Workshops

Learn to use the chord sheet software ChordPro!

Learn how to use pedals and amps to create interesting sounds with your ukulele as well as how to properly mic and amplify yourself for playing out.

Ten-hut! Time to tackle barre chords and 4 finger chords of all shapes and sizes! We're talkin' healthy habits when it comes to making tricky chords, helpful chord substitutes, and more. Let's get jiggy!!!

When listening to music, have you ever found yourself making up a melody with your voice? It's pretty easy with your voice, but when you try to do the same thing with your ukulele, the results are probably far from commensurate. If you have ever longed to create melodies on the ukulele as freely as you would with your voice, then this class is for you!

Everyone always wants to learn the most complicated ways to strum a particular piece of music.
The reality of it is when beginning to play as well as throughout your life of playing a ukulele,
sometimes the simplest of strums is the best way of achieving a sound you are striving for. The
goal is always whatever sounds best to you and to make a song your own! 

Swap out the practice room for the writing room! I will share my 14 years of songwriting experience to teach everything you need to write your first song. From classic song structures like the Blues, we will go through Pop, Country and more looking at melody, structure, harmony and of course lyrics. 

Looking for a song to obsess over to the point of OVER practicing? (Is there such a thing?) Cat Steven’s song Wild World is just the thing. This upbeat song covers a wide range of the fretboard while never holding down all 4 strings at once. You’ll learn to blend chord and melody, play some partial chords, open voicings and a handy little scale walk down in the middle.

Learn some basic strumming patterns to get you started and how to match them to the songs you want to play. Workshop will cover basic rhythm techniques, what finger(s) you should use to play, picks or no picks, and good foundational right handed strumming techniques. 

This workshop is perfect for beginner players who are struggling with getting a good sound out of their ukulele.

Students will complete a wristlet made with fresh flowers using the “wili” (winding) method.

Instructor Debi Velasco will supply all materials and tools needed. The technique taught is simple and can be replicated at home.

This interactive workshop is designed for 'ukulele players who love to sing along with their instrument but struggle with stage fright or performance anxiety. Through guided exercises, you'll learn how to build confidence in both your vocal and instrumental abilities. Topics include vocal warm-ups, breath control, and techniques to calm nerves before performing.

In this something-for-everyone class, get to know Daniel’s beloved ʻukulele composition, Pineapple Mango.

Attend the after-lunch jam or go take a nap! Workshops resume at 3PM.

Get your head out of the songbook and engaging with the players around you! Marc Gallagher shares his tips and tricks that helped him memorize over 700 songs, breaking 3 popular tunes down to their bare bones from a musical and lyrical standpoint to help you learn how to learn songs.

So you just got a bass and you don't know what to do. In this class, you will learn everything you need to know for your first jam session. You'll learn the major scale and the Roots and Fifths that go with it. Roots and fifths are the most common and most crucial bass-line building blocks.

Blues is one of the most commonly loved and understood forms of music for a reason; it helps us express some of the deepest feeling in our hearts. Join Dani Joy for this simple workshop where we’ll break down Charles Bradley’s version of Black Sabbaths song “Changes”.

Hey! What exactly is a set-up, anyway? Why does my ukulele buzz? How do I fix it? What does my ukulele want from me? Mim will be breaking down the mysterious “set-up” everyone talks about! She will lead you in an informative workshop that will cover everything from changing your strings and daily ukulele maintenance to diagnosing ukulele problems and even fixing them yourself! 

Students will learn the folk dance of our 50th state, the Hula.  Simple steps and hand motions will combine to tell a story.

Instructor Debi Velasco will supply written instructions to each dancer.  Students will perform the song they have learned at the Saturday evening concert!

Ever wondered how to construct a harmony part? Ever run into a song that was easy to play in uke group, but completely out of your vocal range? If you're ready to go beyond the basics of "hum & strum", this class is for you! Using the simple technique presented in this class, you'll be able to create one, two, and three-part harmonies quickly and with confidence.

Let's add some drums to our strums! Get ready to add kicks, snares, and chucks to our strumming technique and transform into your very own one-man-band. Let's get jiggy!!!

 This will be an in-depth conversation about getting to know your instrument better. Sit in on an eye- and ear-opening session full of deeper dives and epiphanies into what makes something work. As a seasoned composer and audio engineer, Daniel is always looking to sonically take things to the next level.

Ok, you can strum now but why doesn’t your strumming sound like the pros? 

During this hour Marc will lay the foundations of fingerpicking, giving an insight into beginners fingerpicking technique in pop, blues and folk styles. We will incorporate musical ideas, motifs and syncopation complete with a couple of songs to take away. 

Did you know Music makers can be made in 10 minutes... or less?! Keep it easy! Keep it simple! Keep it FUN! Dummy Dots are a quick and easy way to teach ukulele! No one needs to get frustrated and quit ukulele before they get started! Mim has seen it happen one too many times when a teacher focuses too much on perfection and less on the fun!

Ready to get creative with your strumming? In this workshop, we'll break down how to create more rhythms with our strumming technique through roll and flare strums, which can be used to play complex rhythms like triplets and sixteenth notes with ease. Let's get jiggy!!!

Song endings are absolutely critical to a great presentation of a song. In this workshop, we'll learn ten of them.  We’ll also learn a trick to turn any ending into a great turnaround.

These endings are great for both blues and jazz, as well as vintage country and western swing.

Skills and Concepts:

With his original Hawaiian love song Aloha Pumehana as a reference, Daniel will go over how to create interesting layers of arrangement using color tones, counterpoint, fingerstyle, and strumming. He’ll discuss:

Rhythm is the foundation of every great musical performance, and this class is your go-to guide for mastering essential rhythmic patterns. Perfect for both beginners and seasoned players, we’ll cover everything from basic strumming to advanced rhythmic techniques.

This workshop is a sequel to my first murder ballad workshop and focuses attention on how the murder ballad evolved through time as songwriting reflected more female voices. What separates this group of murder ballads from the first workshoip is that they were not always written to tell a news story, but are creative pieces playing on the knowledge of the genre.