GROWING UP in a huge family and community it was hard not to fall in love with music. I was always drawn to music and always wanted to be a singer but never had the guts to chase it until later. I fooled around on bass as a young teenager but soon got distracted by other things in life and my music life got shelled until I was about 20. At which point , I wrote me first song on the piano (Lets hold on baby). Over the years I wrote more songs and discovered my love for the ukulele through this dear family I was cooking for in upstate NY. They showed me this NYC based band (Sweet Soubrette) that I loved so much and in fact, covered one of their songs as my first song I ever learned on the uke. My Oldest brother John taught my little bits here and there and always inspired me to keep singing. My little brothers also taught and inspired me by playing with them. I have had amazing teachers in my life here and there but never in one place long enough to really grow with a teacher. I worked the longest with music teacher 'Pam Goldshlagler' who was the god daughter of Sammy Davis Jr. Over the years of experiencing love and heartbreak ;) I wrote enough songs to make my first EP 'Ukulina - Live In Puna. It was recorded live with my friends while living on the big island of Hawaii in May 2013.

 

THE NAME 'Ukulina' will always be the name of my first EP album and also the name a lot of people in Hawaiian know me as. In that sense, it may always be my Hawaiian name, however, I am choosing to let the name go with the album. My next release I will use my birth name 'Jane Eller' or perhaps a band name.

 

The MOVE. I was about to move to the big island but I deciced when I was back home in Alaska that I needed to be in a bigger music town. Two months later I packed up everything and drove all the way to Portland OR and arrived on Nov 12th 2013. Hawaii, the place I feel more at home then anywhere else, will still be my winter home for writing songs!

 

MY DERAM/VISION for a real community band where everyone can write and sing if they like. No one person is heading the band but we all make it a round wheel that grows and travels together! I feel like I will find that in Portland! Making you move, laugh, cry (it feels good to cry sometimes) is what I thrive for! Listening to the sounds of the world "music" is what feeds my soul and I think it will feed yours too..