The bulk of my career has been that of music educator. Before retiring from the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District, I helped to build the largest Ukulele program in the state of California. I now continue to teach from my home,The Levan Institute at Bakersfield Junior College. I also teach at Mercy Hospital’s Center for Art & Spirituality. In addition, I serve as a Contract Artist with the Arts Council of Kern County. I teach Ukulele in numerous venues and workshops.

During the first half of the 1800’s, western missionaries traveled to the Hawaiian Islands to promote the Christian religion. The influence of their music, Christian hymnody and singing in four parts, enthralled the native people of Hawaii. By 1850 western music had integrated with the Hawaiian culture. The Royal monarchy especially was to celebrate andd become fully immersed in western music. King David Kalakaua and his sister, later to become Queen Liliuokalani as well as their siblings, were well schooled in western music at Hawaii’s Royal School of Music.

In August of 1879 a British ship, the Ravenscrag, made harbor in Honolulu. A new shipload of Portuguese contract workers from the island of Madeira, in the eastern Atlantic, arrived after a four month voyage of 12,000 miles. They brought with them only their most cherished possessions. Three musical instruments were to come with them as well: the Machete, the Rojoa and the Braguinha. Within ten years these musical instruments would evolve into what was to be known as Hawaii’s national instrument…the “jumping” or “bouncing flee”, otherwise known as the ukulele (oo-kay-lay-lay). Three Madeira cabinet makers by the names of Santo, Dias and Nunes produced the first ukuleles. These instruments were hybrids of the Portuguese instruments mentioned above. They were often referred to as Taro Patch Guitars in the early days. Since the musicians hands and fingers moved so rapidly across the fingerboard, the name ukulele has persisted rather than Taro Patch Guitar. King David Kalakaua embraced the ukulele which helped promote the instrument to national popularity. Soon virtually every household owned one or more ukuleles. With the influx of western music, the popularity of the ukulele and the growing presence of foreigners in the islands, the Hawaiian cultural expression was expanded from chanting, percussion instrumentation and Hula dance to chordal and melodic polyphony in less than 100 years.

As the Hawaiian Islands grew in popularity during the 1890’s – early 1900’s so did the ukulele. With the United States moving toward the annexation of the islands, greater numbers of westerners made their way to Hawaii. The music produced by this infusion of cultures was a combination of new forms and sonorities. Steamships travelling from California created an influx of tourists who craved anything Hawaiian. Ukuleles became a staple souvenir for these visitors. Thus the “first wave” of the ukulele had begun. It reached its peak at San Francisco’s Panama – Pacific International Exposition in 1915. The Hawaiian Pavillion was extremely popular to the many thousands who visited the world renowned exposition.

Music publishers took advantage of this popularity and began to produce music with piano accompaniment and ukulele chord charts over the printed music. As the technology of recorded sound began to be employed on the musical scene, Edison, RCA as well as other recording companies, utilized the trend of Hawaiian musical popularity to boost sales of recordings. I didn’t matter if the music was written by Hawaiians or mainlanders, the island sound was sought after.

As moving pictures entered the entertainment arena, the ukulele was seen by more people on the mainland and across the continent. Many in Hollywood played the little island instrument. Shirley Temple, Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Mae West and Bing Crosby all strummed the ukulele in their day. As the First World War hit and the depression of the early 1920’s and 1930’s, ordinary folks had a harder time spending money on expensive instruments. The ukulele was a perfect antidote for challenging economic circumstances; it was affordable, portable and produced a beautiful sound. In fact the legendary Martin Guitar Company, begun in 1833 in Nazareth PA, would have gone out of business were it not for the sales of their ukuleles. Martin Guitar Compay sold more ukuleles than guitars until the 1970’s when guitar sales finally caught up and surpassed ukulele sales.

The second wave of the ukulele popularity began to build with the World War ll era. George Formby was a world box office celebrity second only to Bing Crosby. Formby played the Banjolele (a small banjo body strung and tuned as a ukulele). He was highly popular with the allied troops throughout the war. His notoriety and entertainment appeal was widespread. This boosted the popularity of the little instrument as well. With the advent of the television in the 1950’s, Arthur Godfrey became a “star” of the little screen. In his variety show he would play his baritone ukulele during each show. He also endorsed a series of plastic ukuleles. Plastic was a new space age material and this added to the uke’s popularity, skyrocketing the ukulele to further success. Godfrey’s endorsement pushed sales of ukuleles into the millions.

The British musical invasion of the 1960’s sidelined the ukulele in favor of the electric guitar. Ukuleles became passe’. The irony of this is that many of Rock ‘n Roll’s biggest names stilled played ukulele for their personal enjoyment. Robert Plant of Led Zepplin, Peter Townsend of The Who, George Harrison and Paul McCartney of The Beatles, all played ukulele. So did may other highly regarded Rock musicians. Rock ‘n Roll music forced the ukulele into the atmosphere of musical novelty and the label of “It’s not a real instrument, just a toy really”.

It wasn’t until the 1990’s that Hawaiians began to bring back the ukulele in what is termed as the “third wave” of the ukulele. Actually the Hawaiians never put aside their little instrument. To them it was a true part of their history and culture, though it fell out of popularity on the mainland. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole became a very popular Hawaiian musician. He made it “cool” for the younger generation of Hawaiians to play ukulele. Izzy, as he is known, helped propel the ukulele forward with his classic version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. On the mainland Jim Beloff and his wife, Liz, were in a Pasadena flea market and found a little Martin ukulele. They bought it and then began looking around for music. This proved difficult so they decided to publish their own; twenty plus years and hundreds of thousands of books later they have helped to foster this “third wave” trend of the ukulele.

With the current young ukulele masters such as Jake Shimabukuro, James Hill, Herb Ohta Jr. and many others, the ukulele has become an instrument of incredible musical options and versatility. At ukulele festivals and concerts worldwide, one can hear original compositions, Tin Pan Alley classics, folk songs, contemporary covers and high brow Baroque classics by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. James Hill has said, “The ukulele is the IPad of musical instruments.” (I have also found this to be VERY true in my musical life and experience.)

This little instrument can quickly put “real music” in the hands of regular people at almost any age and ability level. People’s faces light up when they play their first chord on a ukulele. They begin to understand that music is truly accessible to them. They can become music makers, creating beautiful musical sounds for themselves and others. The ukulele should be taken seriously as an instrument and added to the musical experiences of all students. It can be a lifelong way to personally make beautiful music.