Inouye, who has been playing ukulele for more than half a century, got his start by jamming with friends and neighbors on the porch of his family home.

“My life is about teaching people to play music,” says Inouye. Not only does he teach and play ukulele, he also builds them, and his custom-made instruments can be seen on display in the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.