Getting Ready for SF Uke-toberfest 2018

Are you going to Uke-toberfest? The second annual festival, hosted by SF Uke Jam Leaders Cynthia Lin and Ukulenny, is happening this Saturday 9/27/18 in Japantown in San Francisco. The event consists of a full day of workshops covering a wide range of topics targeted for a variety of skill levels, followed by a concert that evening.

I’ll be there with my uke mama friend Ashlee, representing Musical Mama in the marketplace area. The marketplace is free and open to the public, so come check it out!

In the video, I chat a bit about what I’ll have available at my booth. I forgot to mention that I’ll also have free chord charts and ukulele colorings pages, too. If you’ll be there, make sure you come by and say hi!

SF Uke-toberfest at Hotel Kabuki, 1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115

Coming Soon: Ukulele Starter Kits!

Big news! Beginning this November 2018, I’ll be offering ukulele starter kits featuring Ohana Ukuleles! The ukulele kits will include everything a beginner needs to get started making music, including:

• Soprano ukulele (wood tone or turquoise)

• Soft backpack-style gig bag

• Digital tuner

• Strap

• Let’s Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners (my how-to book designed for brand-new players)

Ohana Ukuleles is a family-owned company based in Long Beach, CA, and I’m thrilled to be working with them. Ohana has a long-standing reputation for building instruments that are both high-quality and affordable. The Musical Mama ukulele starter kits will be available for sale starting in November, just in time for the holidays. I’ll even be offering gift wrapping services, to make giving the gift of music even easier!

Stay tuned for more details…

How to Play Stand By Me in Two Different Keys

In honor of #ukesnotnukes, I’m sharing a free download of the chords and lyrics for Stand By Me in two different keys. I’ve seen a lot of Youtube tutorials for this song in the key of C, but I just can’t hit those high notes! Singing this song in the key of G is much more comfortable for me, especially on days like today when I’m recovering from a cold and shouldn’t really be singing at all!

If you’re a brand new player, first try playing this song in the key of C, simply because the chords are easier. If you’re already comfortable playing the C, F, G, and Am chords, give this song a try in the key of G! Then compare the two. Which key feels better for your voice? Being able to play a song in different keys is a really valuable skill for anyone who likes to sing. So much of being able to sound good as a singer is knowing what keys are comfortable for your vocal range.

Looking for an easy-to-read guide to the ukulele? Check out my book, Let’s Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners!

Recap: The 2018 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival

UPDATE: Several people asked when I planned to host another workshop in the area, and I hope to have an answer for them soon! I will likely be back in Southern CA in November and am currently looking into whether I can plan another workshop while I’m in town. I will post about upcoming events on the blog, and you can email me if you’d like to join my mailing list.

———————————————

The 2018 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival took place on Saturday, 9/22 at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. I drove down from San Jose (leaving my hubby and kids at home) on the Thursday prior, spent some time with my parents in OC on Friday, spent all day at the festival on Saturday, and drove home on Sunday. This event was the first time I’d ever led workshops at a festival and the first time I’d ever operated a vendor booth! I did my best to prepare for both, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of this unique event.

my only regret for the workshops was not getting more pictures and videos!

The Workshops

I have to say, teaching brand-new players how to play the ukulele is one of my all-time favorite things. It’s just so darn rewarding to show people that, regardless of their musical experience (or lack of it), they really can learn to play the ukulele. In the 45-minute sessions, I taught the groups three chords and five songs that are fun and easy to sing and play. Groups of friends, young couples, grandparents with their grandkids, parents with young children, tween boys… I think almost every age group was represented!

Thank you Louis and Ohana Ukuleles for sharing the bongoleles and shakerleles!

For the kiddos who were too little to play ukes, I had some rhythm instruments and trinkets I brought out throughout the workshop. Louis from Ohana Ukuleles very generously provided Shakerleles and Bongoleles for the adults and big kids to try out. Aren’t they beautiful? I’m particularly fond of the shakerleles, which are a more sophisticated take on the egg shaker. They feel so good in the hand and make such a satisfying sound when shaken.

Making music is so much fun when it’s a shared experience, and group jams are hard to beat. Thank you to all who attended my workshops. Thank you for sharing your time, your energy, and your beautiful voices! If you attended the workshop and want a PDF of my handout, please fill out my contact form and I’ll email it to you.

Jane and Katie. Aren’t they cute?

The Booth

My booth was in the marketplace area, which was open to the public. And conveniently enough for me, my booth was located right next to the room where my workshops were held, so most of my time was spent either in the workshop room or in the marketplace area. At my booth, we sold copies of my book and shared free chord charts and ukulele coloring pages. My friends Katie and Jane (both of whom are Musical Mamas!) helped me out all day, and they were AMAZING. I honestly couldn’t have done it without them, and I feel so grateful for their help.

I did get a few opportunities to wander around the festival and briefly check out the other workshops and performances, and everywhere I looked I saw people having a good time. This was true for the marketplace area as well. So many smiling faces and lovely conversations with folks of all ages and levels of experience.

Thank you to all who took the time to stop by my booth. It was great chatting with you! I hope to see you next year. :)

Getting Ready for the 2018 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival!

This Saturday, September 22, you can find me at the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center! I’ll be leading three Family Jam workshops and running a booth in the marketplace. This starts a new chapter for me as an ukulele teacher, and I’m excited to be a part of this awesome event. There are going to be so many good workshops and performances throughout the day, featuring Taimane, Aaron and Nicole Keim, Cynthia Lin, Ukulenny, Mitch Chang, and more.

Jam with Me!

My family-friendly workshop is designed for beginners and brand-new players of all ages. In 45-minutes, I’ll teach you how to play and sing five songs that are fun for everyone! Workshops start at 10 am, 12:30 pm, and 3pm in the (air-conditioned!) Garden Room.

Kala is generously providing loaner ukuleles for anyone who needs one, and I’ll be bringing rhythm instruments for the littlest music-makers who attend. I’ll also be hosting a giveaway at the end of each workshop, meaning there are three chances to win a copy of my new book.

doing a test-run of my tent, tables, and banners in the backyard

Visit the Marketplace

If you’re local and just want to see what all the fuss is about, the marketplace area of the festival is free! To find my booth, just look for the purple pop-up tent with the big banners. :)

At the booth, I’ll be selling my new book, Let’s Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners at a special festival rate of $20 (normally $24), and I’ll also be handing out free chord charts and ukulele coloring pages. Since I’ll be teaching workshops throughout the day, I’ve enlisted the help of my awesome friends (and ukulele players) Katie and Jane to help me run the booth. I’ll be at the booth as much as I can between Family Jams.

Ohana Ukuleles, Uke Life, Tyde Music, and Nalu Ukulele are just some of the vendors who will be offering their wares on Saturday. I know that there are going to be so many beautiful instruments on display!

Get Your Tickets!

I love that this is truly a family-friendly event. Tickets are $45/person and kids 12 and under get in free. See the schedule and learn about the events by visiting the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival website.

Ukulele Basics: A Beginner's Guide to the Ukulele

My new ukulele starter guide includes a free digital download and eleven videos designed for brand new players (or anyone who needs a refresher)! Learn how to play two strums, three chords, and three songs. Ukulele Basics covers all the essentials of getting started, including:

• How to play chords

• How to strum

• How to play Frère Jacques with the C chord

• How to play Shoo, Fly! Don't Bother Me with the F and C chords

• How to play You are My Sunshine with the C, F, and G7 chord

I love sharing folk songs with my students, and I’ve specifically chosen these three well-known songs because they have easy-to-memorize lyrics, common chord arrangements, and singable melodies. All of these qualities make them great songs for new musicians and help make your learning curve a little bit gentler.

Are you ready to start strumming? Download the PDF and let's play!

Please note: you will have to go through some of the checkout process in order to receive the download link, but you will not need to enter any credit card data. The PDF is free!

---

How to Tune Your Ukulele for the First Time

Ukuleles purchased online usually arrive with the strings really loose and very out of tune. And if you're a brand-new player, just getting your strings in tune can feel like a challenge! 

In my latest video I tune up a very affordable and adorable Diamond Head ukulele, which I purchased from Amazon for about $24. The tuner I use in the video the Snark SN5X. There are so many flashy and fancy tuners out there, but I like this one for its simple design and bright display.  

How do you tune up your instrument? I love seeing the tuners my students bring to lessons. Two recent standouts were the Hello Kitty tuner and a flashy contraption that lights up like a pinball machine each time you play a string!   

this post contains affiliate links

---

Learn to Play the Ukulele 

Let's Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners is now available in paperback and as a digital download!  

My new how-to guide is perfect for anyone who wants to learn to play the ukulele. Created for absolute beginners, this book was designed to make learning to play the ukulele simple and fun. It’s beautifully organized with easy-to-follow diagrams and is accompanied by dozens of instructional videos to guide you along the way. 

---

Watch More Video Tutorials:

An Easy Way to Figure Out the Key of a Song

Beginning musicians don't always think about what key a song is in, but it's a valuable piece of information. In this video, I share a really simple way to figure out the key of a song, plus I explain why it's an important thing to know: 

One of my goals as a teacher is to de-mystify music for my students and break down concepts so that they're really easy to understand. I plan to make more videos along this vein, so if you have any topics you'd like me to cover, please let me know in the comments! 

How to Play the Island Strum

Have you heard of the Island Strum? It's a popular and versatile ukulele strum, but it can be a bit of a challenge for beginners. I've created a short video tutorial to help break it down and make it a bit easier to master:

Do you have a favorite strum pattern, or a strum you find yourself defaulting to over and over again? I'd love to hear about it! 

Free Printable: A New Ukulele Coloring Page for the New Year

Happy 2018!

The original ukulele coloring page has been getting a lot of traffic lately, so for my first post of the year I thought it would be fun to share a new free printable. Shawna created this super cute coloring page based on the photo used on my homepage. Just a dinosaur chilling with a ukulele, no biggie. 

My kids received some new art supplies for Christmas, and this coloring page feels like the perfect excuse to get them out. I'll be printing out at least one copy for myself, too. How many will you print? :) 

A Lovely Gift

I'm lucky to live in musical neighborhood. Within the span of just a few blocks, there are several choir members, band members, a piano teacher, and many instrumentalists. One of these neighbors is a woman named Judy, a guitar player and retired teacher. She said she had a binder full of kid songs, which she used when she would play guitar to her students. She no longer needed it. Was I was interested? YES!!!!  

The binder looks well-loved. Many chord sheets have been typed on a typewriter, some pages are old Xeroxes that remind me of my elementary school worksheets, and there are handwritten notes all throughout. It's the perfect representation of what I love most about folk music— there's magic in making music with others and sharing songs that have been sung throughout multiple generations. As I play through the songs (many are familiar but happily there are a lot of new-to-me songs, too), I can't help but imagine Judy singing to her students. It's a lovely thought, and now I get to share these songs with my loved ones. 

Judy, thank you for this special gift! Happy holidays, everyone!

My Musical Gift Guide for Preschoolers

Here's a collection of instruments that range from happy little stocking stuffers to big gifts that create a real "wow" factor for your kids on Christmas morning.  My selections may skew toward the noisy side, but there's nothing quite as joyful as a preschooler feeling empowered buy the big sounds they can make! 

Kazoos

You can find packs of cheap kazoos at any party store, though I find this whimsical set to be particularly irresistible!

Maracas

This pair of Hohner maracas is sized just right for the preschooler's grip.

Harmonica

It's shiny, it makes a big sound, and it comes with its own case. I think that checks all of the boxes! Just make sure to buy one in a key that makes sense for you. If you or a family member play the ukulele or piano, you may want to buy a harmonica in the key of C. If you play the guitar or other string instruments, you may prefer a harmonica that is set in the key of G.

B. Toys Symphony in B

This toy is SO. COOL. Your child is the conductor of this orchestra and can mix and match the musical arrangements for fifteen different songs.

I love that this toy exposes kids to such a variety of instruments and encourages them to be more active listeners. Anecdote: after having the toy for a while my then-two year old son and I were listening to music and he was having fun identifying all the different instruments he heard, saying, "Mama, that violin is so pretty!"

You can find Symphony in B on Amazon and on eBay. You might be able to find the new version of the toy in-store at Target, but it's no longer listed on their website.

Junior Drum Set

This last item is not for the faint of heart! Square footage is at a premium here in the Bay Area, so I understand not everyone has the space for one of these babies. But if you do, I highly recommend one of these babies. Rhythm and tempo are the foundation for music, and drums are a terrific first "real" instrument for kiddos. Plus, it looks stunning under the tree and is such a hit when friends come over for playdates! Just make sure to include a pair of noise-reduction earphones and kid-sized drumsticks!

Three-piece drum sets are another option, but I'm partial to the five-piece sets that include high hats. The kids and I had fun learning how to play by watching thislisa's drum lesson tutorials on Youtube.

This post contains affiliate links.