1. Why did you pick up the ukulele?

“So I picked up the ukulele because I moved from Japan to Hawai’i when I was six and when you turn on the radio- or back then it was radio right now it’s Spotify, but when you had turn on the radio you would hear a lot of the songs have ukulele in the background and I told my mom ‘Oh I wanna play that instrument’. So I got my first ukulele from Santa Claus when I was eight.”

2. When did you start playing?

“So I started taking classes from Troy Fernandez when I was eight and then I eventually joined Ukulele Hale I think at the age of maybe like twelve, maybe eleven”

3. What was it like taking lessons?

“So taking lessons here, I think the name Ukulele Hale represents the school very well because you walk in, take off your shoes, enter the living room, and there’s a bunch of private lesson rooms. Really it’s like my second home because ‘Hale’ in Hawaiian means home.”

4. How many hours per day do you typically spend?

“Ok so, it really really depends on what I have coming up. But if I do have say like a big performance then.. all I do is practice *laughter*. But if it’s more like a creative setting where I’m in the process of writing a song. then I try to space it out. Writing as well as things I love to do like surfing maybe…three hours a day?”

5. Where does your inspiration come from?

“So a lot of my inspiration comes from just the lifestyle we have here in Hawai’i whether it’s just the nature, the weather, the people, the food, of course, the music and I love to surf so the ocean.”

6. How do you write songs?

“My process of songwriting is different for every song. I think a lot of artists can relate to that. So I probably don’t have the uke in my hands and I just think of a melody and then I grab the uke and try to play it on the ukulele and then it goes from there or I start off with like a chord progression, or I think of a lyric.”

7. How have the instructors played a role in your musical development?

“Every instructor that I’ve had here, and even those that I haven’t actually taken lessons from, they have been my mentors not only in music but in life in general. I really really would not be the same person without every person that’s in our Ukulele Hale ‘Ohana. In terms of music, I think the number one thing that my teacher Jody Kamisato taught me is ‘just have fun and everything else will follow. No matter what stage of ukulele playing you’re at, having fun is just the most important.”

8. Where do you see yourself in your musical career one year from now?

“So I’m planning to release my first full album this year so hopefully by next year people will finally be able to listen to music that I put out. Hopefully, put on concerts that I can play those songs at. So right now I’m editing those songs that will be on the album.”

9. How would you describe the ukulele in one word?

“One word? First word that comes to mind is simple because it’s such a simple instrument with four strings and I think because it’s so simplest attracts all kinds of people and I think that’s one of the most beautiful things about the ukulele. That it really brings people together.”

10. What are your goals and dreams?

“When I started my solo career around three years ago my first goal was to put out music that I enjoy listening to. Putting out music is my number goal. I just hope to embody like the lifestyle that we have here which we’re very fortunate to be surrounded by. I get a lot of inspiration from that so I think it naturally goes into my music and I just want to share it with the world.”

11. What does the ukulele mean to you?

“I think the ukulele to me, it’s a really big part of who I am. When my partner Azita, she wanted to embark on medical school so I was left to decide ‘Do I continue?’ or ‘Do I not continue ukulele?’. But then I ended up continuing because I couldn't;t see myself not doing this. And even if I didn’t pursue it professionally, I would still play every day on my own. So I thought ‘This is really the only thing I can think of myself doing’.”

12. What are some of your achievements?

”I started off in a group called the “Uke’s rising stars” that Jody Kamisato, our teacher, hand-picked some students from his school and put together this group and he would have us perform at any kind of opportunities that came our way whether it was just local Christmas events or schools and he taught us not just playing but the performance and it’s common aspects and then that sparked an interest in me and that’s where I met my friend Azita. We started this group called “Honoka and Azita”. We then entered the “International Ukulele Contest” uh very, nonchalantly. We didn’t think anything of it except um my now ukulele brand that I play Kanile’a sponsoring the event. So that was kinda the only reason why I just wanted to enter because if you win then you get a Kanile’a. So as kids, we were like ‘oh let’s just try’ so we entered really last minute I think the day of the due date? And then we ended up taking first place in the group division as well as the MVP for the whole contest. So the reward for that was to play at the “Ukulele PIcnic” the next day. So we got to play a song there and when we were playing it just so happened the headlining act of the Ukulele Picnic that year Gib was there watching and so they saw us perform and they said, ‘Hey why don’t you come to Kanoa and open for our concert?’ Little did we know it was a huge concert, just like eight thousand people, huge stage. I think Because I was only fifteen and we were just kids and we were having fun, it was very much like ‘fake it till you make it’ kinda attitude.”

13. Any word of inspiration for our students?

“Hi students of Ukulele Hale! I love to watch all of you perform at the events and every time you blow me away with how much fun you’re having and how much you’re improving every time I see you and how much taller you’ve become when I see you. But, my advice to you is if you have a dream don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it because there will always be people that try to set you back but there will also be people that try to support you. Like, for me there’s my teachers, Jody, and everyone here at Ukulele Hale so lean into that and just follow your dreams.”