2023

Ed works in Human Resources Information Technology and has been playing music since he was young, He has played piano, guitar, and ukulele over the years, recently returning to music via his daughter learning ukulele. In addition to music, he enjoys tinkering with instruments and electronics and spends many weekends volunteering as an Adult Leader for Moraine Trails Council BSA.

Racheal Houghton began to explore her love of music many moons ago playing clarinet and saxophone for concert, marching, and jazz band ensemble. Racheal fell in love with the ukulele in 2017 buying her first Kala ukulele at a gift shop while on vacation at the outer banks in NC and has played every day since! Currently she loves to volunteer for the local Office of the aging leading “Sing a Longs for Seniors” and the “Ukulele Strumalong at the Poughkeepsie,NY library district.

It’s rare when an artist arrives on the scene offering a refreshing new spin on a traditional genre of music. Steven Espaniola is that artist. Raised in Aliamanu, Hawai’i and now residing in the California Bay Area, Steven is a self taught multi-instrumentalist Hawaiian artist specializing in Ki Ho'alu (Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar), ‘Ukulele, Upright Bass, and Leo Ki'e Ki'e (Traditional Hawaiian falsetto). Of Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent, his ethnicity is as diverse as his unique sound which preserves the integrity of the traditional with a f

Mika Kane is a professional 'ukulele player and Kamaka/Ko'olau artist from O'ahu, Hawai’i. Mika received a Bachelor's Degree in Music with an 'Ukulele focus and a Masters Degree in Educational Foundations from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Mentored by many of Hawai’i's finest musicians, including Dr. Byron Yasui, Benny Chong, Bryan Tolentino, and Ian O’Sullivan, Mika has a prolific background in Classical techniques and interpretation, musical awareness, and music theory with Jazz harmonies.

Jim Beloff is the author of The Ukulele—A Visual History (Backbeat Books) and author, arranger, and publisher of the Jumpin’ Jim’s series of ukulele songbooks with over 1,000,000 copies in print. This series is available worldwide and includes The Daily Ukulele, one of the biggest and best-selling ukulele songbooks ever published. All Jumpin’ Jim’s songbooks are distributed by Hal Leonard LLC. In December 2021, Backbeat books published Jim’s memoir, UKEtopia—Adventures in the Ukulele World.

Danielle Ate the Sandwich is the stage name of pop-folk songwriter, Danielle Anderson. Getting her start in Fort Collins, CO, now based in Kansas City, MO, Danielle has been touring nationally since 2009, after cultivating an online following from her homemade videos on Youtube.

Amber Rozel has been teaching musicians of all ages for over 20 years. She has been making the magic happen on ukulele for 5 years and recently  received the coveted Level 3 Teachers Certificate from the JHUI program. She performs with regional orchestras, the Bay Chamber Players, her (new!) band Evergreen Road, and with anyone that wants to have fun.

Amber is a member of the Steel City Ukuleles in Pittsburgh, PA and Assistant Director of the Allegeny Ukulele Soirée.

The Steel City Ukes Little Band is an ensemble made up of members of the Steel City Ukes. 

Debi first saw Hawaiian dance (hula) in the late seventies. I loved the variety of dances that the girls did and how graceful they were. I never dreamed I would be dancing with them but one time I saw them dancing while sitting on the floor and that was it! If you can sit and dance, I want to try it!