.gif)
|
November 16, 2010: Ok, here goes. No, I'm not on Facebook and no, I've never uploaded a video to YouTube. Turns out, however, that I do have a Facebook page (a "fan" page which I didn't know about until recently). I don't read or post to the Facebook fan page so if you'd like to contact me directly please email me (I'm old-fashioned like that). I also have many videos on YouTube (mostly live bootlegs), some of which are linked to my videos page. On rare occasions I'll ask someone to remove a video of me from YouTube; if someday that's you, please don't take it personally. YouTube is a blessing and a curse; overall it has helped spread the word about what I do but it has also fostered a culture of wanton amateur videography. Next time you're at a concert, try resisting the urge to "capture the moment" (impossible) and just enjoy it (possible)!
October 7, 2010: It's been a long time coming but the wait is finally over! Book 3, the final volume in the core Ukulele in the Classroom series, is now shipping. Book 3 has the usual bevvy of practical sight-reading, harmony, and music theory exercises but the best part is the repertoire. Chalmers Doane and I dug deep to find exciting music from around the world including traditional music from Spain, Hawaii, France, Bulgaria, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Canada, the Dominican Republic, the U.S.A., England, Scotland, and Wales, PLUS familiar popular songs PLUS arrangements of classics by Handel, Dvorák, Purcell, Ponchielli, and Bach! We had fun writing the book and I know you'll have fun learning and/or teaching from it. Click here for more info, ordering links, plus free lesson and audio samples!
And all this after a stellar weekend of workshops, jams and good times at the Langley Ukulele Workshop. Thank you and congratulations to all who attended; your enthusiasm and your love for the ukulele made it a joy for us teachers. All the best with your playing and practise; we look forward to seeing you all next year! A special thank you to the sponsors of the Langley Ukulele Workshop - Empire Music, Mya-Moe Ukuleles and Ukulele Yes!.
August 12, 2010: Wow, a month on the road goes by fast. Last weekend Chalmers Doane and I taught at the Tatamagouche Centre's inaugural ukulele retreat in Nova Scotia. It was magic. Chalmers and I really had a chance to stretch out and sink our teeth into some good stuff with the classes. Tandem-teaching with your mentor; it doesn't get much better than that. Good times; I hope we can do the retreat again in 2011. Now I'm in Seoul, Korea; I have a couple of workshops and a concert tomorrow. Should be fun. The time difference from Nova Scotia is 12 hours. Jet laaaaag! I woke up this morning at 4am with all these thoughts spinning through my head. In my sleep-drunk state I wrote some of them down. Over breakfast I read what I'd written. Apparently I'm quite messed up. Cheap entertainment.
July 16, 2010: Just finishing up here at the California Coast Music Camp (CCMC). A great week of jamming, listening, teaching and, above all, learning. For the first time I took a class myself: a fiddle tune class with the wonderful Julian Smedley (ukulele pays the bills but I also love to play my fiddle when I get a chance). My friends better look out at the next kitchen party; I'm bringing home Bulgarian, Chinese and Klezmer tunes! Yeah! In other news, Book 3 of the Ukulele in the Classroom series is finished and will be available very shortly. Speaking of music from different cultures, we were able to squeeze a bunch of tunes from different cultures into the book; Bulgarian, Mexican, Hawaiian, Dominican, El Salvadorian... great stuff. And that's on top of the pop, jazz and classical selections. Very exciting to have the series complete after such a long period of work (we started writing the books in 2004). Leaving tomorrow for Honolulu and the 40th edition of Ukulele Festival Hawaii. Looking forward to seeing friends and even taking a couple of days off in Waikiki (what a concept!).
June 25, 2010: Well here I am peering over the edge, looking out over what is going to be a VERY busy summer season. Gulp. We push off tomorrow and then it's straight on 'til September. Seattle, Cairns (Australia), Vancouver, Waikiki, Montreal, Berkeley (CA), Seoul, Singapore, Toronto, and on it goes. It's going to be a crazy whirlwind but I hope to see you somewhere down the road... Now, it's 1:36am and I haven't finished packing for my flight tomorrow (today?) morning. Gotta run!
May 12, 2010: Two days at home in the woods and now it's back on the road! En route to the NY Ukefest now; I haven't been since the fest changed hands so I'm curious. Oh, by the way... it's not clear on the NY Ukefest website but my "Ukes for Kids" workshop on Saturday at 1pm is for ALL AGES. It's especially good for parents/adults who want to start teaching ukulele or who want to pick up some new teaching repertoire and ideas. Last thing: the MIGHTY UKE Roadshow is back on tour! I'm going to be performing at screenings of the film in NY, PA, MD, CT, ME and NS! Hope you can make it to one or more of these "ukulele happenings"! Bring a friend, bring a uke. All details here.
April 23, 2010: Ah, life on the road. Early mornings, lost luggage, sit-sleeping and the eat-what-you-can-when-you-can diet. So glamorous. Other than the usual logistic-headaches that always accompany a cross-country tour, I've been having a good time. The public workshops have been tons of fun; thanks to everyone for showing up (with ukes!). We consistently had 50-70 people at each stop. Wow! What is this, some kind of ukulele revolution?! The school concerts have been going really well, too. Sometimes a little too well. In a couple of schools, autograph-seeking students rushed the stage following the performance creating a stampede à la European soccer riot (only a slight exaggeration). It's strange, this generation of celebrity-obsessed youth... I have mixed feelings about it sometimes. On good days I feel like I'm giving kids an antidote to all that celebrity culture crap; you know, ukulele = "don't believe the hype, think for yourself, etc.". Other days I feel like I'm just fanning the flames.
March 10, 2010: The new issue of the free Ukulele Yes! eZine is out! Check out the free Ukulele Big Band mini-score included in this issue... if you're curious about the Ukulele Big Band sound but not sure where to start, this is your chance! Click here for more.
February 15, 2010: Ukulele Big Band. It all started at last year's Portland Ukulele Festival with this five-part jazz arrangement of Alexander's Ragtime Band. I was amazed that a) the class worked so hard AND had so much fun and b) a ukulele big band could sound so good! I was hooked. Since then I've been working on other Ukulele Big Band arrangements at four levels of difficulty: pre-beginner ("mini-scores" that introduce the basics of a big band arrangement), beginner, intermediate and advanced. Something for everyone. These arrangements and more are now available as downloads from the Ukulele in the Classroom website. Click here to browse free score and audio samples. The Ukulele Big Band has landed! Look out!
January 25, 2010: After many months of wrestling ideas and working with friends and colleagues on an approach to ukulele teacher training, I'm rolling out a ukulele teacher certification program. Yep, that's a tricky business but the more I travel and talk with people who use (or would like to use) ukulele as a means of music education, the more convinced I am that teacher certification is a good thing and that I'm in a good position to do something about it. So I am. Lots of people have their own teaching methods and just want to be left alone. There's some wisdom in that. But lots of people are looking for a structured course that will connect them with other like-minded teachers and give them the foundation they need to make the most the ukulele as a vehicle for music literacy and enjoyment. So, becoming certified in the James Hill Ukulele Method (which includes the Ukulele in the Classroom series) is a way for classroom teachers, music specialists, volunteers and private instructors to help revitalize and enrich music programs in our schools and communities. It's also a way to provide tangible evidence (to employers and students, for example) of your ability to teach music through the ukulele. I won't go into all the details of the program right now but you can read all about it here if you're interested. In other news, don't miss the Toronto premiere of the Mighty Uke movie this Thursday! Hope to see you there...
|
 Click here to subscribe What is RSS?
Jump to: November 2010
|
