In March 2025, the Pacific Literacy Consortium (PLC) launched its fourth annual Sparx Music Mentor Entrepreneurship (MME) program—an immersive, multi-phase initiative designed to ignite student creativity and build pathways into Hawaiʻi’s creative industries.
The program began with an initial school-based mentorship phase, in which interested students worked closely with school-based mentors who met with them weekly to refine original songs, sharpen performance technique, and prepare for a live showcase of their talent. This foundational phase offered a supportive environment for students to explore their voice and develop their musical ideas in preparation for the next stage of the program.
From there, student representatives from all four KKP secondary schools were selected to move on and work with some of Hawaiʻi’s most respected performing artists, producers, and music-business professionals. This year’s Sparx mentors included Nā Hoku Hanohano award winner Kala‘e Parish and his wife Kalenaku (formerly DeLima), Brad Watanabe from The Green, Jon Yamasato, and Roslyn Catracchia, who guided the students through a more intensive creative and entrepreneurial process—covering everything from song arrangement and live performance techniques to branding, marketing, and digital distribution.
The program culminated in a professionally produced capstone session on April 15, 2025, filmed at HI Sessions’ renowned 9th Avenue studio, a space known for hosting top-tier Hawaiian artists. Each student’s original work was captured in a high-quality, multi-camera production. Final music videos will be released later this summer on the Sparx Hawai‘i website and HI Sessions’ digital platforms, connecting these young artists to a global audience.
Sparx MME integrates music, mentorship, and entrepreneurship to empower youth. By offering real-world creative guidance and hands-on production experiences, the program builds confidence, enhances literacy skills, and equips students with essential competencies that transfer to any career path. Sparx nurtures young people’s brilliance and potential through meaningful opportunities for artistic expression, personal growth, and future success, whether in the music industry or beyond.
