A Warm Hug This is what I think a warm hug sounds like 🫂 Sending you love ❤️

My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder Just woke up from a looong nap after a looong stretch of music making. Since this year began I have had the privilege of teaching at an ‘ukulele retreat, 4 ‘ukulele festivals, 2 summer camps, and all the while doing private instruction and gigging in Seattle with my dear friend Marco de Carvalho. While there is still much of the year left to be had and even more beautiful music yet to be made, coming home from PSGW marked an indelible line in my heart. As I hear the city swirl around me, my heart is full and yet I feel melancholy wash over me. I already miss making music with my friends. One of the songs of the week for me was My Cherie Amor. I’ve loved the tune since I was a kid and it has always had a special place in my heart. Got to perform it with a student last week and ended up having most of the camp sing along the La La La parts with harmonies. I can see the sea of smiling faces and it warms my heart to no end. I believe that music should be made for no other reason than love and here we were getting to live a very honest example of it. Just thinking about it makes me weep. So I hang on to the after glow of experiencing great beauty and let it flow through me. A song as great of this just asks you to be earnest and it will do all the work for you. I was reminded this week just how powerful art is. My body feels run down but my spirit feels stronger than ever. I feel fortified yet yielding to the serendipity of life. The world is a beautiful place if you let it be ❤️and sometimes in order to see it it’s best to just become love itself ❤️ Keep on being beautiful folks ✌️

Sometimes I cant help but feel content living in certain corners of my mind. Despite my best efforts there is a serenity that washes over me and a rebirth that brings assurance to life’s uncertainties. Anxiety has always been a friend misunderstood. So as I pack to head out for a wonderful week at PSGW I spend a few moments with the little guy to sit in that space. Taking a few different ukes to experiment with jamming over the week and the little mango made the cut. I enjoy finding context for the voice of the ‘ukulele that feels earnest and genuine. The question I always like to ask is: What is unique about the voice of the ‘ukulele? Returning to a soprano is always a good place to invigorate those thoughts. So having fun with chords and trying to work out highlighting strings in a melodic way while keeping the roll going. Hope you enjoy the noodling and find the places in your mind the provide an unshakeable peace. These are the pillars to a good well being ✌️

My ‘ukulele friends make cool things 😎 Top to bottom: @sarahmaiselmusic @abelagrimasjr @roxieukulele @mikakanemusic @stevenespaniola @victoriavox @danielleatethesandwich @andrewmolinaukulele

You Leave Me Breathless - Frederick K. Hollander Woke up with a headache and decided to soothe myself with some ballads as the ibuprofen kicks in. Still trying to copy that Ellis Larkins sound in a bit of a minimalist way. I like the idea of something feeling lush yet relatively empty. I think the wonderful harmony creates enough of a story to keep the motion. Yet so quaintly resolves which next to grand and dramatic lyrics makes for a lovely treat of a song 😊 🎶 I’m filled with melodies but at a lost for words 🎶 Music soothe the savage beast 😪

I dont know how many times I’ve played this song but it’s still fun for me. More often than not it can be how you interact with the material that’s important than the material itself 🎶 Attempted to sing every melody note that was in my head, even when it fell apart 🤣 just glad I was able to hop back on the bike 🚴‍♂️ Have fun, play music ✌️

I’m Through With Love - Up tempo Version 🏎️💨 Getting ready to head to NM tomorrow and practicing tunes in between teaching and packing. I’m always fascinated by the power of a fresh mind. I think it’s easy to let the dust of everyday life cloud the reality that things only truly happen once. To me it’s part of the pursuit of the artistic mind to find this headspace and create from there. I’ve been playing this tune for years now and at this point it’s a well acquainted friend to a handful of heartbreaks. “I’ve locked my heart, I keep my feelings there. Said I’ve stocked my heart like an icy Frigidaire.” How can you not love it? I am here for the sappy ❤️ This combination mixed in with a fresh cup of coffee and last night’s half a cinnamon roll brought forth this goofy and fun version of I’m Through With Love. Having fun with the rhythm and surfing the chords over the solo 🌊 The passage of time is one of life’s greatest flavors. It takes time to synthesize ⏳ Play it again friends 🎶

I just love chords so much 🎶 Trying out noodling over some new ideas 💡 Feels like the sun rising in a different way 🌄 C - Em7 - Fmaj7 - G7 C - Em7 - Fmaj7 - G7 Cmaj7 - Cm7 - Abmaj7 - Dbmaj7 Cmaj7 - Cm7 - Abmaj7 - Dbmaj7 Cmaj7 - Cm7 - Abmaj7 - Dbmaj7 Cmaj7 - Dm7b5 - Abmaj7 -G7sus4 C 😁 Keep calm and noodle on 🍜

The world becomes more and more beautiful with each passing day. In a way that looks at the reckless hate of the world and defiantly says that love will always be the champion of the realm. It brings buoyancy to the spirit and drive to the mind. It’s a form of strength and a pool of inspiration. In our luckiest of days we are given the vantage point and small moments to express this wisdom. All the beauty of the world is already there, we just need to see it. Thank you to all you beautiful people for your grace and love that has given this whacky mind sight to see the beauty. My heart is grateful and my being fortified. You bring so much light to my life ❤️ Mahalo all the wonderful hands at the Port Townsend Ukulele Festival and @ukulelesoiree for bringing us together. Please keep spreading the love and bringing people together through music and of course the ‘ukulele ❤️ Be a verb. Be compassionate ✊

In the afternoons I become so incredibly inspired when I look out my window. I can hear birds chirping and see spring flowering over a fresh Seattle. On a clear day like today you can even trace your fingers along the tops of snowy peaks in the distance. So when I see the gold folding into the room from the west, I grab an instrument and see if poetry will strike today. Amongst my favorite things in life watching the sunset and playing ‘ukulele sits at the top. It’s something I have continued to do since I started playing as a child and remains a deep comfort for me. The warm sun on the crisp wind takes me back to upcountry Maui and the songs that rang in air. I first heard this one from Country Comfort and always thought it was a pretty song. Over the years it has taken on deeper meaning and has been blended with my love for the movie. To me it’s a symbol that the world is large enough for dreams and the truest expression of our experience comes from the love we share. So as I bask in my nostalgia here is a loose performance of Manhã de Carnival. Sorry the sun is bright but just think of it as an added effect. At least we are in theme 🌅 Stay beautiful world 🌎

Press Photos

The Good Ol' Days Back in Hawaii!