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Highly recommended. This year was my first, I will be back and I will bring more people with me next year!
Ensemble Track
New for 2026! The Ensemble Track is a special masterclass workshop series taught by Peter Luongo. It consists of 4 workshops during the festival weekend culminating in a performance at the Performer Showcase on Sunday afternoon. This track is geared to confident to advanced players looking to learn about playing as part of an ensemble.
What is the Ensemble Track?
The Ensemble Track is a special masterclass workshop series taught by Peter Luongo. It consists of 4 workshops during the festival weekend culminating in a performance at the Performer Showcase on Sunday afternoon. This track is geared to confident to advanced players looking to learn about playing as part of an ensemble.
The Ensemble Track is an add-on during registration (or can be added to your existing registration by emailing info@ukulelesoiree.com) and costs $50. Participants will be expected to attend all 4 workshops and the performance.
About Peter Luongo
Peter Luongo is the founder and former Musical Director of the internationally acclaimed, Langley Ukulele Ensemble. He currently leads The Legacy Ukulele Ensemble, a performance-oriented adult ukulele group that has toured across America and performed at ukulele festivals in Palm Springs (2017-18), Reno (2017-19), and Hawaii (2018, 2020), Las Vegas (2022), and at each of the 2019 - 2026 Winter NAMM Shows in Anaheim, California. He shares his 45-years of experience and expertise as a professional ukulele teacher at festivals around the world.
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What Will I Learn?
The participants in these sessions will be introduced to a variety of skills which will be applied to songs that the group will perform.
During each session the group will develop chording skills (chord patterns, barre chords, chord families), finger picking - including up the fretboard, and learn strategies that lead to being able to play by ear. The group will also focus on using the ukulele to help develop effective singing techniques - including singing and playing harmonies! Each of these skills will progressively evolve through the 4 sessions and will be applied to songs that will be performed at Sunday’s concert. Indeed, the group will experience the process of creating musical arrangements for performance!
This course is ideally suited for players who want to move their playing skills to the next level, educators who work with ukulele students (children and/or adult), and community group leaders.
Ensemble Track Workshops
1
Session #1
Friday @ 3 PM
2
Session #2
Saturday @ 11 AM
3
Session #3
Saturday @ 4:30 PM
4
Session #4
Sunday @ 10 AM
5
Ensemble Performance
Wrapping up the Ensemble Track is the headlining performance set at the Performer Showcase concert on Sunday afternoon!
Getting Involved
This sounds amazing - how do I get involved? During registration, simply select the Ensemble Track as an add-on (like you would a t-shirt). The Ensemble Track costs $50 and you must also be a registered full-weekend attendee of the Allegheny Ukulele Soirée. Remember, by enrolling in this track, you will be expected to attend all four workshops and the performance on Sunday afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is this again? This track is a 5-session add-on that runs concurrently with all the other workshops throughout the Soirée weekend. There will be 1 workshop on Friday, 2 on Saturday, and 1 on Sunday culminating in a performance at the Sunday afternoon concert. It consists of four (4) workshops and a performance.
- Am I really required to attend all four workshops and the performance? Yes, if you sign up for the Track you are expected to attend all four workshops and the performance. The Ensemble will be built around everyone's skills and abilities and it will hurt the ultimate performance of the group if you miss any of the sessions.
- Can I take other workshops or is this it? Yes, you can take any other workshop as long as it's not in the same time slot as an Ensemble Track session.
- Can I take just one or two of the Ensemble track workshops? No, you cannot attend these workshops if you have not purchased it as an add-on. We will be checking attendee access during these sessions. If you did purchase the Ensemble Track add-on, you are expected to attend all 4 workshops and the performance.
- What level of player do I need to be to succeed? Peter Luongo has designed this track to be accommodating to players of many levels. As long as you meet the minimum criteria of an Advanced/Confident Beginner, you will have a role to play in this Ensemble!
- What does it cost? The Ensemble Track costs $50 (+ any applicable fees) and is available as an add-on during your festival registration.
- Is the Ensemble Track refundable? The Ensemble Track is fully refundable if:
- You cancel your full registration by April 1st OR
- You have purchased the track prior to the workshop descriptions being available and decide that you simply cannot miss certain workshops that run concurrently with the Track sessions AND it is before February 1st.
- How can I add the Ensemble Track to my existing festival registration? Send an email to info@ukulelesoiree.com and give us your full name (and registration ID if you have it handy) and we'll add it to your existing registration. The credit card you used during registration will be charged accordingly.
- How many workshops will I be able to take aside from the Ensemble Track? We don't have an exact schedule yet, but we plan to have at least 8 and up to 10 workshop session blocks throughout the weekend. If you sign up for the Ensemble Track, you will be able to take at least 4 additional workshops.
- What will I learn? The participants in these sessions will be introduced to a variety of skills which will be applied to songs that the group will perform. Skills include: chording skills (chord patterns, barre chords, chord families), finger picking, play-by-ear strategies, creating musical arrangements for performance, and developing effective singing techniques - including singing and playing harmonies!
