Vol. 3, Nā Leo O Ka Honua, Endangered Species
August 15, 2023, WAILUKU, MAUI - When We Shine Foundation is proud to announce the digital release of our latest song collection by Voices of the Earth, ‘Vol. 3, Nā Leo O Ka Honua, Endangered Species.’ In partnership with Pomaikaʻi Elementary School on Maui, the project began in the fall of 2019 and the written songs were completed on March 20, 2020, the day the world shut down from Covid. Over the last 2 years producers were able to take the voices of Maui students from 1st thru 5th grade and mash them up with notable Hawaii artists like Neal Chin, Moanalani Beamer, and Raiatea Helm. All twenty songs are available now, streaming on all digital platforms.
Each song speaks to the fragile balance of our eco-system here in Hawaiʻi with a call out to the bigger world that we share. It is a reminder for children and adults of the importance of stewardship and for the protection of our environment. Near and dear to our hearts, these songs deliberately invite discussions on climate change and our changing world, to help us better understand our kuleana, our responsibility, to plan for our Keikiʻs future, to care for the ʻāina and our precious waters and all of the species who share our planet. We have much more to learn about resilience, creative solutions, collaboration and community cooperation and let us begin now.
To prepare for the schoolʻs songwriting residency, endangered species experts met with each classroom and shared their expertise. Marine mammal specialist from Maui Whale Trust, Shelby Brown, taught about koholā, Hawaiʻiʻs humpback whale and honu, Hawaiʻiʻs green sea turtles. The songs were then co-written by the students and teachers, facilitated by Melinda Caroll. With Melindaʻs guided assistance, the songs began to form in the studentsʻ own words, and each gradeʻs understanding and unique way of story-telling on their topic. The Keiki then created their own melodies and rhythms, feeling and style, which David Kauahikaua and Melinda then translated into guide tracks.
The children rehearsed in their classrooms with the guide tracks until they were ready to record and the recording of the students' voices was done in person at the school in small groups in a tiny room in the school library. All of the music sound tracks were arranged and produced by David Kauahikaua, and Melinda Caroll with ukulele inspiration by Neal Chin.
The music style is called Polynesian Pop, which is really a collection of styles and genreʻs with Hawaiian and Polynesian themes, rhythms and instruments. The songs on Nā Leo O Ka Honua, Endangered Species are meant to be entertaining, playful and deep with an overlying educational theme or Edutainment. The children from Maui want to share their song stories with other children around the world, to teach them a little about life here in the Hawaiian Islands.
Our Artist Mentor for this project, Raiatea Helm, brought her elegant soprano voice to sing alongside the 1st Grade Keiki on the song, ʻIʻiwi, a beautiful haunting melody and story tribute to this extraordinary native forest bird.
Moanalani Beamer graces the album with the Hawaiian chant, Nā ʻAumakua, calling for our protectors and our ancestors who stand at our back and our front to teach us how to flourish under the heavens. You can hear the “voices” of all the endangered species on the album on this track.
The song Mauna Leo, (Voices of Kahālāwai) was co-written with teachers from Pomaikaʻi Elementary and is sung by Melinda Caroll. The song was inspired and co-written at a teaching retreat experience that took place deep in the heart of beautiful Mauna Kahālāwai also known as the West Maui Mountains.
Vol. 3 Nā Leo O Ka Honua, Endangered Species by VOICES OF THE EARTH
Produced by: Melinda Caroll for WHEN WE SHINE FOUNDATION, Shine Media Productions.
Engineering and Co-Artistic Director: David Kauahikaua
Arrangements & Harmony: Melinda Caroll & David Kauaahikaua
Mastered: Dave Tucciarone, Seventh Wave Productions
Album Cover Art and Graphic Design: Chelsea Khol, Flying ʻOkole
Musicians
David Kauahikaua - keyboards, synth programming, percussion
Neal Chin - Ukulele
Raiatea Helm - Lead Vocals and background on ʻĪʻiwi
Moanalani Beamer - Hawaiian Chant, Nā ʻAumakua
Melinda Caroll - Lead Vocals and background on Mauna Leo (Voices of Kahalawai)
Pomaikaʻi Elementary School Students, 1st through 5th Grade in 2021 - Lead and background Vocals on all songs except, Nā ʻAumakua and Mauna Leo (Voices of Kahalawai)
BROADCAST MEDIA NOTES:
- HearNOW on All Digital Platforms
- Interviews with Melinda and select featured artists available upon request - glow@whenweshine.org or call 808-330-4320
- Broadcast Codes:
- Vol. 3 Nā Leo O Ka Honua, Endangered Species UPC: 868420000464
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©®Shine Media Productions 2023. ASCAP. All Rights Reserved.
About When We Shine Foundation - Its mission is: “To provide opportunities for young people to develop skills in environmental stewardship & leadership through arts education.” As our community begins to navigate recovery and ways of healing from the Maui fires and devastation to our land and waters, all of our music projectsʻ streaming and album sales are dedicated to native restoration and reforestation of Maui and to environmental arts education for our Island Keiki. When We Shine Foundation is a fully licensed 501c(3) non-profit organization and so grateful for the support of our donors and local foundations who believe in our work. Our special Mahalo to Madeline Callahan who helped make this project possible. Whenweshine.org
Did you know that just by listening to our music, you are supporting When We Shine Foundation and our multi-media arts integration and environmental education projects in our public schools? You can tune in to our streaming channel here on Spotify - https://spotify.link/zrStWcN7hCb, or any of your favorite streaming platforms - search for the Artists, Voices of the Earth. Mahalo!!
You can also support us by becoming a Subscriber on our YouTube Channel! Subscribe and watch our music videos on When We Shine Foundationʻs YouTube Channel here!
About Pōmaika‘i Elementary School
"Learning is a journey. Each person plays a critical role."
Pōmaikaʻi opened its doors in 2007 with the vision of whole child arts integrated learning for all children. Based on years of research that actively engages children through the arts requires higher level thinking skills, creative problem solving, collaboration, and challenges learners at all levels. The founders dreamed of an education where students learned with their whole bodies, activating all parts of their brain, and embracing their hearts as they learned to connect with each other and the curriculum. This school highly values academics through the 21st century multi-media arts integration and technology skills. This innovative journey continues to inspire all the learners in our school today.
When We Shine Foundation has partnered with Pomaikaʻi Elementary since 2017, creating songs and developing music projects with the students K-5, along with visual and digital arts, including recording their own songs and stop-motion videos that tell their stories. You can view some of their projects here on When We Shine Foundationʻs YouTube Channel. Please subscribe.
Quote from Kennedy Center ArtsEdge:
"Our ideas about teaching have shifted over the last century and this shift has had implications for arts integration and the 6 1/2 minute video, Public Education in the United States, sets a Context for Arts Integration, examines some of the thinking that has led to these changes."
