"The Dutch have a saying...'Zuinigheid met vlijt'. Which basically means be frugal and work hard. My father was a talented woodworker, and engineer, and his inspiration and guidance has always pushed me to be better than I am.

Over the past two years I've really honed my skills in making my own Ukuleles. I've studied traditional ways, but also incorporated my very own hybrid method into my builds. I was really unimpressed with many of the top brands, and their factory-made instruments. So basically I wanted to give people an affordable instrument that was custom made to their needs, and made right here in my tiny shop in Missoula, Montana."

"I would have to say, be mindful of your art. Know where it first began, and learn the history of it. You'll always face challenge and make mistakes, but I think it's important that you have the knowledge of who came before you, and why they did it. History always tells us something in one form or another. And of course, never stop learning."