Where music is learned through aloha..
Testimonials
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Sidney M., Oceania Regatta Dec 2025
I met Mele when she was the cultural ambassador on my November through December 2025 cruise from Los Angeles to French Polynesia via Hawaii.
I am an old guy, 77 years old, sometimes also called an old fart, and not in the best shape! I attended each of the lectures and the performances. I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances and the lectures. I was impressed with the history and the meanings.
Mele went over and above what was required. She was friendly, open and a truly excellent teacher.
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Randy D., HAL Volendam March 2026 'Ohana
Mele is the best! She has a natural, patient kindness about her that nicely compliments her confidence and expertise. Her teachings are grounded in deep cultural understanding that enhance the student experience.
I was a student in the Ukulele with Mele classes, but as a teacher myself, recognize and appreciate the skill set that Mele brings to all that she does.
Beyond our series of classes, Mele has encouraged and supported her students to continue on with the ukulele. So many of us have, with thanks to Mele for giving us the foundation and inspiration.
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Lois S., HAL Zuiderdam February 2025 'Ohana
Mele is the BEST teacher!!!
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Errol D., HAL Koningsdam Oct 2025 'Ohana
I met Mele while she was teaching a beginner’s ukulele class on a cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii. For five days I watched and listened to her patiently answer questions and instruct a room full novices, on the instrument.
As quite a few of the participants, myself included, were somewhat elderly, her patience and gentle manner was very much appreciated. She is a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning the ukulele.
About Mele
Trinity Melelani Villanueva is a musician whose connection to her cultures is at the core of who she is. Her work moves across oceans, languages, and how people actually learn.
A classically trained pianist from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Trinity began her career as a performer—appearing on Broadway as a vocalist, on television as a hula dancer, and as a national classical piano competitor at a young age. But after becoming a mother early in life, she made the intentional decision to step away from performance and build stability as a co-parent for her son, Kai.
What followed was nearly two decades of leadership and reinvention within the creative arts. Trinity went on to serve as an Executive Director, an Associate VP, a member of Boards of Directors, working alongside organizations from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery to the Guthrie Theater to Public Art Reston, and Managing Partner of a global consulting agencies including Paramount Global and Penske Media Corporation. Along the way, she earned degrees and certifications from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Pennsylvania, the NAEA School for Art Leaders, and Hablá Instituto.
But despite her success, something wasn’t quite in place.
Music—her first language—was never meant to be left aside.
Returning to it became a conscious reclamation.
Today, Trinity is a full-time musician, teaching ʻukulele around the world on cruise ships and through her platform, ‘Ukulele with Mele. She built it to offer what she didn’t always have—a way into music that is flexible, patient, and culturally immersed.
Alongside her teaching, she creates and performs live shows thru vocals, ʻukulele, and piano, blending genres and languages and bringing more visibility to an instrument that is often overlooked, especially within the context of her own cultures.
Her work is shaped by her Hawaiian-Filipina and Puerto Rican heritage, her broad artistic experience, and ongoing cultural study across Polynesia and beyond. She moves regularly between the islands and the DMV (Maryland) as part of her life and work, and speaks English and Spanish, with continued study in ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi, Tahitian, French, and Reo Māori.
And in case you were wondering, her teenage son Kai is an accomplished vocalist and athlete who she hopes to far surpass her one day.
Contact
Phone/Text/WhatsApp