Location

Kona, Waikiki; Hawai'i, USA

Program Description

This program offers a course that will satisfy 3 credits of your Arts and Humanities General Education Requirements in the Visual and Performing Arts area. This course will provide hands-on learning experiences as students are submersed first-hand into the traditional and current experiences of this Pacific culture, learning from and engaging with the musical culture of the Hawaiian Islands.

Students will travel overseas to learn more about the official 50th state of the United States of America. While Hawai’i is our “newest” state, it’s civilization dates back to as early as 400 A.D. Hawai’i still prides itself on staying true to its Polynesian roots, which can be heard in the sweet sounds of traditional and popular Hawaiian music. This summer session includes unique opportunities to understand this exotic culture while fulfilling 3 credits of General Education requirements while living like the locals do… spending 3 weeks exploring two Hawaiian Islands, unique terrain, music, dancing, and cuisine.

Students will attend and actively participate in music festivals (open to those who appreciate all genres of music, with no musical background or professional experience); visit important historical sites such as Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and the Hawai’i National Volcanoes Park (visiting both Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes and Maunaloa, the world’s largest active subaerial volcano). Students will experience the fusion of Pacific and Western Cultures in Waikiki and check-out the world-renown surfing realm of the North Shore. Enjoy learning about the hula the storytelling dance of the Hawaiian Islands, and dine on restaurants that honor the traditional cooking methods of the early Polynesian people. The opportunities to explore the most exotic state in the United States of America are boundless.

Students do not need to have a passport, speak another language, play a musical instrument, or read music to participate in this study abroad session. All majors are welcome! The only requirement is that you are intrigued to learn more about the beautiful and culturally rich islands of Hawai’i.

This program is experiential in nature and will include cultural site visits, exposure to some of our countries most stunning natural entities, arts engagement, and working towards understanding how native Hawaiians interact, relate, and respond to music historically and presently. Students will create and share a portfolio which will delve into understanding their own and others’ opinions about our 50th state, demonstrate an understanding of broader cultural, historical, or conceptual contexts of particular issues, ideas, objects, or events- past and present in the Polynesian culture of Hawai’i, while experiencing important humanities events on the island such as the King Kamehameha Celebration which honors the king who united the Hawai'ian islands.

Location Description

Experience one of the most scenic places in on earth while living like the locals do… spending 3 weeks exploring two Hawaiian Islands, unique terrain (black sand beaches, volcanoes!), music (ukulele and slack guitar), unbelievable blue water (snorkel and surfing anyone?) dancing (hula lessons!) and cuisine (poké, pineapples, Dole Whip and more!)

Students will spend a bulk of their three-week study abroad adventure on the third largest of the Hawaiian islands, O’ahu. Home to the State Capital of Honolulu, as well as the iconic historical site of Pearl Harbor, O’ahu is sometimes called “The Gathering Place.” This well-deserved nickname honors O’ahu’s diverse population, a fusion of East and West cultures rooted in the values and traditions of the Native Hawaiian people. This stark and fundamental contrast between the ancient and the contemporary, marked in the bustling city life of Waikiki to the laidback surf towns near North Shore, is what makes this island so unique and inviting.

Director

Amy Birdsong | birdsoae@jmu.edu | School of Music

Accommodations

Accommodations will be provided for students through shared furnished long-term hotel space in Waikiki, and at a hotel and conference center in Kona.

Public transportation is easily available to students via TheBus, the Honolulu city bus system which regularly stops on campus at Sinclair Circle and other nearby locations

Students will be allocated a weekly meal stipend that will cover approximately 10 meals per week. Some meals will be provided as part of the program.

Additional Items to Consider

No passport or Visas are required. As many of our experiences are related to water, we highly encourage that students know how to and enjoy swimming.

Phone service is easy - all continental cell phone companies also cover Hawaii and service is great.

Documents for travel to/from Hawaii and within the Hawaiian Islands are the same for any other U.S. state; students will only need a valid government photo ID.

Cell phone usage in Hawai'i is is easy. If you have a mobile phone plan with a U.S. carrier, you should have coverage in Hawaii without any additional fees or roaming charges.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.5

Open to students of all majors and class levels, including graduate students and non-JMU students

There will be one book required and included in the program, a few chapters will be required to be read before our arrival date.