Victoria Vox needs help!

Victoria Vox needs our help!

Victoria Vox is an accomplished uke player/singer/songwriter.

Many of you might have been lucky enough to be at Victoria’s gig in Leith a while back.

If not, you missed one of my top 3 gigs ever.

Check out her website: http://www.victoriavox.com/

Victoria is currently trying to raise funds for her next CD and is asking for help from the masses.

If you want to nurture a ukulele talent, have a bit of spare cash which needs a cause or just want to be immortalised in CD history, consider supporting Ms Vox in her latest endeavours.

Check out http://www.victoriavox.com/newalbum/ for the list of benefits you will reap in return for your donation *.

If any of you opt for the house concert and need any guests that particular day/evening, please feel free to let us know!!

*in addition to providing support to a worthy recipient

Uke players – favourite or obscure?

Who’s your favourite uke player?

The more obscure, the better.

The most impressive I’ve found has got to be Jake Shimabukuru.

The video of him in Central Park is now a legend.

I’m not much into heavy metal uke, but his “Play Loud Ukulele” DVD (US standard) shows him strutting his stuff. The best part of that DVD – for me – is the interview clips and teaching stuff as part of the extra gubbins.

Of course, now that the 40th anniversary celebrations for Sesame Street are in full swing, many thoughts are filled with all things muppet.

Although not a resident of the Street, Fozzie Bear has had my top muppet vote for quite a while.

How delighted was I to learn that he is also a ukulele player? (Pretty darned delighted, to be sure!)

If his uke playing is as good as his comedic skills, well, Jake has nothing to worry about. (OK, even if his uke playing is better than his comedy, he’d still be miles behind Jake.)

So, who gets your vote for best – or most obscure – uke player?

Happy 2nd Ukiversary to Me!

Yes, I have now been playing ukulele for two whole years, can’t believe it’s only two years, it seems a whole lot longer.

It’s been a pretty amazing two years, the uke brings me so much pleasure and has opened so many doors and gifted me so many new friends, it really is a very special instrument.  I love it to pieces (hopefully not literally, it is my opinion that ukes are best left as a whole) and can’t imagine a time in the future when I won’t play the ukulele – there’s undoubtedly a lifetime of learning and enjoyment in those four strings.  I just wish that I’d started many years ago and that I could celebrating my 20th, and not my 2nd, ukiversary.  Just think how good at the uke I’d be now!  Although I still wouldn’t be able to sing.

How long have the rest of you been playing ukulele?  When’s your ukiversary?

My fingers feel like they’ve been rubbed against a cheese grater. Then broiled

Claire Black gave Monday Ukearist a mention in a ukulele article in yesterday’s Scotland On Sunday.  Nice one Jim for spotting it!

Bluegrass/roots/folk Jam session tonight

Sometime uker Debs e-mailed me to let me know about a jam session that’s happening tonight (19th October) at the Victoria Bar on Leith Walk from 8pm. It’s open to anyone regardless of level or instrument.

Here’s the e-mail for the full details:

Just a quick mail to say that the bar downstairs asked me the other day to hold another jam session (like the great one we did after August’s Banjo Day) tomorrow night, Monday 19th october…I know it’s short notice but come along if you’re free – we’ll start at 8pm…and it’s open to anyone to bring along their banjo (or anything else they play) and we’ll busk our way through as many songs (of any style) as possible in a nice acoustic type of way…feel free to let anyone else you think might be interested know…
(PS will do another Banjo Day in late Jan or early Feb probably)

I’m intending on popping down for a bit so may see some of the rest of you there.

Anyone fancy helping out with the site?

Since Shane’s departure it’s just me updating this site now and I was wondering if any of the rest of you would like a login so that you can add new posts?  I don’t update the site as often as I’d like and it would be great to get more of you involved in publishing uke news, events and info from around Edinburgh and Scotland.

Let me know!

Ukearist T-Shirts

I’m taking orders for Monday Ukearist T-Shirts and mugs. The design is one that I made for Shane’s leaving gift from the ukearist:

If you would like a T-Shirt they are £12.50 and come in the following sizes:

Mens/normal T-shirt: XL (79cm x 61cm), L (77cm x 58cm), M (75cm x 56cm) or S (73cm x 53cm)

Women’s V-neck: L (16 – 18), M (12 – 14) or S (8 – 10)

Mugs cost £8.50

The price may be a bit cheaper if we get enough orders.

If you want to order a T-shirt or mug then let me know in the comments below, e-mail me or use the contact form.  I’m looking to get the order in before the end of the month.

Ode To Joy

At the last ukearist we talked about playing the multi-parted Ode To Joy as performed by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the proms this year:

You can play either:

• Simple chords
• Slightly more complex chords
• Finger-picking melody
• Finger-picking counter-melody

Click on the links above for the chords/tab to print off, I will also have copies with me.  There’s some lessons about how to play the song from the UOGB too.

It would be great if some/all of you could learn this before next Monday (12th October) so we can all have a bash at it together, I reckon it would be really fun to play!

a belated “thank you and goodnight”

Hey all, I know its a wee bit late but just wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone: the Troon gig crew for all your efforts and enthusiasm (absolute highlight of my Scottish adventure!); everyone who wanted to play Troon but couldn’t; everyone who made it to my last ukearist; and indeed everyone who didn’t! And the very lovely staff at Sofi’s too for that matter!

I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed every ukearist moment, thanks to you all, and I’m absolutely stoked about how it’s all worked out and will continue to, no doubt!

Big thanks especially to John and Chris. I look forward to hearing about future ukearist escapades and I promise to share with you any exciting developments within the Ukearist Southern Division.

Off now for a cup of tea in that marvellous mug. And perhaps a wee strum too  See you on the flipside.

Arohanui,

Shane

Uke Singing Workshop! – this coming Monday

Come along next Monday, 24 August.

Bring your uke! Bring your voice!

Take part in the first ever Ukearist Ukulele Singing Workshop.

The fabulous Penny Stone will be at the Mackenzie School of English to guide the warbling and enjoy our strumming. Penny is an experienced music teacher and workshop leader, keen to help us explore our sound-making potential.

Whether you’re a Bing Crosby wannabe or an aspiring rock god (or goddess), come along and find your remarkable voice!

Strumming is from 7, with singing from 7.30 to 9.30. (Post-singing strumming optional.)

Cost will be reasonable – the more warblers who attend, the lower the rate slides down the (musical) scale. (We’re hoping to make it around the £5 mark.)

As Penny would say, “Get in!”