Leeward Library is excited to announce the expansion of its library instruction offerings to include music-focused research instruction, broadening the ways students engage with ʻike, history, and scholarly resources.
Most recently, Leeward Library partnered with Professor Aamodt to deliver in-depth research instruction for a music course at the Waiʻanae Moku Campus. Two new research modules were developed and presented by Hauʻolihiwahiwa Moniz, Hawaiian and Pacific Resource Librarian, to support students in critically engaging with music as cultural knowledge, history, and lived experience.
The first module explored the history of Hawaiian music, introducing students to a wide range of traditions, including oli (Hawaiian chant), leo kiʻekiʻe (Hawaiian falsetto), kō (a stylized vocal technique emphasizing elongated vowels and sustained notes), and kī hōʻalu (slack key guitar), among many others. Students were also guided through specialized repositories and resources for researching Hawaiian music, lyrics, composers, and the cultural stories and contexts behind musical compositions.
The second module focused on Portuguese music and migration in Hawaiʻi, tracing the arrival of Portuguese communities, primarily from the Azores and Madeira, and the musical traditions they carried with them. Students examined fado, a melancholic working-class music style known for its emotional intensity and themes of longing and saudade. The module also explored the history of the ʻukulele in Hawaiʻi, tracing its development from Portuguese stringed instruments such as the cavaquinho and braguinha. Research repositories centered on Portuguese communities, music, and local histories in Hawaiʻi were shared to support deeper inquiry.
Through these music-centered modules, Leeward Library continues to demonstrate how library instruction can be adapted to discipline-specific learning, connecting students with research tools that honor cultural context, migration histories, and creative expression.
Leeward Library looks forward to continuing to expand the scope of its instructional offerings across disciplines. Faculty interested in developing or requesting a customized library instruction session by Hauʻolihiwahiwa are encouraged to contact her at hmoniz@hawaii.edu.
