SB2987

PART I

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that music from Hawaii is being recognized as never before on the United States mainland and across the globe. In 2005, through the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Hawaiian Grammy was started. Now in its third year, the award continues to draw attention nationally. Hawaii-based entertainers have risen in popularity throughout Asia. For the first time ever a record of a Hawaii-based musician debuted at number one on the Billboard Magazine charts and the first compact disc from Hawaii has gone platinum, selling 1,000,000 copies.

It is well accepted that Hawaii has an unusually high concentration of musical talent. Song and dance lies at the root of our island culture and music holds a meaningful and important place in the many cultures that populate our State. There is wealth of raw musical talent in Hawaii; though our State lacks the industry professional and technical support infrastructure on a widespread to assist individuals in the progression of their careers and businesses. Therefore, a great amount of local musical creativity does not have the opportunity to express itself to its full potential on a global basis.

Recognizing the need to assist Hawaii's musical artists and entertainers, and realizing the opportunity to grow an industry, the University of Hawaii, Honolulu Community College, in partnership with Belmont University, worked with local and national members of the entertainment industry to gain support for a music entertainment education and training program. With its passage of Act 11, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, the legislature also acknowledged the importance of Hawaii's music and entertainment industry as well as the need to establish a program that is designed to build a trained, professional workforce with the knowledge and skills to support the music industry.

In August 2007, Honolulu community college and Belmont University launched the first classes in the music entertainment learning experience program. There are two tracks to the program—music business and audio engineering technology. Both are modeled after Belmont's innovative programs and adapted to Hawaii's own unique music and entertainment industry. The program combines short-term professional training workshops, songwriter seminars, an associate degree program in music business and audio engineering, and a transfer program that allows students to matriculate to Belmont University. The program has generated buzz throughout the local music industry and reverberations can be felt in Nashville. Support has been garnered from local artists and music businesses such as the Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists as well as national organizations such as the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

The music entertainment learning experience program will have tremendous impact on individuals by giving them the opportunity to train and prepare at the highest of levels for a career in the music and entertainment industry. Perhaps more importantly, the program will help to both complement and diversify Hawaii's tourism-based economy by serving as a catalyst for growth of the music and entertainment industry.

To date, the music entertainment learning experience program has operated with funding provided through Act 11, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, a contract with the department of business economic development, and tourism, and a title III developing institutions federal grant. These funds have supported the equipment, materials, and faculty for the initial classes of the curriculum. However, no additional classes can be offered and the program cannot provide more in-depth education and workforce development training without a music studio and other specialized classroom space.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to support the growth of Hawaii's music and entertainment industry through the music entertainment learning experience program.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,264,814 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to carry out the purposes of the music entertainment learning experience program, a music and entertainment business program. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii-Honolulu Community College.

PART II

SECTION 3. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $3,530,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary, and there is appropriated the sum of $3,530,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009-2010, for plans, design, construction, and equipment for a music studio and auxiliary facilities to support the music entertainment learning experience program at the University of Hawaii-Honolulu Community College.

SECTION 4. The appropriations made for capital improvement projects authorized in this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal period for which the appropriation is made; provided that all appropriations which are unencumbered as of June 30, 2011, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 5. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

PART III

SECTION 6. Act 11, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, is amended by amending Section 5 to read as follows:

"SECTION 5. The legislature further finds that Hawaii's music industry is an established segment of Hawaii's creative media industries sector, with a growing popularity reaching far beyond the shores of our island state. Full recognition of the merits of Hawaiian music came in 2005 when the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced the creation of a Hawaiian music category in its annual Grammy Awards, the world's most prestigious music awards program.

While Hawaii has an unusually high concentration of raw musical talent and industry professionals, it lacks the technical support infrastructure to assist individuals in the progression of their careers and businesses.

The University of Hawaii, Honolulu community college, has been working to build alliances with national and local members of the entertainment industry.[~~for the music and enterprise learning experience program.~~] The music [~~and~~ ~~enterprise~~] entertainment learning experience [~~(MELE)~~] program combines short-term professional training workshops, songwriter seminars, an associate degree program in music business and production, and a transfer program that allows students to matriculate in Belmont University's music and entertainment management programs. Belmont University, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the premier music and entertainment educational programs in the nation.

The purpose of this part is to establish a music [~~and enterprise~~] entertainment learning experience program at the University of Hawaii-Honolulu community college to develop the technical business skills required by Hawaii's music artists and music industry."

SECTION 7. Act 11, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, is amended by amending Section 6 to read as follows:

"SECTION 6. There is established at the University of Hawaii-Honolulu community college campus the music [~~and enterprise~~] entertainment learning experience program to expand the existing industry capacity, and to create new technological, intercultural, and genre-bending forms of music through creativity and professional business expertise. The program will be developed around three primary components:

(1) Artist creativity;

(2) Entertainment business expertise; and

(3) Technical production skills.

The program [~~will~~] may collaborate with Belmont University of Nashville, Tennessee, on the joint use of Belmont's curriculum, technical facilities and equipment specifications, training, dual credit course offerings, and will also offer internships in some of the most varied music environments in the world.

The program will be seeded through a title III Developing Institutions grant that has been awarded to Honolulu Community College native Hawaiian center, and will provide for some basic program development of course offerings in coordination with Belmont University of Nashville, Tennessee."

SECTION 8. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

INTRODUCED BY:

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BY REQUEST

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2987
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII