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Moorhead's Hawaiian Music School Thrived in 1930s
A teenage entrepreneur brought the sounds of the islands to the snowy Midwest.
Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:08pm
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In 1935, 18-year-old Karoline Kimmel opened the Honolulu Conservatory of Music in Moorhead, Minnesota, part of a nationwide franchise that helped introduce Hawaiian music to the mainland. Kimmel's school taught Hawaiian guitar, ukulele, and the distinctive steel guitar sound, with students performing across the Red River Valley. The school operated through the late 1930s and early 1940s before Kimmel married and moved to Washington, but Hawaiian culture and music remained popular in the region, thanks in part to returning World War II servicemen.
Why it matters
Kimmel's Hawaiian music school was part of a larger cultural phenomenon that helped shape the sound of modern American music. The steel guitar technique pioneered in Hawaii made its way into blues, country, and rock and roll, while Hawaiian music itself remained popular nationwide through the mid-20th century.
The details
Karoline Kimmel, a Moorhead High School graduate at just 16 years old, opened the local branch of the Honolulu Conservatory of Music in 1935. The school offered lessons in Hawaiian guitar, ukulele, and the steel guitar, and Kimmel's students performed for civic groups and on local radio. At its peak, the school had around 50 students enrolled. Kimmel operated the school out of her family's home at first, before moving it to a storefront in downtown Fargo. She continued performing on the radio until 1942, when she married fellow musician Floyd Piper and the couple moved to Tacoma, Washington, where they opened another music school.
- Karoline Kimmel opened the Honolulu Conservatory of Music in Moorhead in 1935.
- Kimmel performed on the WDAY-AM 'Fairmount Old Timers' radio show from 1935 to 1942.
- Kimmel closed the Moorhead school in the early 1940s when she married and moved to Washington.
The players
Karoline Kimmel
A 18-year-old Moorhead resident who opened the local branch of the Honolulu Conservatory of Music in 1935, teaching Hawaiian music and performing on local radio.
Floyd Piper
Kimmel's husband, with whom she opened another music school after moving to Tacoma, Washington.
What they’re saying
“When we think of rock guitar gods, we think about Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix or Prince, but we have to put Joseph Kekuku at the top of that list.”
— Markus Krueger, Clay County Research Historian and Outreach Coordinator
“In 1916, Hawaiian music was the No. 1 best-selling genre in the United States.”
— Markus Krueger, Clay County Research Historian and Outreach Coordinator
What’s next
Krueger will present 'ALOHA from Moorhead! The Story of the Honolulu Music Conservatory' at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at Starbird Lounge in Moorhead.
The takeaway
Moorhead's Hawaiian music school was part of a larger cultural phenomenon that helped shape the sound of modern American music, with the steel guitar technique pioneered in Hawaii making its way into blues, country, and rock and roll. Even as the school closed, Hawaiian culture and music remained popular in the region, thanks in part to returning World War II servicemen.
