Testimonials
See what students are saying about their journey in music with mauka melodies!
Colton
Pan Pacific Mechanical
" Brett has been working with my son for about six months as his guitar teacher and I cannot say enough good things about the experience. He is a positive force in his life. Brett is patient, responsible, kind, flexible, and creative. He works with my son to show him new music, and also takes much extra effort and care to help him learn the music of the bands that my son likes. Our whole family looks forward to the lessons with Brett and I can recommend him fully as an instructor for anyone in your family - young or old."-Cindy McMackin
Goose
Student
"Brett has taught my kids music for 5 years. He is a fun loving teacher with such an abundance of musical expertise! He inspires my kids and they have grown as musicians. Layla is 14 and has confidence to publicly perform as a singer and with her violin. Goose my 11 yr old son has played with Brett for years and asks about practice. Brett has also taught him about chords, scales, rhythm, and most importantly how to have fun playing ukulele. Thank you Brett for all the time in putting together public performances and teaching my kids music." Kristen G
Gaudys
Student
"Brett is very talented and has an amazing gift to connect with people, my daughter had never taken music lessons and was a little nervous about it but, she was able to make a great connection with him and his teaching skills helped her become comfortable and able to enjoy her lessons." G Hinson
Ali
Student
“Brett is a great teacher. He knows a lot of good songs and it’s fun to learn from him.”
Barry
Medical Doctor
“Brett is a rare gem! A gifted teacher with a warm and relaxed personality who has the ability to capture the minds of his students and inspire them to learn. I feel very fortunate to have him guide my son on his musical journey.” Barry, Maui
Karen
PerformanceBW.com
"Mauka Melodies 5 ⭐️’s in my opinion. Brett Z is a wonderful teacher. He brings in all the right components to each lesson that I appreciate, as a lover of music and beginner Ukulele player. Each sesson he gives me a bit of several components that help me evolve as a Uke player beyond learning just chords. He has the knowledge/ education and experience as a musician and teacher of music to round out your lesson at your skill level. He is kind and supportive with each next challenge and is right there with you to keep the fun going in whatever music style you enjoy." -Karen
Tanaya
Event Planner
"Brett at Mauka Melodies is such a caring and profound music teacher. You can tell he is an expert in the field through his music theory lessons and ability to pick up songs by ear (no notes!). It was an honor to learn from him and gain a new appreciation for music. I had only learned the ukulele for a few months prior to meeting Brett, and within just 3 lessons, I felt like my ukulele skills improved so much. I highly recommend learning an instrument from Brett in order to build a strong foundation and grow into a great musician. " - Tanaya
Roy
Owner Lady Luck Tattoo
"I’ve been playing guitar off and on for 30 yrs with no lessons and have always been stuck in the same place playing the same thing and couldn’t make any progress Brett has taught me more in 5 sessions then I was ever able to teach myself he’s patient and encouraging with a great teaching style , I’m super stoked I made the decision to hire a teacher and found Brett " Roy 🤙
Roxie
Manager @ Club Kona
"It is never too late to start! As a musical neophyte, I found the ukulele intimidating but Brett was able to think outside the box and develop a repertoire that suits my lifestyle and keeps my interest!" -Roxie
Nora
Student
"My 6 year old Eleanor regulary does one-on-one lessons with Brett on the ukulele; her ability grows each time. His patience, and ability to cater to his students as they grow is one is one of the most remarkable things about him as a music teacher. He makes learning fun, because it's easy to see he loves what he is doing. If you're looking for a teacher who inspires, I highly recommend booking Mauka Melodies!" Darcy V
Malina
Student
"During our daughters time at BIMA she was instructed by Brett, a talented and competent musician. Through Brett’s instruction Malina improved her guitar skills as well as percussion. Brett’s enthusiasm for music and teaching was an inspiration for Malina and she experienced personal growth and a deeper passion for her musical journey." D Chiddo
Luca
College Student
"Brett is a wonderful ukulele instructor! My teenage son has been taking ukulele lessons with Brett for a couple of years. Brett is such a fun, engaging instructor. He has a diverse repertoire of musical styles and is skilled at creating a lesson that matches the students interests and abilities. We would recommend Brett to anyone hoping to learn ukulele with a fun, easy going, supportive instructor"
Linda
Retired
"I enjoy my guitar lessons with Brett. He listens to what I want to play and he will suggest other material with my beginner capabilities."-Linda
Crystal
Stay at home Mom
"Brett is the all-around perfect teacher. He has the passion of a performing artist built on an impressively solid understanding of music theory. His gift is translating his musical skill into lessons that, to me, flow like a constantly unfolding epiphany. Brett’s years of teaching experience is obvious; he consistently identifies what I need to focus on that will help me level up quickly. In a recent lesson, he encouraged me to try a chord fingering I thought I would never be able to do, lo and behold, after a few tries I nailed it! Taking lessons with him has built-up my musical confidence and has been very enjoyable." -Crystal C.
Audrey
Student
"Brett has been an awesome ukelele teacher for my 6 year old daughter. He really meets her at her level and gently pushes her further- she’s made so much progress in 3 short months! He picks music that’s fun for her and she loves practicing and showing off. She’s also building a deeper musical understanding of chords, scales, and rhythm. Brett has been fun, patient, and engaging- he’s great with kids and I’d highly recommend him as a ukelele teacher for kids!" Geri
Kolby
Student
"Learning from Brett has been awesome, it's been so much fun getting lessons on Friday's and he is very thorough and teaches well. I think I have improved a ton and have learned all sorts of different songs. I have been doing lessons with him for about 3 years and have enjoyed it every time I play ukulele with uncle Brett! So if I were to recommend ukulele or guitar lessons to anyone it would be Brett!" -Kolby
Tyler
Student
"My 8 year old son Tyler has been doing virtual ukulele lessons for 6 months now with Brett. Watching his skills and technique improve weekly has been amazing to watch. Lessons with Brett has turned into Tyler's favorite day of the week. He's an amazing instructor who is engaging, fun, and inspiring. We highly recommend Mauka Melodies for lessons." -Jessica
Cathy
Retired Librarian
"I have been taking ukulele lessons from Brett for several months now. Not only am I learning scales, chords and techniques, I am having fun doing so. Brett is teaching me beautiful Hawaiian songs and songs I have been enjoying for years such as The Beatles, Mamas & Papas, & Otis Redding etc. I would highly recommend him as a teacher no matter what your skill level is." -Cathy
