Justin Firmeza

Born and raised in Fremont, California, 19-year old Justin Firmeza has been influenced by many styles of music including gospel, R"B, and jazz. After several years of teaching himself to play the piano and other instruments, Justin met his mentor, slack-key guitarist Patrick Landeza, who introduced Justin to the beautiful music of Hawai‘i. Justin fell in love with Hawaiian music, and recently, he has picked up the steel guitar.

When he is not on stage with Uncle Patrick, Justin can be found teaching high school band, playing piano at church, or performing in jazz groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. He recently delivered a TEDx Talk, "The 'Key' to Great Artistry", in which he reflects on his artistic journey and tells his audience about finding their own unique artistry.

With the help of his impressive understanding of music theory and his new teacher, Kumu Akaka, Justin is quickly learning to sing and play many Hawaiian songs with his steel guitar.