Hawai'i is loaded with talented musicians and performers, but many lack the business knowledge to turn their skills into a successful career.

Through a partnership with Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business in Nashville, officials at Honolulu Community College have developed a program designed to foster and promote the business of music in Hawai'i. HCC this fall will be offering two courses on music business, and officials are hoping to eventually create an associate in science degree in music and business production.

The Music & Entertainment Learning Experience, or MELE, courses will be taught via a live teleconference hookup between HCC and Mike Curb College.

Although more than 4,300 miles apart, students and instructors at both schools will participate in live discussions and interact with top lecturers and professionals.

HCC has been working on the program for two years and plans to tap into the experienced staff at Belmont University, one of the nation's leaders in music industry education.

"The Mike Curb College has been doing this program for 30 years and they have 30 years of success and experience and knowledge that we felt would be tremendously beneficial in helping to kick-start this program," said Keala Chock, MELE program coordinator.

GAVAN DAWS' IDEA

Chock said HCC Chancellor Ramsey Pedersen was presented the idea of a music business program by local author and historian Gavan Daws and friend Jim Ed Norman, a well-known music producer in Nashville.

"Hawai'i has a plethora of musical talent, but the talent needs the business and professional support base to grow musically," Pedersen said. "Our goal is to have MELE open doors for our local talent and eventually bring worldwide recognition to music that is created in Hawai'i."

Jon de Mello, owner of The Mountain Apple Co., said the program is a "brilliant idea" that should help the local music industry. De Mello's company is the state's leader in music recording, distribution, publishing, licensing and talent management.

"I've never really seen anything locally in this depth," he said of the program. "It has great hopes going into deeper things, like the actual construction of how to write songs and the math part of music. They're really organizing it to look at it from a business standpoint if you're an artist."

De Mello learned the trade from his father, Jack, and through years of hands-on experience. He said the classroom will be a critical part of a musician's learning experience.

"The music part, yes, that can be learned, but the marketing of it, the business part of it, that all needs to be studied because most artists don't understand about the intricate parts, and in the 21st century it's much more complicated," de Mello said.

As part of the program, HCC will be offering internships in Hawai'i, as well as in Nashville and through Belmont's satellite campuses in Los Angeles and New York.

'A NATURAL FIT'

The MELE project is being funded by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Legislature and a five-year Title III Developing Institutions grant. Gov. Linda Lingle has also thrown her support to the project and included MELE as part of her innovation initiative.

"The MELE program is one of the most exciting components of the Hawai'i Innovation Initiative because it's such a natural fit for our state, given our distinctive island-style music and our unique culture," Lingle said yesterday in a prepared statement. "The Honolulu Community College's partnership with Belmont University will help develop the business, production and technical skills required by Hawai'i's musical artists to accelerate the growth of Hawai'i's music industry worldwide. ... MELE will help Hawai'i's musical professionals flourish in the worldwide digital music age and reach their full artistic as well as economic potential."

The two classes being offered during the fall semester are IS 197, Survey of Music Business, and IS 297, History of Recording Business. The school plans to add more classes later, including Survey of Recording Technology, Music Publishing, Intellectual Property, Audio Engineering I and Studio Production.

HCC is renovating a warehouse for a state-of-the-art facility that will include a production studio, project rooms, classrooms, lounge and auxiliary space.

The work is expected to be completed by 2009.

The two courses can accommodate 20 students each, and Chock said there are openings. Interested students should call him at 844-2344 or visit http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/mele.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.