Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios Shares the Joy of Music with All Ages and Abilities

2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Roy and Kathy Sakuma operate four studios on O‘ahu, and would “never say no to any parent.”

Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios operates under a simple principle: anyone can learn to play ‘ukulele. Children as young as 5 can learn a new song in a single session using techniques learned at the studio, and students with visual impairments, physical handicaps and even life-threatening diseases like cancer have learned to play there, says Kathy Sakuma.

Kathy says she and her husband, Roy Sakuma, would “never say no to any parent who came in.”

Since opening their first studio in Kaimukī in 1974, the Sakumas have added locations in ‘Aiea, Kāne‘ohe and Mililani. With a staff of 30 instructors, all former students, the studios offer both individual and group lessons, online and in person, to all ages.

For those who find it intimidating to read sheet music, Roy Sakuma developed a method that allows students to read and play music using the letters of the alphabet.

“It opened the door,” he says, “because now we could have 5-year-olds come in and in one 30-minute lesson, they will learn their complete song. They instantly feel accomplished.”

The Sakumas started Ukulele Festival Hawaii in 1971; it ran annually until 2022. This year, Sakuma’s students will participate in the International ‘Ukulele Festival of Hawai‘i, July 20 at Kapi‘olani Park.

“Ukulele Festival Hawaii was Roy’s dream to showcase the ‘ukulele’s versatility and virtuosity with a free concert in the park,” says Kathy Sakuma. In 1971, “there was very little interest in the ‘ukulele and the ‘ukulele was thought of as a toy.”

Roy Sakuma’s personal journey with the ‘ukulele started in his teens. The first time he played the ‘ukulele, the music “just poured out of me.”

In 1964, he sought out Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta to be his mentor, and went on to teach under Ohta-san.

Shortly after composing his first song, “I Am What I Am,” Sakuma moved out from under the wing of his mentor to start Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios. Working with her husband, Kathy Sakuma developed her own passion for ‘ukulele, particularly teaching young children to play.

Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios has been honored with many awards, including the Family Business of the Year award from UH’s Family Business Center of Hawai‘i and the Kahili Award from the Keep it Hawai‘i Recognition Awards Program.

“One of the things we feel most proud of is our instructors,” Kathy Sakuma says. “They have that feeling. They’re so attached to their students, and their students are so attached to them. It’s not just teaching the music, it’s really caring for them.”