Ho'olōkahi means to "create unity". Join us in a statewide opportunity to experience songwriting and playing the ukulele together in school.
This year's theme is "My Hawaii" to allow your students to write their very own love letter to the place they call home.
This year we are introducing a new songwriting category for advanced students:
The original
Teach your class to play a new song, "My Hawaii" and collaborate to write lyrics for 2 verses. Submit a video performance of your song to enter the challenge.
The winner of the lyrics writing category gets...
A classroom set of ukuleles courtesy of Free Guitars 4 Kids
An artist visit to your school
A school assembly to perform together.
Brand new
Write the music and lyrics for your own original song based on the theme "My Hawaii". Submit a simple video performance of your song to enter the challenge.
The winner of the songwriting category gets
A classroom recording kit
An artist visit to your school
A professionally shot music video of your original song.
We have provided Teacher Toolkits to support you with whichever category you choose to enter.
This initiative would not be possible without support from the organizations and artists who share our mission. Thank you to the Hawaii Department of Education, Servco Pacific and Free Guitars 4 Kids.
To be eligible to win prizes and be part of the final mashup video, begin by completing the registration from below:
We have created 2 new toolkits to support instruction of each category.
The Lyrics Writing Toolkit is broken into 7 sections to walk you through every step of the challenge, regardless of your prior musical ability.
The Introduction to Songwriting Toolkit introduces fundamental concepts so that you and your students can compose their own chord progressions, song sections, melodies, and lyrics, to create an original song from scratch.
Both toolkits include video instruction and standards alignment.
To participate in either category of the challenge, all students must have a completed Lōkahi media release form from their parent/guardian. Use the link below to download and print a copy of the media release form. Distribute it to your participating students. Use the Media Release Form Tracker link to create your own tracker spreadsheet and ensure all students have signed.
To be entered for a chance to win, after recording your performance, upload and submit your entry here using the Submit button. Note that all students and adults in the videos must have a signed media release form to be eligible to enter. Only Hawaii-based schools are eligible to win prizes. Deadline for submissions: March 14th 2027.
Please use your smart phone or other device to create a video recording of your final performance.
Ensure all performers are visible and audio is as clear as possible. Avoid backlighting.
The quality of your recording is not being judged.
A Lōkahi media release form is required by any adult or child participating in the Ho'olōkahi Lyrics Writing Challenge. Forms should be sent out to each person participating and returned to you, the classroom teacher. Teachers are required to return ALL signed forms with the final video submission via a shared Google folder in order to be entered into the challenge:
Lōkahi Release (Adults & Students)
Adult participants/teachers complete and sign the first section. Parents/guardians complete and sign on behalf of their child in the 'IF INDIVIDUAL IS UNDER 18' section. ALL participants must include a name and email for the 'WITNESS' section. Note that the teacher can be the witness for student release forms.
Teachers should also ensure their school's media release requirements are followed.
Hawaiian music artists, a distinguished group of Lōkahi staff, individuals from the Hawaii Department of Education, and sponsors of the Ho'olōkahi event will use a rubric to judge the entries. The winner of the challenge will be notified in late March. Note that judging will only occur for Hawaii-based schools.
The lyrics writing category can be found towards the end of each toolkit section.
The songwriting rubric can be found here.
The lyrics writing category can be found towards the end of each toolkit section.
The songwriting rubric can be found here.
The great thing about learning the same song is that we can play it together virtually! All entries will be compiled together in a celebratory video which showcases every school's talent. The 'mashup' will be shared out with all of the schools at the end of the challenge.
Yes! The Lōkahi team is here to help.
Join The Lōkahi Music Teaching Hub Facebook group to connect with other teachers taking part in the challenge.
If you have further questions, or would like more support email us at info@lokahimusic.org
If you teach multiple classes, we encourage you to submit one entry per classroom. Each submission will be judged individually.
If your students are taking part in the songwriting category and wish to work individually vs. as a whole class. You can submit each students individual song.
Note that all prizes are awarded to the winning class as a whole.
We encourage you to contact us if you have additional questions.
Yes! You are welcome to write more verses, but submit only the 2 you wish to be judged for your entry.
We've designed the Teacher Toolkits to be easy to follow with lessons that help you modify instruction for students who play at different levels. Just take it at your own pace and have fun!
Only Hawaii-based schools are eligible to win an in-person artist visit and additional prizes. The visit will occur before the end of the school year, likely late April/early May. We will coordinate with the winning classroom teacher and a school administrator so that it works with their school schedule.
Only Hawaii-based schools are eligible to win the music video recording prize. The recording will occur before the end of the school year, likely late April/early May. We will coordinate with the winning classroom teacher and a school administrator so that it works with their school schedule.