George Kahumoku Jr.
Workshop Host and Founder, Slack Key Guitar & 'Ukulele Instructor, Executive Chef George Kahumoku Jr, is a multiple Grammy & Hoku Award winning master Slack Key Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, performer, teacher, artist and sculptor, story-teller and writer, farmer and entrepreneur. This workshop is one of the great musical experiences in the Islands today, and the result of George's belief in sharing, celebrating and perpetuating Hawaiian culture and music. Instructional Material available here: - Hawaiian Slack Key ‘Ukulele (DVD) - Taro Patch F Tuning Intermediate Instructional (DVD)
Ledward Kaapana
Slack Key Guitar, 'Ukulele 2011 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Recipient, Ledward Kaapana is Hawaii’s premier master Slack Key guitarist. His inventiveness and fluidity, his versatility in multiple tunings, and his playfulness on stage, make him the leading master of this art, now recognized nationally by America's most prestigious award for the arts. Led grew up in a musical family in the tiny village of Kalapana, there were few distractions and everyone played music. Chief among his teachers were his mother, Mama Tina Kaapana, and his uncle Fred Punahoa.
Daniel Ho
Daniel Ho beams with music—you’ll find him enveloped in the next melody for an original composition or tapping out a rhythm on just about anything within reach. He is an ‘ukulele virtuoso, slack key guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, singer-songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and record company owner. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner, twelve-time Grammy Award nominee, six-time Taiwanese Golden Melody Award winner, and recipient of multiple Hawaiian Music awards.
Jeff Peterson
Guitar, 'Ukulele Recognized as one of Hawaii’s most versatile musicians, Jeff Peterson is at the heart of the Hawaiian music scene today. His passion for the guitar has allowed him to shine as a solo artist and his deep knowledge of multiple open tunings as well as standard tuning, and his ability to both read music and play by ear, has given him the opportunity to collaborate with a wide variety of solo artists, groups, and orchestras. His focus on Slack Key guitar, classical, and jazz music has allowed him to develop a unique and transcendent voice on the guitar while being deeply rooted in the traditions of his Hawaiian heritage. Instructional material available here: - Online Lessons - Slack Key Guitar & Ukulele Sheet Music
Shem Kahawaii
'Ukulele & Guitar
Born and raised on Maui, has a true love and passion for the traditional sound of Hawaiian slack key guitar. As a talented teen, he received a scholarship to Georgeʻs Annual Slack Key Guitar Workshop in 2014, deeply inspiring him. During the the next workshop in 2015, Uncle George Kahumoku recommended him for a scholarship to the “Crown Of The Continent” workshop held in Bigfork, Montana, where he attended a two-week intensive for musicians in a wide range of musical genres. He further advanced his music career by attending the Institute of Hawaiian Music at UH Maui College. In addition to being a regular at the Slack Key Show, Shem now performs multiple events both with groups and as a soloist on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Big Island. His vision for his future is to carry on the legacy of Hawaiian Slack Key music and to inspire the next generation to continue the old-style traditions.
Instructional material available here:
Brad Bordessa
'Ukulele Brad Bordessa is a Hawaii’i Island-based recording artist who has been fortunate to share the stage with musicians and mentors such as Keoki Kahumoku, Sonny Lim, Herb Ohta, Jr., and (quite accidentally) HAPA. His EP, Point A, features original instrumentals, but it was his passionate protest song, “Draw the Line at 13,” that took the internet by storm. Brad has been teaching ‘ukulele for 8 years, and is currently the in-house instructor at the Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua. He has been a returning faculty member at both the Kahumoku ‘Ohana Music & Lifestyle Workshop and the Big Island ‘Ukulele XX, where his students appreciate his clear and concise style of teaching. Brad is a graduate of the Institute of Hawaiian Music at UH Maui, where he spent two years always on alert for Uncle George calling to say, “Brad! We got a gig. I’ll pick you up in 15 minutes.” Instructional material available here: - Live Ukulele - online lessons
Sonny Lim
Slack Key Guitar, 'Ukulele, & Slide Guitar Slack Key Guitarist, Lap Steel Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, Sonny developed his guitar & vocal styles performing with his famous Lim Family of the Big Island. He was also one of the early members of the Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau for whom he played lap steel guitar beginning at age 15. In recent years, Sonny’s solo instrumental album, Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim, was a Grammy nominee for Best Hawaiian Music.
Kevin Brown
Slack Key Guitar Traditional Slack Key Guitarist & Hawaiian vocalist, Kevin Brown, is the soft spoken leader of the popular Maui group “Ola Hou”. One of Hawaii’s finest musicians and instructors, his easy-going style has deeply influenced a generation of musicians both in Hawaii and on the mainland. In addition to being a long-time instructor at the Workshop, Kevin also taught slack key guitar for 14 years at Maui’s Baldwin High School. He now occasionally teaches at UH Maui College and is a mentor in the new Institute of Hawaiian Music
Wainani Kealoha
Hula, Lei Making, Chant Telling the story with graceful movement and hula hands, Wainani has loved dancing all her life. Born in Honolulu, she relocated and danced for many years on the Big Island where she joined the hula school, Halau Na Lei O Ka Holoku, led by Kumu Hula Nani Lim Yap and Leialoha Amina. Wainani traveled nationally and internationally with Lim’s Halau sharing hula with the world while developing her considerable talent in dance, chanting, and Hawaiian culture. She is a regular dancer at George Kahumoku Jr’s Slack Key Show at the Napili Kai.
Kimo Hussey
Kimo is one of Hawaii’s preeminent ukulele players and instructors. He travels the world performing, teaching, and sharing his love of all things ukulele. One of Kimo’s key messages is that playing quality ukuleles makes a world of difference, both for you as a player and for your audience.
In that spirit, he plays ukuleles from some of the world’s top builders and from raising stars in the luthier world whose ukes he believes really shine.
We’ll be forever grateful to Kimo for singling Jay out early on in his building career as a builder doing great work. Dozens of ukes later and quite a few years later, and we’ve loved every minute of collaboration with Kimo and look forward to much much more!
Jason Jerome
'Ukulele A lifelong musician, Jason Jerome abandoned the world of restaurant management in favor of the relaxed lifestyle of a music shop owner back in 2006 and has been teaching music on island ever since. When he’s not teaching free lessons on ukulele, running sound for local schools, or playing music at church, you can find Jason behind the counter at Lahaina Music giving pointers on the joy of ukulele. Jason is married to Vania Jerome, a local music teacher and musical director for several musicals and is the proud father of two talented and wonderful boys. Jason has been rated as one of the most popular ukulele instructors at the workshop and will be teaching all levels, from beginning to advanced ukulele this year. Instructional material available here: - Online Skype lessons - Ukulele Instructional Book
Jim "Kimo" West
Kimo is a 2019 Grammy nominee for his recent CD, “Moku Maluhia-Peaceful Island”, a 2008 winner of the Hawaii Music Awards and a three-time Na Hoku Hanohano (the Hawaiian ‘Grammy’) nominee. He is also a two-time winner of the LA Treasures Award for his efforts in keeping this important acoustic guitar tradition alive. For his work with “Weird Al”, he has earned four Grammys and a Billboard #1 CD debut for 2015’s “Mandatory Fun”.
He is a veteran of Hawaii’s famed slack key festivals as well as the So Cal Slack Key Festival every year from 2008 through 2018. He has shared the stage with almost all the world’s top slack key players at one time or another.
