Meet Suz’Kulele
I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, with music woven into my life from an early age. That path led me to become a full-time music student at Colorado State University, where I studied tuba and graduated in 2005. After college, I spent six years teaching band and orchestra at three different schools—where I was known as Mrs. Horn—and one of those programs even earned a State Marching Band title. But after some especially hard years and major life changes, I ended up stepping away from music completely.
Something shifted after my first trip to Hawai‘i. When I returned home, I picked up an ‘ukulele — not as a grand plan, but as a way to stay connected to the feeling I’d brought back with me.
At first, I played alone. For nearly a year, the ‘ukulele was a private companion — something I learned through YouTube, practiced in small moments, often in the carpool line, and used to gently find my way back to music. Slowly, the musical success, the Aloha spirit, and the sunshine sound of the ‘ukulele began to open things back up.
In July 2022, I attended my first ‘ukulele jam in Superior, and that’s when the sense of community I’d been missing started to unfold. Playing alongside others — and later being inspired by live concerts and shared musical spaces — reminded me why music had mattered so deeply in the first place.
Today, the ‘ukulele is my musical home, and I have fallen back in love with performing. I co-host a twice-monthly open mic in Superior, called The Living Room, where musicians and music lovers gather to share, support, and enjoy the thrill of performing together. There’s also the Tuesday night college dive bar open mic where all I have to do is show up and play!
At midday Fridays (above 60 degrees), you can usually find me playing at a local Hawaiian restaurant in Boulder, adding some Aloha Friday to the lunch rush. As a performer for hire, you can find me at house parties, restaurants, art galleries and corporate events.
In between performances, I am currently obsessed with learning a bunch of new songs! I’ve done some recording as well: you can find videos of the 100 Days of ‘Ukulele project and new recordings on YouTube, in addition to some Soundcloud recordings. I also write about music, performance, and the moments that stay with me — you can find those stories on the blog and Suz’News, my newsletter.
Whether I’m performing, recording, practicing, or cheering someone on at open mic, music has become the place where I feel most connected — to others and to myself. Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of the journey with me!
