My journey with music started with a foundation in piano but really didn’t start taking off until I learned how to play the guitar at the age of 10. This was just the start of a lifelong love and I had no idea all of the opportunities, people, and experiences that this craft would lead me to. I recently started focusing my passion specifically on research about Hawaiian-made ukuleles, ukulele makers in Hawaii, and the history of Hawaiian folk music.
The passion started at age 10 the moment my dad taught me my first song on guitar and when my cousin, Ian, taught me how to read tabs, empowering my journey of self-learning. About 5 years later, when my siblings started dancing with the Ohana Polynesian Dancers, my dad, brother, and I started performing as OPD’s live band. Performing with OPD really pushed me to grow as a musician and created the foundation for my musical repertoire.
My family and I have performed at special events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival, Long Beach Dragon Boat, and Little Tokyo Spring Festival as well as a multitude of private events across Southern California. Since my siblings have grown older, they have stopped dancing but I still continue to grow as a musician and I love learning any song that speaks to my soul.
I most recently have started taking my passion and love for music more seriously. I still continue to write music but my latest obsession has been focused on research into Hawaiian-made ukuleles, ukulele makers in Hawaii, and the history of Hawaiian folk music. In my free time, I have been lucky enough to get to work with the owner of the Ukulele Store Hawaii, Tyler Gilman, helping to build and manage his business website and helping to lead his business’s direction through technology.
In addition to my work with the Ukulele Store, I have been learning about the business and have started diving into the world of ukuleles, their makers, and the history of Hawaiian music. My passion for tech and music is coming to fruition and I am able to create and grow through my work with the Ukulele Store. I am excited about the path ahead of me and excited to see how I am able to grow and give myself through this vessel.
If you are interested in the music that I play, you can watch some recordings from over the years in the videos below: