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Creative Media students recognized for excellence in field of music

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UH West O‘ahu Creative Media students La‘akea Garcia (left) and Chryshanne Thomas received the Lamond GenNext Award and attended the NAMM Show earlier this year in California. Image courtesy of La‘akea Garcia and Chryshanne Thomas

University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu Creative Media majors La‘akea Garcia and Chryshanne Thomas were among 150 recipients nationwide of the 2025 Lamond GenNext Award, which honors college and university students who demonstrate excellence in the diverse and dynamic field of music — from performance to business to event technology.

A key program provided by the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Foundation, the GenNext award and scholarship provides student winners with a stipend to attend the annual NAMM Show in California — a valuable opportunity for students to network among the music industry’s pros, see the latest in music products and technology, and begin to meld their academic lives with their future careers, according to the NAMM Foundation’s website. Garcia and Thomas attended the 2025 NAMM Show in January in Anaheim, Calif.

“My career goal is to be a tour or an artist manager with experience in event coordination and music supervision,” said Garcia, 20, a vocalist and resident of Pālolo.

“My career goal is to work in live concert events, where I hope to become a tour manager, but I am also interested in the business side of music, especially roles in A&R (artists and repertoire) and marketing,” said Thomas, 21, a flutist and resident of ‘Ewa Beach.

Both students enrolled at UH West O‘ahu in fall 2024 after transferring from Honolulu Community College and both are alumni of Honolulu Community College’s Music & Entertainment Learning Experience (MELE) program.

“These students exemplify the exceptional caliber of talent coming from Honolulu Community College’s MELE program,” said Sharla Hanaoka, director of the Academy for Creative Media at UH West O‘ahu.

Hanaoka continued, “Their success in earning the scholarship demonstrates the strong foundation they’ve developed before joining us at UH West O‘ahu. We’re incredibly fortunate to welcome such accomplished students who reflect the strength of our academic partnership and shared commitment to nurturing creative talent in Hawai‘i.”

Both students are first-time award recipients, but second-time NAMM Show attendees. They said it meant a lot to them to receive the scholarship and attend the show.

“My friends I met through the MELE program and I attended for the first time the year prior and were completely amazed by everything we saw and learned,” Thomas said. “We had so much fun for our first time that we planned to go the following year. I’m grateful that I was able to attend again, but with this scholarship, because it made me feel more supported as a student pursuing a career in this industry.”

Thomas said the scholarship gave her the opportunity to grow her network and learn more from music professionals.

“I just feel so grateful that I was able to attend the show in back-to-back years, especially with one being funded by the scholarship,” Garcia said. “I feel blessed to have been picked and I was glad I did not let it go to waste. The NAMM Show is a great experience for anyone in the music industry and I highly recommend going at least once to experience it all.”

Garcia was among just three of the award recipients selected to share their NAMM Show experiences in an article titled, “Celebrating the Next Wave of Music Industry Leaders: Meet 3 Lamond GenNext Scholarship Recipients,” posted in March on the NAMM Foundation site.

“The Lamond GenNext Award is not just a scholarship; it’s a profound recognition of MELE program alumni Chryshanne and La‘akea’s dedication, talent, and forward-thinking approach to creative career exploration,” said Eric Lagrimas, Honolulu Community College assistant professor of Music Business & Production and liaison of the MELE program.

Lagrimas continued, “They’ve consistently gone above and beyond, not only excelling in their coursework but actively seeking out real-world experiences, collaboration opportunities, and demonstrating a deep understanding of the evolving landscape of music and entertainment. As their journey continues at UH West O‘ahu’s Academy for Creative Media, I have no doubt they will continue to thrive as future leaders in our creative community.”