Lanikai Ukuleles has partnered with ukulele virtuoso and composer Jake Shimabukuro’s Four Strings Foundation. The non-profit, founded by Shimabukuro and Chicago educator Polly Yukevich in 2013, seeks to curate music education workshops nationwide. Lanikai, one of the world’s largest ukulele brands, remains committed to music education and will provide their patented TunaUke ukuleles to schools and educators in support of this initiative.

“Lanikai’s TunaUke creates the ability for beginners to adjust intonation in a way they weren’t able to previously,” said Shimabukuro. “It affords new possibilities for students to explore intonation in solos and ensemble playing and the adjustable saddle makes this instrument accessible and useful to beginners and pros alike.”

The first collaborative event took place March 26 in Harvard University’s Memorial Hall with Shimabukuro leading a beginner’s workshop utilizing 100 TunaUkes.

“We are so excited Four Strings has partnered with Lanikai for this event and are planning more like it,” said Polly Yukevich, “It is our hope that events like this will encourage people will join us in spreading the ease and joy that is inherent to playing the ukulele.”

For more, visit www.lanikaiukes.com or fourstringsfoundation.org.