Read on to check out Jenny’s day in the park where she got to meet and play with amazing ukulele artists!
Right after getting back from my RAGBRAI cycling vacation, I got to perform at Aloha City Ukes “Ukes in the Park” event.
Sharing Ukulele with Many Artists
There were many incredible ukulele artists there; I was thrilled to be part of the lineup.
Learning and singing a 30 minute program of folk songs from our books was a challenge. Although I know the music really well, memorizing all the lyrics is challenging for me. I find that I can remember the chords, melodies and strumming patterns with no problem. The lyrics are more troublesome, probably because most of my background is in instrumental music.
I loved sharing these folk songs with the people in the park. They are simple, yet so meaningful. I was able to focus on the music and allow its folk artistry to flow through me.
Jake Shimabukuro Comes to the Park
I also got to meet Jake Shimabukuro, the greatest ukulele artist in the world. Not only is he a fantastic musician, he also is kind and generous. He believes in education and shares his passion for living drug-free with young people. He urges young people to find a passion and then work and study hard to realize their goals.
I gave him a copy of Ukulele for All to pass on to some of his charitable causes for teaching ukulele in the schools.
Here’s a poster with all the people who performed. It’s pretty amazing to have my name on the same poster as Jake Shimabukuro!
Here’s picture of Jake and me talking about Ukulele For All.
Here’s a picture of Jake and me at Aloha City Ukes.
Interviews – Jenny’s Day at the Park
Hear what the artists had to say:
During the day, I got the chance to hear the other artists. I was able to interview several of them. So check out the videos below to hear what they had to say!
Here is my interview with Matt Cantlon, the owner of Aloha City Ukes. He set up the entire day of Ukes in the Park.
Here is my interview with Ukulele Barrett, who was the first performer of the day. He used organ foot pedals to create a bass line.
Here is my interview with Rob Klein, who is a fellow ukulele teacher in my community.
Here is my interview with David Vish. David is a friend of mine who is in the North Shore Ukulele Society with me. He has an incredible voice, having a degree in vocal performance. His first instrument is guitar, which translates to wonderful technique on the ukulele.
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Jenny
I really enjoy your videos and books. Speaking of Jake S, his long necked soprano
is one of my favorite and most played ukes in my collection, including my Koaloa
and ZT $1200 custom tenor.
That’s awesome. It was really great to see and hear him up close like that.