2026

Jodi Damon is a singer-songwriter based out of Cincinnati, Ohio.  She has a degree in music therapy but shifted her focus to teaching and performing in recent years.   She has a sincere, expressive style and is most at home in small venues with an intimate crowd.  Jodi also enjoys collaborating with other musicians and plans to start recording some of her original songs this year.  

Kel is a performer and community builder whose music lives at the intersection of joy and vulnerability. Known for her soulful vocal performances and authentic style, Kel has been a beloved part of regional art communities for years, hosting music jams, group song-writing workshops, and teaching ukulele to hundreds of people- for free. Kel performed in her first ever open mic at the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree in 2023 and won the People's Choice Award for the solo open mic.

Two-time winner of the Allegheny Ukulele Soirée People's Choice Open Mic Award, Stephen Lawson is a native of Nashville, TN and a graduate of Belmont University. Stephen began playing guitar at age 12, and discovered the ukulele in 2011. He's been a popular ukulele jam leader, and enjoys playing open mics & writer's nights at every opportunity.

The '26 Ensemble is a group of festival attendees who chose to participate in a weekend-long learning experience with Peter Luongo. The '26 Ensemble has learned chording skills, finger picking, and strategies that lead to being able to play by ear. The group has also focused on using the ukulele to help develop effective singing techniques - including singing and playing harmonies! 

The '26 Ensemble is the following amazing folks:

Terry Brandsma, from Greensboro, NC, first played the ukulele in 3rd grade music class when his family was stationed in Hawaii with the US Coast Guard. They moved a year later, and he didn’t play again until 2018, when an adult ukulele class was offered by his local cultural arts center. He then helped organize the Triad Ukulele Club and now serves as its President, Songbook Editor, and Jam Leader.

The Legacy Ukulele Ensemble is a group of adult players from across the United States and Canada who are directed and led by internationally acclaimed ukulele teacher, Peter Luongo. The ensemble is committed to learning/developing their music literacy and ukulele playing skills with the goal of performing and sharing their music with audiences.  

Peter Luongo is the founder and former Musical Director of The Langley Ukulele Ensemble. The ensemble became internationally renowned under his tutelage and performed throughout North America, in Japan, and annually at the Sheraton Waikiki Resort in Hawaii. Peter's work was featured as the focal point of the award-winning documentary film, The Mighty Uke.

Casey MacGill performs music that swings. Nat "King" Cole Trio meets the Mills Brothers. Fats Waller meets Fats Domino. Slim Galliard meets Fred Astaire. It is American music of many decades and no decade in particular, all happening at the same time, woven into a seamless, beautiful whole. At the core of his sound are his band's sometimes sweet, sometimes rough-hewn three-part harmony vocals and a piano-ukulele-bass-and-drums rhythm section that swings in a variety of textures.

Aaron "Boxcar" Baer is a multi-instrumentalist from Oshkosh, WI. He started playing the ukulele in the mid 1990s and hasn't turned back. Aaron has become known for playing jugband music. He has been featured in the National Jugband Jubilee and the Minneapolis battle of the Jugbands. Aaron has become known for his fast, energetic playing style as well as playing the stovepipe (and many homemade contraptions). He is a natural teacher and enthusiastic musician.

A groovin' union of two ukuleles with compelling and versatile vocals!  Jazz, Rock, Blues, country, Folk  - both originals and way cool covers! Lisa Webb and Bob Tigert have long been well-respected musicians in Nashville, TN, but when they both showed up at a Nashville Ukulele Society meeting a few years back, they realized that their styles and talents complemented each other almost instinctively.    A few years later, Lisa asked Bob to record one of her songs with her, and the chemistry just worked. 

For 10 years, out of college, Bob Tigert worked in the music business, writing, playing, producing and doing Live Sound across North America; but he realized that the Music Biz was NOT going to be a positive influence on building a secure future for his growing family. So, 1987, Bob founded a video production company that eventually won over 70 national and international awards, and took him to 60+ countries on 4 continents.

Lisa Webb is a multi-instrumentalist and jazz vocalist. She studied music growing up in St. Louis and earned a Master's in Music Composition from North Texas State University. While residing in Los Angeles she was fortunate to have performed and recorded with the LA Jazz Choir, Steve Allen, Bob Hope, Glen Campbell, Leslie Lewis and recorded on the Concord Jazz label with Rosemary Clooney.

I love the ukulele. The only thing I enjoy more than playing it, is helping other people learn to play things they thought they never could.

 ‘Ukulele player Bryan Tolentino has been known for the past forty plus years as an accompanist who performed and continues to perform, locally and abroad, with some of Hawaiʻi’s most well known and accomplished Hawaiian music artists.

Ed works in Human Resources Information Technology and has been playing music since he was young, He has played piano, guitar, and ukulele over the years, recently returning to music via his daughter learning ukulele. In addition to music, he enjoys tinkering with instruments and electronics and spends many weekends volunteering as an Adult Leader for Moraine Trails Council BSA.

Amber Rozel has been teaching musicians of all ages for over 20 years. She has been making the magic happen on ukulele for 5 years and recently  received the coveted Level 3 Teachers Certificate from the JHUI program. She performs with regional orchestras, the Bay Chamber Players, her (new!) band Evergreen Road, and with anyone that wants to have fun.

Amber is a member of the Steel City Ukuleles in Pittsburgh, PA and Assistant Director of the Allegeny Ukulele Soirée.