Schedule of Events:

Friday, September 22, 2023

5 pm - 8 pm: VIP Luau Meet and Greet

Join us for an evening of Hawaiian food, performances by Anthony Stanley and Heali'i's Polynesian Revue, mingling with festival artists, Kona coffee tasting, contests and prizes. Space is limited so grab your spot before they're gone!

Anthony Stanley

Kala Ukulele artist Anthony Ka’uka Stanley is the youngest son of renowned Kumu (hula teacher) Kathy Heali’i ‘O N?lani Gore Stanley of Heali’i’s Polynesian Revue, a Polynesian dance company that has been in existence since 1967. He has been the Music Director for Heali’i’s since the age of 15, where he has helped them win numerous awards and competitions. As a full-time professional musician, Anthony shares his music locally and internationally, playing acoustic music touring mainly with partner Keahi Rozet.

Heali'i's Polynesian Revue

Heali'i's Polynesian Revue is under the direction of Kumu Kathy Heali'i O Nalani Gore-Stanley and has been growing strong since 1967.

Together with her family, they perpetuate and share the love of Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and New Zealand through island song and dance keeping traditions alive. Heali'i's has been featured around the world traveling throughout the West Coast, East Coast, Hawaii, Tahiti, and Japan.

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Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 9:00am to 6:00pm

All Day Saturday! Nakano Theatre, Torrance Cultural Arts Center

2023 ARTISTS

Abe Lagrimas, Jr
Kalei Gamiao
Corey Fujimoto
Lil Rev
Mika Kane
Sarah Maisel
Craig Chee
Ukulollo
Jenifer Cabrera
Ukulenny
Katie Denure
Abby Lyons
Peter Luongo
Melanie Kareem
Anthony Stanley
Mitch Chang

FREE BEGINNER UKULELE CLASSES:

FREE beginner classes & demonstrations throughout the day Saturday Sept 23! No admission required but seating is first come, first served. Bring your ukulele; if you don't have one, there will be a variety of entry-level friendly instruments available for purchase. Prize giveaways, too!

*Does not include entry into main festival event.

9:30am, 11:00am, 3:30pm: Ukulele 101 Beginner Bootcamp

Teens and adults: join us and jumpstart your musical journey - you'll be strumming your first song by the end of the hour! Pre-teen kids are welcome with parent supervision and encouragement. Katie DeNure is a state-certified teacher, licensed by the state of Wisconsin. She holds multiple teaching certifications and over a decade of experience teaching in public and private schools.

12:30pm, 2:00pm -- Seniors: Get Started Playing Ukulele

For all rank novices who have never played an instrument before but with a focus on seniors seeking mental exercise - because learning something new is great for brain health! Melanie Lawson Kareem is the Founder and Creative Director of Get Started Playing Ukulele; her proprietary teaching materials and methods simplify and expedite the learning process.

9:30AM - 4:30PM: FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS

Confident Beginner

Confident Beginner: You can strum through the basic chords without breaking the rhythm. Perhaps you've nailed down a couple of strumming and fingerpicking patterns as well.

Strum-Alongs - Confident Beginner/All Levels

There'll be five 1-hour group strum-alongs throughout the day, led by various festival artists where you can apply the tricks and tips you've learned in workshops or just strum happily along as you bask in the camaraderie in a fun, no-pressure environment.

Shaping Your Sound- Confident Beginner-All Levels

High G tuning recommended but not required.

Craig breaks down how to utilize many of the techniques you’ve been working on over the years and showcases ways of implementing them into your playing! Using hammer ons, pulls offs, muting, scratching and more, we will showcase how to master, practice and utilize them in the songs you already know and love!

Singing While Playing - Confident Beginner

Get ready to sing and strum at the same time! We will look at how we can break down learning a song into simple steps, so you can finally sing and play your favorite songs!

Songwriting - Confident Beginner

Learn the basics of writing lyrics, chord progressions, and melodies with singer-songwriter Abby Lyons. Come with your thinking cap on, because we write a song together in real time!

Intermediate

Intermediate level: You have an extended chord vocabulary and can strum a steady rhythm while singing. An intermediate student is able to catch on and follow along on simple tunes fairly quickly.

Intro to Jazz - Intermediate

The word "Jazz" can strike fear into the heart of any player, but this class will show you how easy (and hard) you can make it. We will cover popular progressions and finish our class with a 32 bar form called Rhythm Changes. A great class for confident beginners and intermediate players.

Beginning Chord Melody - Intermediate

High G tuning recommended but not required.

Craig walks through a Chord Melody Arrangement of “Edelweiss”, discussing how the arrangement was created. This class will give you the tools you need to start creating your own arrangements with the songs you already know and love.

Arpeggiating The Blues - Intermediate

Learn to fingerpick simple patterns for blues song accompaniment and intro level improvisation.

U-Bassics - Intermediate

Bring some low end to the band with this zero-to-hero Ukulele Bass session! Especially tailored for ukulele players who want to moonlight on the bass, this course “walks” through playing roots, thirds, and fifths so you can accompany nearly every song in the book. You’ll be slappin’ da bass in no time!

Advanced

Advanced level: You can hear chord progressions, mastered some chord inversions and barre/4-fingered closed chords and can strum a steady rhythm while changing chords.

"You Must Take The A Train" Jazz Improv - Advanced

In this advanced workshop, you will learn how to play the melody of the classic jazz standard "Take The A Train" as well as learn a simple and effective approach on how to navigate and improvise through its chord changes. You must have some knowledge of understanding diatonic chords in the key of C, be able to play seventh chords (maj, min, dom), and be comfortable identifying and picking notes up to the 10th fret.

Fingerpicking Samba - Advanced

Samba da Benção (Samba of the Blessing) is an iconic Brazilian song. It was composed by Vinicius de Moraes and his longtime musical partner Baden Powell in the beginning of the 1960s. We will explore the rhythm, the melody, the chords and a samba fingerpicking pattern.

Tuning: High G

Music Theory - Advanced

"For this workshop, it's highly recommended to be familiar with most basic chords within the first 4 frets of the fretboard. Have you ever wanted to play a song, but the chords were too difficult to play or it wasn't in an ideal key for you to sing in? Learning how to transpose a song to any key using the Roman Numeral System will allow you to play/sing your favorite songs in a key that's more comfortable for you. This skill also helps you determine the best key for your own fingerstyle arrangements.

Crafting Your Onstage Sound - Intermediate

Learn how to create and consistently recreate your own special ukulele and singing sound so you feel confident and comfortable every time you take the stage, from a small open mic with no time for soundcheck to the biggest stage. We'll discuss the choice of your uke model, strings, action, pickups, mixers, EQ, PA and effects - everything you need to know to avoid that "rough middle range ringing dry uke sound" so you'll always sound your very best!

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Sunday, September 24, 2023

9:30AM - 12:30PM: FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS

Take Your Ukulele Ensemble To The Next Level

Get ready to elevate your performances to the next level! The ukulele has limitless possibilities for music making. Ukulele group leaders, teachers, leaders and individual players will be shown how to add interest and variety to the music that you perform and more enjoyable for your audiences to listen to. This session will provide easy-to-adopt ukulele playing skills that can be added to your musical arrangements. Getting an ukulele ensemble to the next level just requires adding a little melody, a bit of harmony, and a few interesting rhythms! Songs will include: Tin Roof Blues (New Orleans Jazz standard), Down On The Corner (John Fogerty, Credence Clearwater Revival), The Twist (Chubby Checker)

Vocal Arranging

One of the greatest ways to enjoy the ukulele is to strum and sing with a group of friends! Imagine how much more fun you would have if you added vocal harmonies. During this strum-along you will discover just how easy it is to add harmony singing parts! If you can strum 4 chords you will learn how to add up to 4 part singing to your strum along experience.

BONUS for ukulele jam leaders, teachers, or ensemble directors: You will learn how to create vocal arrangements for your group!!

Songs will include Country Roads, City of New Orleans, The Twist, and In The Mood!

Life After the 3rd Fret - Intermediate

Many of us play in ukulele groups and soon find ourselves wanting to branch off from the typical strumming pattern or chords. This class will show you how to enhance your chords and still allow you to learn while playing in your group. We’ll cover different chord positions and chord substitutions to give you some new tools for your tool belt that will enhance the sound of the group.

2:00 PM -- Nue in Concert

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Dates: September 22 - 24, 2023

Location: Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive North, Torrance, CA 90503

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