New Year, New Ukulele Play-Along Channel

Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret will celebrate its 8th birthday this February! In the past eight years I’ve taught hundreds of people and learned a lot from ukulele beginners of all ages!

Starting this January I am posting play-along videos to go with my beginner ukulele book, The Easy Illustrated Book of Kids’ Ukulele Folk Songs.

They aren’t fancy, but I think they will be useful for first-time beginners on the ukulele. I’ll post more beginner songs, and continue with songs from my upcoming Book 2 scheduled later this year, so like and subscribe to my ukulele YouTube channel to see the latest updates.

I’m pleased to see my beginner book is getting great reviews:

“Very well done. Bought it for my grandsons. Best teaching book out there right now.” —Amazon Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My book is available at Amazon, via Music Villa in Bozeman, or through me!

I am also offering beginner ukulele lessons, Wed-Fri at my home studio in Bozeman, as well as on-site ukulele workshops for families, visitors and other groups. Check with me for insider discounts!

Beginner Followup Class Feb 10 2019

Sign up for the Feb 10, 2019 beginner followup class here!

Name(required)

Email(required)

Number in party/ Additional comments (required)

Select a payment option(required)

I will pay $20 at lesson

Please bill me $20 online

Submit

Δ

At the request of January beginner class participants, I’m hosting a $20 followup group lesson at my home studio at 2pm Sunday, Feb 10, 2019. Please register using the form above, as class size is limited. You will receive a confirmation email with more details. At this 90-minute class we’ll build on basic skills, field questions and introduce more songs and chords. BYO uke or message me to reserve a loaner!

2019 Ukulele Kick Start Jan 27

Mark your calendar for a FREE UKULELE BEGINNER CRASH COURSE 1-3pm Sunday, Jan 27 at the Bozeman Public Library. RSVP appreciated, but drop-ins are OK too.
This is a free starter course for ukulele beginners. No experience needed. You will learn to hold, strum & create chords, read easy chord charts, tune a ukulele and play your first songs.

Bring your soprano, concert or tenor ukulele or reserve a loaner by contacting Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret. (This 2-hour workshop is best suited to adults and supervised youth ages 7+.) Class will be broken into two ~45-minute segments, so you can just stay for the first half, or learn even more in the second half. Feel free to get ahold of me using the contact form on the ABOUT page if you have questions!

Valentine Retrospective at Story – Feb 7 2018

2018 is our 6th year of hosting a Valentine ukulele Play-Along! Thanks to Bozeman Parks and Rec’s “Pickin in the Park” program, the event will be held at the Story Mansion, 7:30pm, Wednesday, Feb 7.

Friends have been telling me they’d like to just play some favorites from the last 6 years, so I made a compilation of all of our Valentine play-alongs from 2013-2018. I will bring a few surprises, but you’re invited to select a song from the following list that you’d most enjoy revisiting (or visiting for the first time, if you’re new to our loose knit bunch of loose cannons)!

Ukulele fun starts at 7:30 (after the fiddle jam). We’ll meet in the library until they’re done, and then move to the main room to play for about an hour from big Valentine Retrospective songbooks that I’ll provide. At 8:30 the play-along will morph into an open string jam, (i.e. players take turns leading songs without sheet music). Stay if you like, it’s a lot of fun!

If you feel like practicing, here is a big PDF with all the songs listed below in it. But there’s no need to practice! We generally fly by the seat of the pants, “no harm, no foul” and just have fun! Players of all skill levels are welcome, and at the Story jam, any acoustic string instrument is welcome to join the ukulele fun. As long as you pay us intrepid ukers the respect and honor that we’re inherently due… 😉

See you tonight! 7:30 PM WEDNESDAY FEB. 7 at the STORY MANSION!

Valentine Retrospective

---

New to ukulele? I’ve written a book of the easiest ukulele songs to help you get started. The Easy Illustrated Book of (kids’) Ukulele Folk Songs shows how to hold, strum, tune, and play your first easy songs on the ukulele. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it! Thanks for helping me spread the word.  –Marla

 

 

Ukulele Holiday Hootenanny Dec 6 2017

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 6 2017
Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Story Mansion, 811 S. Willson Bozeman

Come uke out on the First Wednesday of December (DEC 6, 2017) at Bozeman Parks & Rec’s “Pickin in the Park” string jam. We’ll start after the beginning fiddlers are done, so relax in the Story LIBRARY room until the fiddlers ready to head out.

Bring your ukulele and play/croon along on holiday songs from 7:30 to 8:30 or so, and after that, it’s open string jam! Chord sheets and loaner ukuleles available, so anyone can give it a shot.

There is absolutely no reason not to bring cookies or other holiday treats, if you have some on hand! 🙂

Everyone welcome! Come sing along & enjoy the beautiful Story Mansion.

First Weds Uke at Story Mansion Nov 1

GET OUT YOUR UKE Wednesday, November 1!

Bozeman Parks and Rec has invited our motley crew to try out a First Wednesday slot for ukulele play-along as part of their cool “Pickin in the Park” program. Public welcome!

Time: 7:30pm, Wednesday Nov. 1, 2017
Place: The Story Mansion, 811 S Willson Bozeman
We will use the space after the Fiddle Jam. Ukin starts at 7:30, so in spite of being the very organized, “15 minutes early” type, please do not lurk menacingly and/or noodle on your uke while the fiddlers finish up. After they’re all packed up, we’ll swoop in and at that point, all will be encouraged to cause ukulele havoc, as usual.

Everyone is welcome to join us. This is free and open to the public and loaner ukes will be on hand! (If it works out well, maybe we’ll continue this on a monthly basis, let’s just see how this goes.)

NOVEMBER 2017 Song list sneak peek! Uncharacteristically, I’ve got a song list more than a day ahead of time! If you’re the type who likes to peek and practice, here’s a preview of this month’s line up, inspired by the song idea theme “Houses!” There are lots of doors and floors (some new, some tried & true) in this PDF:  Nov 2017 10-songs

(Note: PDF is just draft, so things may change a little. I’ll print copies — no need to print!)

Bring your OWN song idea(s) to lead or perform if you like! The prompt “houses” is just to help generate ideas, you don’t have to stick with that theme. Any song = good.

Some things not to worry about: Don’t worry if… 

• You don’t know one of the songs we play! They all have catchy choruses that you’ll pick up on, and it’ll be fun!
• You don’t think you’re good enough ukulele player! Yes you are. Seriously. You are.
• You’re not in the uke club… Dude! There IS no uke club! Anyone who comes is welcome, and it’s all very casual and easygoing.
• You didn’t practice! ha ha ha ha! Practice? What’s THAT?
  Just come, strum and be awesome!

 

 

Ukin Uke-in at Story Mansion Nov 1, 2017

Our October “Uketoberfest” picnic brought ukers new & old to the Story Mansion! Thanks everyone who helped with this event, and to Bozeman Parks and Recreation’s Pickin in the Park program for hosting us!

On a trial basis, we’ve been invited to join the monthly rotation of Pickin in the Park events at the Story Mansion.

Marla will host a drop-in community ukulele play-along (Very easy-going! Much like our library sessions.) the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the month (Nov 1, 2017) at 7:30pm. This will follow the First Wednesday Fiddle jam, which usually ends around 7:30, so ukers, please be respectful of the fiddlers and don’t lurk ominously or noodle on your ukes while they’re wrapping up.

Marla will bring some new songs on the theme “HOUSES” (doors! windows! stairs? ceilings? floors? roofs?) and you’re welcome to bring some songs you’d like to play on that theme (or any theme, for that matter)!

See you at 7:30 Wednesday, November 1. (That’s the day after Halloween, folks!) At Story Mansion, 811 South Willson, Bozeman. Everyone is welcome and loaner ukes will be on hand. (This will be an all-acoustic jam, no mics or amps.)

Pickin’ in the Park cohosts Uke-toberfest at Story Mansion Oct 14 2017

Uke-toberfest, the fourth annual Bozeman Ukulele Picnic, is Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Story Mansion.

The event starts with a free drop-in ukulele crash course for first-time beginners of all ages (7+) at 3:30pm. A no-host picnic, ukulele jam and play-along follows, beginning at 5pm. The public is invited to bring a ukulele, a picnic dinner and a song to share or perform. Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret will provide lemonade, door prizes and a selection of songs for all to play along on.

The event is hosted by Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret in partnership with the Bozeman Parks and Recreation Department’s “Pickin’ in the Park” Program. In the case of rain, activities will move indoors.

Those who don’t have a ukulele can borrow a loaner while supplies last. To reserve a loaner for the lesson, send a message via the contact form on our “about” page or find Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret on Facebook.

The Story Mansion is located at 811 S. Willson in Bozeman.

2016 Picnic Photos

If you missed the 2016 Bozeman Ukulele Picnic at Story Mansion Park, here’s a taste of the fun. Thanks to those who helped out and showed up, and thanks to our co-sponsors, Bozeman Parks and Recreation, for providing this fabulous venue through their Pickin in the Park program.

We had 10 students for the beginner lesson, and a good sized smattering of picnickers who came out to join us on a perfect sunny day.

We had some great open mic performances and played some fun songs together with help from Mark G, Mark S. and Joe and Tara. As usual, Marla’s partner, David, did much of the grunt work and took photos for us!

We were pleased to see some new players join in the play-along. They even helped us bid a fond farewell to our good friend, Mark Sinclair, famous baker and ukulele all-star, with the songs “I’ve Never been to Spain” and “Amigos para Siempre.” (Henceforth there will be no mention of the “Stairway to Heaven” train-wreck! 🙂

In celebration of 5 years (and possibly our last picnic) we ordered some keen swag and gave out some door prizes. Congrats to lucky winners and thanks to all who patronized our swag table — I hope you’re all loving your tee shirts, tote bags and coffee mugs! If you missed the chance to buy something I’ve posted the leftovers on our facebook page. Thanks again to all who helped make this year’s picnic happen.

Bozeman Ukulele Picnic Saturday Sept. 10 2016

The fourth annual Bozeman Ukulele Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Story Mansion.

3:30 pm Free ukulele crash course for first-time beginners
If you’ve never touched a ukulele before, this is your chance to learn to hold, strum and play your first songs with easy chords. The 1-hour crash course is appropriate for all ages (8+). (Kids under 12 should attend with a parent).

5:o0pm no-host picnic, ukulele jam and play-along
We’ll open up the mic for anyone who wants to perform a song while we dine and after open mic time, we’ll all get together to start the play along.

Bring a ukulele, your own picnic dinner and a song to share or perform, or just come join us and strum or sing along on the play along songs!

Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret will provide lemonade and a selection of songs for all to play along on. The event is hosted by the City of Bozeman’s Pickin’ in the Park program in partnership with Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret.

We’ve ordered our first-ever run of Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret Tee shirts! So bring a Jackson (that’s $20) if you’d like to purchase one! We’ll also be giving away some fun swag to our faithful volunteers and a lucky door prize winner, so show up and get your just desserts! You can also find all kinds of custom Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret swag HERE and order your own.

The Story Mansion is located at 811 S. Willson in Bozeman. In the case of rain, activities will move indoors.

Those who don’t have a ukulele can borrow a loaner while supplies last. To reserve a loaner for the lesson, contact Bozeman Ukulele Via the form on the ABOUT page or find Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret on Facebook.

Save