Dr. Michiko Akaka, Co-Director

Michiko Akaka is a medical doctor from Nagoya, Japan and relocated to Hawai'i to spend her life together with Alan. Michiko has a deep passion for music and has done research on the effects of music on learning, memory, and wellness. Studies show that musicians and singers are more likely to carry a positive attitude and display confidence on and off the stage.

Michiko has played the keyboard in a band in Japan, participated in Hawaiian concerts dancing the hula and studied ‘ukulele. Michiko co-created the Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i program as a viable way to engage people in music and to make music an everyday part of their lives, their family's lives, and her own life.