guzman, MELE Audio Engineering student. “This only serves to highlight the value of networking in the music business, which is an important part of the MELE Program—uniting the passionate together and sprouting new opportunities,”

Embracing kindness as a core principle was emphasized. Shimabukuro and Waldhoff said it enriches personal relationships, and opens doors to a multitude of connections and opportunities, creating a pathway to success built on positive and genuine interactions.

“They were so kind and it was awesome to be able to see them perform,” said Chryshanne Thomas, a MELE Music Business student. “I love that they stressed how important it is to be a good person working in the industry because it shows that doing something so simple like just being kind to people can open doors for you.”

Learn more about the .

Chancellor Karen Lee wants to blur the lines between academia and industry, such that both employers and students feel welcome on campus and confident that workforce needs for well-paying jobs are being met.

“I would really like that synergy to continue and to thrive,” Lee said. “I would love to invite all employers to join our industry boards. Our advisory boards are essential to our faculty doing a good job in teaching our students for the future.”

Lee became the chancellor of Honolulu CC in December, after serving in an interim role for three years. She presided over the 100th anniversary of the University of �鶹��ý’s oldest community college in 2020.

She began her career at UH in 2001 at UH ����ԴDz� as the undergraduate coordinator at the Shidler College of Business. Lee also served as executive director of �鶹��ý P–20 Partnerships for Education, and UH associate vice president for student affairs and executive assistant to the president.

Enrollment at Honolulu CC is up 3.8% this spring, compared to last spring. According to Lee, Honolulu CC is a place with strong student support and strong teaching in diverse programs that range from trades and construction, cybersecurity, fashion technology, aeronautical maintenance and the liberal arts, to name a few.

“Success looks like a place where a student can dream and realize their dreams, and a place where faculty feel like they’re contributing to those dreams,” Lee said. “We encourage all students—young and old, male and female, out of high school, in high school—to come to Honolulu Community College.”

music students combined holiday performances, philanthropy and fun for a final class project event that was enjoyed by a crowd of more than 100 attendees. The (MELE) program presented its annual MELE’s Kalikimaka in-person event on December 5, after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Produced by the MELE 205 concert and event production class, this year’s MELE’s Kalikimaka featured performances by �鶹��ýi’s rising musical stars including PK DREAMZ, Dominic Carlos, JULÉ and Backset, and a Polynesian dance exhibition from Mele Luau. The students planned and produced the event as an immersive final project and collaborated with MELE engineering students for audio and tech support.

“MELE’s real-world curriculum and projects helped me understand various career opportunities in the music and entertainment field,” said Autumn Reynolds, a MELE 205 student. “I also made valuable connections with my fellow students, industry professionals and community organizations.”

MELE’s Kalikimaka partnered with Toys for Tots to collect holiday donations. The organizers received more than 100 new toys for keiki.

More about MELE

The MELE program utilizes a comprehensive music business and production curriculum meeting the requirements for entry-level training of music industry and production professionals. The curriculum focuses on combining academic experience with real-world applications to prepare students to work in the rapidly evolving global music industry of the 21st century. The program core offers a rounded curriculum grounding students in the basics of the music industry, sound recording and the business of music.

There are two degree paths—the associate of science in music and entertainment business and the associate of science in audio engineering technology. A degree may be earned during a four-semester sequence.

An exciting collaboration is underway this semester between students from Honolulu Community College’s (MELE) and the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s (ACM) programs.

ACM animation students in the ACM 420 Animation Production II course are working in two groups to create two separate short, animated films that will be completed by the end of the fall semester. The students plan to submit their films to festivals including the spring ACM showcase and the �鶹��ý International Film Festival. The films will also be useful material for the students’ demo reels, which is a necessary component for future employment and/or graduate school applications.

The first film, Poked, is about a pokey aloe plant displayed at a flower shop that struggles between keeping himself unblemished and befriending his neighbor, an extra spiky cactus, only to discover that there is more than one way to get sold.

The second film, Midnight Showing, is a wacky animated horror film about Angel, an utterly exhausted movie theater usher eager to close up early, when a spooky, movie-loving phantom arrives to torment him.

MELE students in the MELE 211 Audio Engineering 1 course recorded the actors’ voice over dialog for both animation projects in MELE‘s state-of-the-art recording studio facilities.

Students are contributing their areas of expertise to the projects, which gives them the experience of working with others in a professional setting. The MELE program is the only one in the state that offers associate of science degrees in music business or audio engineering technology.

“This was an amazing opportunity to experience a legit sound booth with sound engineers and gave me a chance to direct an actor,” said ACM animation student Tiffany Ganti.

“Having a session that closely mimics a real one with a client made me realize I am not just learning to be in the audio recording business but the people business too,” said MELE audio engineering student Timothy Manamtam.

The ʻŌlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) version of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana will be distributed to schools across the state as the culminating act of a year-long production that strives to encourage students to learn the Hawaiian language.

Moana, the story of an adventurous teenager who is inspired to leave the safety and security of her island on a daring journey to save her people, is the first Disney picture to be re-recorded in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý.

• More UH News: UH collaborates on Hawaiian language version of �پ����Ա��’s Moana, January 30, 2018

“On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff from five UH campuses, our team who translated roughly 10,000 words, our student engineers who recorded 4,000 sound files, and our spectacular cast starting with Auliʻi Cravalho and the more than 30 locally cast ʻōlelo �鶹��ý speakers and singers who made this all come to life, we could not be prouder to be able to provide free copies of the Disney Moana ʻŌlelo �鶹��ý DVD to every accredited school in the state,” said Chris Lee, Academy for Creative Media (ACM) director and founder. “This was an educational endeavor to encourage students to learn ʻōlelo �鶹��ý and we are so grateful to our partners at Disney Animation and Disney Character Voices International for making this possible.”

The funded and coordinated the re-recording of Moana. The movie stars Cravalho as the title character, UH Mānoa student Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker as Maui, Waiʻanae’s Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, Kelikokauaikekai Hoe as Aliʻi Tui, Kalehuapuakeʻula Kawaʻa as Puna Tala, Kamakakehau Fernandez as Tamatoa and 24 locally-cast ʻŌlelo �鶹��ý-speaking actors and singers.

Members from across UH collaborated on the project: Puakea Nogelmeier, professor of Hawaiian language and executive director of Awaiaulu, a nonprofit organization for Hawaiian-language translation training, oversaw a team of Awaiaulu’s translators; Hailiʻōpua Baker, professor of Hawaiian theatre at UH Mānoa’s theater department served as acting director; and ethnomusicologist Aaron J. Salā served as music director. The film was re-recorded at and engineered by Jon Ross.

Heather Giugni, collections specialist and producer for UH West Oʻahu’s ʻUluʻulu, �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s moving image archive, and Sharla Hanaoka, director of creative media at , served as producers of the Hawaiian language-version of Moana, in cooperation with Rick Dempsey, senior vice president creative for Disney Character Voices International.

Cast members of the ʻō������� �鶹��ý-version of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana, including Auliʻi Cravalho, walked the blue carpet for its premiere at World Oceans Day on June 10 at Ko Olina Resort.

The movie stars Cravalho as Moana, student Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker as Maui, �²���ʻ���Բ���’s Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, Kelikokauaikekai Hoe as Aliʻi Tui, Kalehuapuakeʻula Kawaʻa as Puna Tala, Kamakakehau Fernandez as Tamatoa and 24 locally cast ʻō������� �鶹��ý speaking actors and singers.

This is the first time a Disney picture has been re-recorded in ʻō������� �鶹��ý. The movie, a collaboration of five UH programs, is spearheaded by the and was recorded at the sound studio of Honolulu Community College’s .

More about the making of the Hawaiian language version of Moana

�鶹��ý’s Auliʻi Cravalho and cast members of the ʻō������� �鶹��ý-version of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana will walk the blue carpet for its premiere at World Oceans Day on Sunday, June 10, at .

The premiere is a part of the resort’s second annual World Oceans Day Celebration, a collaboration with Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, University of �鶹��ý , NOAA, Polynesian Voyaging Society and other community partners. World Oceans Day festivities at Ko Olina will include ocean education and sustainability activities, live entertainment and food for purchase.

This is the first time a Disney picture has been re-recorded in ʻō������� �鶹��ý. UH’s Academy for Creative Media System funded and coordinated the re-recording of Moana with the goal of sharing the film for educational purposes in �鶹��ý and beyond. The collaborative production joins faculty and staff from , and .

The movie stars Cravalho, UH ����ԴDz� student Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker as Maui, Waiʻanae’s Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, Kelikokauaikekai Hoe as Aliʻi Tui, Kalehuapuakeʻula Kawaʻa as Puna Tala, Kamakakehau Fernandez as Tamatoa, and 24 locally cast ʻō������� �鶹��ý speaking actors and singers.

Related UH News stories:

• UH collaborates on Hawaiian language version of �پ����Ա��’s Moana, January 30, 2018
• Hawaiian language version of Moana being created by the Academy for Creative Media System, November 2, 2017
• Nicole Scherzinger to reprise role in Hawaiian-language version of Disney’s Moana, April 5, 2018

More about World Oceans Day

The World Oceans Day event will provide families an opportunity to learn about marine protected resources, and interact with sustainability-focused organizations. The afternoon culminates with the special sunset showing of Moana in ʻō������� �鶹��ý and related performances.

The global theme and focus for World Oceans Day 2018 is plastic pollution prevention and cleaning the ocean of marine litter. World Oceans Day at Ko Olina is also a Zero Waste event, a commitment to protecting �鶹��ý’s ocean and marine life and eliminating waste to landfills.

Please bring a reusable water bottle to fill at hosted water stations. Zero Waste stations for recyclables, green waste and food waste will also be available.

The celebration begins at 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Reserve your tickets at . For more information about World Oceans Day visit .

What to bring:
Reusable cups (water stations will be available for refilling); beach towel, mat or blanket to sit on (please, no high back folding chairs)

Prohibited/ Restricted Items:
Alcoholic beverages, coolers, glass containers, backpacks, umbrellas, high back folding chairs, pets, tents, and sunshades are prohibited.

Parking Information:
Follow signs to Event Parking; parking is $10 per vehicle (cash only).

UH collaborates on Hawaiian language version of �پ����Ա��’s Moana