Meet Macaroni
Hawaiian Koa and African Wenge Tenor Ukulele
I once stumbled onto an incredible find: a discarded piece of Hawaiian Koa at a woodshop in Seattle, Washington. I knew I wanted to turn it into a Ukulele, even though at that time, it was way beyond my skill set. For 15 years, the Koa sat in my shop waiting to become Macaroni.
Macaroni came into being at an important crossroads in my life. After my brother passed away unexpectedly, I needed a safe place to grieve. I found myself back in my woodshop.
I reached out to my woodshop mentor whose influence is in everything I’ve built, and asked him if he could impart more knowledge. Even in the midst of his final battle with cancer, he gave me the gift of his time. We spent a few months bringing Macaroni to life; in that journey, I found my path.
More Ukuleles will be built, but Macaroni is mine. It holds my grief and it honors the spirit of my mentor. It’s now a priceless heirloom, and it would be the first thing I would save if my house were burning down (assuming my family was safe).
