ON THE RISE - Artist Program

Application Priorities

• Applications must be complete and in compliance with the terms and conditions of the program as noted.

• All musicians must be a Hawaiߵi State resident and U.S. Citizen for a minimum of 2 years

• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Artists will be notified and if applications are open during that cycle, the artist may resubmit.

• HKF will award placement into the OTR program at the end of the application cycle as noted in the schedule

• Program applications will be reviewed following the deadlines as noted in the guidelines, for consideration.

• The term of the OTR Program will be April 15, 2024 - December 31, 2024.

Application Criteria

An OTR musician* is defined as an artist in their early career stages, honing their skill and capturing their audience's attention during performances. They may or may not have a recurring music gig or perform as an opening act for established musicians.

The Henry Kapono Foundation (HKF), looks for these qualities for an On the Rise Artist Applicant:

• Displays a strong work ethic, self-discipline, and a clear sense of purpose in their dedication to their craft in the music industry.

• Exhibits a commitment to excellence and the willingness to put in the effort required to succeed in the music industry

• Musicians perform as a solo or duo act, entering the professional music scene

• Is able to play a minimum of one musical instrument

• Has current experience performing on stage and in front of a live audience

• Reads, comprehends, and responds to written or verbal communication promptly

• Is willing and able to attend meetings and rehearsals

• Is prepared and arrives on time as scheduled

• Is respectful to clients, audience, and industry workers

• Exhibits a positive attitude

• Displays a willingness to learn and develop their skillset in Performance, Showmanship, Stage Presence, and Business Acumen.

• Stage performance/persona is suitable for all ages, devoid of profanity and ‘adult only’ content

• Provides music references from music industry professionals. IE: musicians, producers, stage managers, venue managers, kumu/instructors, etc. that returns positive responses

• Has an established, or is willing to establish a Social Media presence on at least one platform and participates in sharing marketing collateral from HKF

• All musicians must be a Hawaiߵi State resident and U.S. Citizen for a minimum of 2 years

• Applicants must be experienced in stage performance in Hawaiߵi.

• All applicants must be at, or greater than 18 years old.

*Definition of a musician: A musician is a person who creates, performs, or produces music. Music artists can be singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, composers, or producers. They may work in various musical styles and genres

Application Procedures for Online Submission: 

• All applications must be submitted online. 

• The application has four sections:

  • Applicant Profile & Contact Information

  • Your Musical Interests

  • Your Musical History

  • Application Certification

• Application submission and deadline dates will be announced on the HKF social media pages and website’s OTR, application, and program terms pages

• Applications received after the last day of the cycle will be notified and the artist is welcome to resubmit on the next open application cycle

• Only completed applications will be accepted

• The online application has fillable boxes with character limits. The character counts in MS Word may not match the character counts in the application. If you cut and paste your work into the application, please be sure your text copies over completely, and fits the space provided

• To maximize character potential, please avoid the use of additional spaces, unnecessary symbols, and diacritical marks on the online application only

• Approved applications will only be active within the cycle it is submitted. To be considered for future openings, artists will need to resubmit their application online during the dates open for submission.

Applicant Information Required

As part of the online application, your profile must be personally certified prior to submission of the applications. Information needed to complete your profile includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Personal contact information

• Musical interests, abilities, brand, social platforms

• Musical History, inspiration, mentors, goals

• Two music references

• Type of business and music industry services conducted in the State of Hawaiʻi

• All information provided, excluding references, will remain confidential and for internal HKF use only

• You will be asked to personally certify that all information provided is accurate

Application Deadlines

Open application cycles will be available as noted on the HKF Website

2024

February 8, 2024 - March 8, 2024: 8 places will be awarded for this cycle

Completed applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm (HST) by the deadline indicated above. The application automatically closes on these dates/times

Please check back for future open application dates

Processing of Applications

• Applications will be evaluated and reviewed from the 1st day of application submissions through March 15, 2024 following the application deadline

• Application reviews may include:

  • Live performance evaluation

  • Review of online music, videos, and digital presence

  • OTR committee final evaluation

• Acceptance letters, will be emailed to the applicants by April 1, 2024

• Artists accepted into the program will be required to send a confirmation of receipt and acceptance, within 7 days of the award notification

• A welcome letter will be provided to those who have confirmed acceptance to the OTR program, requesting additional information and collateral for the program. This includes press photos, biography, business information and a W-9 IRS Tax-form

Contact Information

If you have questions or general inquiries about the guidelines or the application process, please contact goodstuff@henrykaponofoundation.org