| Today's ukulele musicians are introducing the | | | | sort of agility and precision that would make any |
| instrument into the mainstream with more seriousness | | | | concert guitarist envious not only gave the ukulele |
| than in the past. The ukulele, because of its small size | | | | credibility as a serious concert instrument, but gave it a |
| and the popular misconception that it's not a "real" | | | | "cool" factor that made it interesting to a wider, and |
| instrument, was oftentimes viewed as a toy or a | | | | younger, demographic of players. |
| novelty by non-islanders. Today, however, musicians | | | | James Hill has also brought the ukulele into the |
| such as James Hill and Jake Shimabukuro have | | | | mainstream consciousness as a serious instrument. |
| exposed more and more people to the ukulele as a | | | | With strong folk roots and a penchant for playing the |
| versatile, modern instrument. The late Israel | | | | instrument at blazing speeds, this Canadian prodigy has |
| Kamakawiwoole and George Harrison also worked | | | | already become a well-known name in the music |
| hard to give the ukulele more mainstream credibility, | | | | world. He has expanded the use of the ukulele in |
| and did so to great effect. | | | | ensemble playing, as well, having worked with a cellist |
| Where modern, fiery playing is concerned, Jake | | | | on the album "True Love Don't Weep". His breakout |
| Shimabukuro and James Hill are two of the biggest | | | | album, however, came in 2002 in the form of a record |
| names. Shimabukuro was already a big name on the | | | | with the tongue-in-cheek title "Playing it like it isn't...". |
| islands when an online video of him covering George | | | | Though the title makes it seem like the instrument is |
| Harrison's classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" | | | | being played like something else, Hill has merely |
| became a sensation. For many people, the sight of | | | | exposed the world to the versatility of this instrument. |
| Shimabukuro's fingers working the fretboard with the | | | | |