student performers from Kula Elementary School on Maui. Students performed their original lyrics written for “The Aloha Jam” as part of the second annual Hoolōkahi Lyrics Writing Challenge, presented by Servco. The 80+ students represented hundreds of students from classrooms across Hawaii “What I love about Lōkahi is the way we’re working with teachers and the Hawaii State Department of Education to help students find their voices,” said Paula Fuga. The songwriting challenge’s top 3 schools – Kula Elementary School on Maui, Kohala Elementary School on Hawaii, and Wahiawa Elementary School on Oahu – received classroom sets of 30 Fender ukuleles donated by Free Guitars 4 Kids (FG4K). Acclaimed Hawaiian musician Paula Fuga made a special appearance at the Play Along and visited the challenge’s winning school, Kula Elementary School, where students had the opportunity to ask her questions about songwriting and perform with her. Island, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu who participated in writing original lyrics responding to the theme, “Aloha In Our Community.” PERFORMANCE MATTERS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM According to the National Association for Music Education, performance is a core part of music learning as students experience the journey from practice to performance, developing skills like strategic planning, dedication, and the ability to interpret 104 Hawaii Parent July/August 2026
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