Our Music – One Person at a Time
Each musician brings a unique attribute to our ensemble sound. It is only through the blending of our players’ talents that enables the rich sound of The Hawai‘i Ukulele Ensemble.
Tom – Tenor Ukulele
Founder, Music Arranger, and Task master of the group. Began playing trumpet as a wee lad and over time expanded his love of playing to other brass and woodwind instruments. In college, Tom played in many jazz and orchestral groups & studied Music Composition & Theory, and music instruction. A true joy was teaching private lessons especially his two daughters.
After retiring, Tom returned to his love of music building custom ukuleles under the name “Pau Hana Ukuleles” & playing every chance he gets. Looking for more than traditional kanikapilas, Tom founded the group to re-create the fellowship of an ensemble and share his love of music.
Shirley – Tenor Ukulele
Founder, Music Arranger, & Youngest member of the ensemble. Began taking private lessons on the accordion at age 7. Soon switched to playing the piano and played competitively until age 16. Also played the clarinet and drums/percussion in various school bands. Always knew she’d go back to playing music someday.
Bought an ukulele in 2011 when she moved to Hawaii and learned to fingerpick on her own. Finally took ukulele lessons in 2017 to strum and sing. Enjoys performing solo as well as with the ensemble and feels like a kid again when playing music.
Linda – Tenor Ukulele
Linda comes from a musical family. Her parents had a small band, and she and her siblings grew up with music of all kinds. She started piano lessons at age 6 continuing through high school, sang in her college chorus, and taught herself to play the guitar. Playing music was left behind until her “retirement,” when she took up the ukulele and also built one. Linda is discovering her early musical training to be very useful. She currently plays with several kanikapila groups and a Hawaiian-language musical group in addition to HUE.
Janice – Tenor Ukulele
Jan’s interest in music started when she was growing up in Malaysia listening to the radio. After college in Hawaii and a career and raising a family in California, she returned to Hawaii in retirement. Even though she had dabbled with a guitar and even tried the piano, it wasn’t till she started taking ukulele lessons in 2015 that playing music became important in her life. She finds learning a new song can be challenging at times and yet very rewarding once learned. Jan has developed a fellowship of the uke in the Hawaii Ukulele Ensemble, a group of other kupuna players who also enjoy the itch to play the “jumping flea.”
Teri – Tenor Ukulele
I took piano lessons in 4th and 5th grade. I didn’t think it stuck but at 13 I picked up the guitar and have had an on again off again relation with music and performing ever since. For years I stopped playing music as life happened. Then about 15 years ago I heard Brittni Paiva and David Kamakahi playing ukulele and was inspired to pursue music again.
I have been in love with the ukulele since. My primary teachers and continuing inspiration are Herb Ohta Jr. and James Hill. I am excited to be involved with a group of musicians who want to explore the musicality of the ukulele.
Barbara – Tenor Ukulele
I have a life-long love of music, and luckily through Tad Humble’s Senior Ukulele class I met these other musicians who are helping me take my playing to another level.
Janice – Tenor Ukulele
Janice adds a Canadian flare to the group. Coming from a non-musical background, she grew up with “kitchen parties” hoping one day she would play an instrument.
After retiring and become a Snowbird, she fell in love with Hawaiian music and the ukulele. So much so that her husband, Rusty, built her her own ukulele and she began taking lessons. She now has the time to share her joy of music with other like-minded people.
Rusty – Baritone Ukulele
Rusty is a snowbird from Ontario, Canada. Seven years ago, Janice (also in the group), and he started coming to the Big Island when he traded in hockey skates for flippers and hockey stick for an ukulele. They fell in love with the instrument and started to play with local kanikapalia groups.
Quickly realizing the desire to improve their playing, they joined the Tad Humble group. Now hooked on Ukulele, Rusty built one for Janice for their anniversary and a year later built his own. With no music background, it has been a challenge and learning experience and he would like to thank all who have influenced him in his Ukulele endeavors.
Gloria – Tenor Ukulele
Gloria Juan was born and raised on Oʻahu. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, and moved to Kona where she taught music at Kealakehe Intermediate School for over 40 years until she retired in 2019. She is presently the music director at Kona United Methodist Church and is the accompanist for the Kona Choral Society. She is also involved with the Aloha Performing Arts Center and the Kona Aloha Singers. She is enjoying her retirement by playing with different ʻukulele groups in town and in teaching piano and ʻukulele privately.
Carlos – Bass Ukulele
I’ve been playing guitar and bass since high school and left college to join a rock band in San Francisco at the end of the sixties, figuring that was the best place and the best thing I could do at that moment. After that “moment” ended I proceeded back into more conventional careers, designing and marketing medical equipment, joining the early virtual reality industry and designing and project managing large scale solar arrays. I started playing ukuleles about eight years ago and moved to Hawaii to start building ukuleles. I was especially interested in the bass ukulele, which was invented right here on the Big Island about 25 years ago.