ZOOM WORKSHOP – SUNDAY MARCH 20TH AT 2PM
12 BAR BLUES: FROM THE BASICS TO BEYOND
We are very pleased to announce that Avery Hill will be giving a workshop on the 12 Bar Blues. This workshop is suitable for all levels of player as it starts from a simple level, knowing three chords, and then builds slowly, adding to your skills and understanding. Even if you’re not keen on the Blues, the knowledge you’ll gain will help you in all styles of playing.
The cost of the workshop is $20
Pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking the BUY NOW button below
Once we have received your payment, within a few days, you will receive an email with a blue box asking you to Register for the Zoom event. You must click on the blue box that says REGISTER for you to then receive your personal link to the Zoom event.
Songbooks and handouts will be emailed to you a few days before the event.
12-Bar Blues: From the Basics to Beyond! The wonderful thing about the 12-Bar Blues is how easy it is to get started, and how quickly you can customize it and advance your technique. Join Avery Hill for what has become her specialty, learning the basics of this pattern, and some fun tricks to add some extra fun. We’ll focus primarily on the Key of C as we layer on, but materials will be provided for further study in other keys.
Avery Hill grew up going to music festivals with her father and being dutifully schlepped to music lessons by her mother. Realizing how lucky she was to have had quality musical instruction, both formal and informal, Avery believes in demystifying the habits and skills of musicians, and sharing the joy of making music with others. In the classroom, she considers herself part expert, part guide, and part cheerleader. Learn more at www.learnsongbysong.com.
Pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking the BUY NOW button below
SUNDAY DECEMBER 12TH at 2PM
Join us for our Christmas Sing and Strum via Zoom. This is a free event.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpdeyrrDIrEt1jC_cdF5kU6Fo8Tj8HDPHQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Posted May 10th 2021
SUMMER WORKSHOP EVENT WITH EDUARDO GARCIA
SUNDAY JUNE 27TH 2021 at 2PM
“Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer…” and join us for our Summer Workshop and Performance featuring Guest Artist and Instructor Eduardo Garcia!
Originally from Mexico, Eduardo has quickly become a Vancouver ukulele staple. Being both classically and traditionally trained, he was active in a wide range of music projects in Mexico, teaching, performing and writing music. Eduardo played several different traditional string instruments with ‘Amate’, a traditional mariachi band based in Guadalajara, that performed regularly inside and outside of Mexico. He also played the cello and arranged for the ‘Victor Manuel Medeles’ chamber orchestra. He was the founder/director of the Academia de Ukuleles de la Ribera (Lakeside Ukulele Academy) known for its work with local children in the community. Eduardo brings a gentle, unassuming, classical approach to music and the ukulele, an instrument now very close to his heart.
So we are delighted that he has agreed to be our Guest Artist for our Summer Event.
Starting at 2PM, Eduardo will perform two songs/instrumentals, immediately followed by his workshop: SON JAROCHO (FANDANGO):
Level: Beginners and beyond
Prerequisites: Confident strumming is required
This is a unique opportunity to learn a traditional Mexican folk style from a native instructor. We will learn a selection of traditional ’sones’ on the ukulele, using the specific strumming patterns played in the ‘Son Jarocho’ music, from the plain lands of Veracruz.
This Workshop is suitable for all levels of player, and registration is limited. The fee for the “Eduardo Garcia Experience” is only $20.
Pay by PayPal or Credit Card by clicking the BUY NOW button below
Once we have received your payment, within a few days, you will receive an email with a blue box asking you to Register for the Zoom event. You must click on the blue box that says REGISTER for you to then receive your personal link to the Zoom event.
Songbooks and handouts will be emailed to you a few days before the event.
February 21st 2021
Spring Workshop and Sing & Strum
We are very excited to announce that Victoria Vox will be featured in our next Workshop and Sing & Strum to be held via Zoom on
Sunday April 18th at 2pm
Victoria will be teaching a one hour workshop entitled “Get into the Groove” (details below), she will perform a few of her original songs and then lead the Sing and Strum, choosing songs that will enable you to use the strumming skills you have learned in the workshop.
The fee for the “Victoria Vox Experience” is $20 which includes the workshop, performance and Sing and Strum, there is no reduction in fee for just joining the Sing and Strum.
Here’s a link to her website https://www.victoriavox.com/
Click here to go to our Performers Bio page http://nanaimoukulelefestival.ca/performers-bios-2/
Workshop details
Get in the Groove?: Rhythm can be played straight, or swung. You’ve got to swing to be swung! It’s all about the groove and feeling, and you’ll feel the difference. Let’s work on loosening up the right hand so that beats are subdivided with heart, and less brain. The groove even starts before you play a note!
This workshop if suitable for all levels of players.
The Workshop and Sing and Strum is limited to 100 participants.
To register, you can pay by PayPal or credit card by clicking on the “Buy Now” button below
For e-transfer click nanukefest@gmail.com to send an email and we will send further instructions.
Once we have received your payment, a few days later you will be sent a link to Register for the Zoom event. Songbooks and handouts will be emailed to you a few days before the event.
What better way to brush away those winter blues than to dust off your Uke and join us for our Winter Workshop and Sing & Strum on Sunday, February 21st at 2PM.
We will kick off our Winter event with a workshop called: “Quick Tips: Learn a finger picking pattern for Hallelujah“. Using Leonard Cohen’s iconic song “Hallelujah”, you will learn a finger picking pattern. The chords in the song are easy, even for beginner players, and the chord pattern repeats throughout the whole song. The Workshop will be led by Carol Johns, Level 3 JHUI instructor. The lead sheet and the tablature will be sent out to everyone attending.
Immediately following Carol’s Workshop, Liz Debarros will once again lead us in a Sing & Strum, with Beth and Graham taking a turn at leading a song.
The Winter Workshop and Sing & Strum is once again a free event, and is limited to the first 100 registrants. Please note that there is only one link to register, which will give you access to both the Workshop and the Sing & Strum. There is no way to register for just one or the other.
Below is a link to Register. Just click on this link and it will take you to the Zoom App where you will need to Register for our event. Once you have registered, you will get an email confirmation with the Zoom Meeting Link.
The Winter Workshop Materials, and Sing & Strum Songbook will be sent out a few days in advance of our get together.
We look forward to playing with you all again soon!
January 2nd 2021
A very Happy New Year to you all.
We had a great response to our Christmas “Zoom” Sing and Strum on December 13th, over 60 people logged on to join us in the Festivities.
We are currently planning another Zoom Sing and Strum for February. This time we will be adding a short workshop by Carol Johns, who has recently completed her JHUI Level 3 Teaching Certificate. Congratulations Carol.
This event will be free. Registration details will be available by the end of January and a Songbook will be emailed a couple of days before the event.
We have no idea whether an ‘in person’ Festival will be viable this year as the COVID vaccine roll-out has yet to start in Canada.
Our other option is to plan more online events and invite guest performers and instructors to appear. We would have to charge a fee for those events so we can pay the artists, who have all been struggling during COVID.
If you have any ideas and suggestions, we would be glad to hear them email us at nanukefest@gmail.com
Meanwhile….. Keep on strumming….
Here’s what happened at the 2019 Festival …….
They were so much fun last time, we had to hear them again
Originally from Provo, Utah and now living in Laie, Hawaii, The Naked Waiters are ready and set to provide a fun evening at the Friday September 13th 2019 concert and workshops on Saturday September 14th 2019
The Naked Waiters are an acoustic, ukulele-based group that started in Cedar City, UT, and is now based on Oahu. They specialize in fun, melt-your-heart music with handsome harmonies. They are comprised of Kim Bjerga, Clark Holmes, and Andy Nufer.
They were a great hit at the Festival last year and some Festival goers took them out birding and sailing to give them a great BC experience.
Click this link to listen to one of their original songs.
The Naked Waiters will be offering two workshops, “Introduction to 12 Bar Blues” and “Percussive Techniques on the Ukulele – Chunky is Funky”
Ali Romanow is a James Hill Ukulele Initiative (JHUI) Level 1 certified ukulele instructor, and will be teaching two Beginner workshops.
Ali Romanow is a multi-instrumentalist and music educator based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Competent on a variety of instruments Ali also brings her captivating vocals, original writing and arranging to whatever project she is currently focused on. Ali spends her time in Courtenay BC, where she directs two FolkHarmonic Orchestras, FolkHarmonic Voices & teaches private music lessons.
LIZ DEBARROS, one of the Festival organisers, is a James Hill Ukulele Initiative (JHUI) Level 3 certified ukulele teacher and a member of Parksville’s own Revolving Doors, who will be leading the Sing and Strum on Saturday 14th.
Liz regularly teaches Absolute Beginners Group Lessons at the McMillan Arts Centre in Parksville and teaches ukulele Workshops at the Ground Zero Acoustic Lounge, and has a new Ukulele Orchestra starting in September 2019, also in Parksville. http://www.ukelessonsliz.com
In October of 2019, she will be part of the James Hill Teaching Team at the semi-annual “Sing. Strum. Spa” ukulele orchestra event at Harrison Hot Springs. https://ukulelehotsprings.com/index.html
Liz will be offering a “Mystery of Chords” workshop on the afternoon of Saturday September 14th 2019 full details on our Workshops page
CAROL JOHNS is a JHUI Level 1 certified ukulele instructor who teaches beginner ukulele group lessons in Nanaimo. Carol started playing the ukulele with the Nanaimo Harbour City Seniors Nordli group back in 2011. Since then, Carol has taken private and on-line lessons. She plays with the Folk n Oldies music group and enjoys the performances the group does for various seniors residences in Nanaimo. Carol is a Level 3 James Hill Ukulele Institute instructor.
Carol will be teaching a workshop on “HOW TO READ TABS & FINGERSTYLE PLAYING”
Here’s what happened at the 2018 Festival…..
Joining us from Guelph, Ontario, we had Cynthia Kinnunen teaching her Ookestra workshop and performing at the Saturday evening concert.
In Cynthia’s earlier years, following studies in piano, flute, bassoon, oboe and voice, and after completing her conservatory piano levels and a university degree in music, Cynthia dove into marketing and fundraising in the arts and non-profit sector. A Level 3 James Hill Ukulele Initiative teacher, she now currently teaches private music instruction in ukulele and piano, ukulele group classes, the Royal City Ukulele Ensemble program, and is Director of the Royal City Uke Fest in Guelph, Ontario. Passionate about the role that music can play in our lives, our homes and our communities, she encourages everyone to learn and make music, no matter their age or ability.
The fun didn’t stop there.
All the way from Provo, Utah, The Naked Waiters provided a fun evening at the Saturday concert. They will also presented two workshops on Saturday; Strumming & Picking Styles and Songwriting.
The Naked Waiters are an acoustic, ukulele-based group that started in Cedar City, UT, and is now based in Provo, UT. They specialize in fun, melt-your-heart music with handsome harmonies. They are comprised of Kim Bjerga, Clark Holmes, and Andy Nufer.
FOR BEGINNERS
Liz DeBarros, a member of Parksville’s own Revolving Doors and a James Hill Ukulele Initiative (JHUI) Level 2 certified ukulele instructor, gave two beginner workshops.
ABSOLUTE BEGINNER workshop on Saturday morning. Uke 101 is for those who have never played or even held a ukulele before.
In the afternoon in Uke 102, new players moved on and develop their skills.
On Sunday afternoon Liz also be performed with the Revolving Doors.