2009

The year is coming to an end and I am thinking about my ukulele experiences. Mostly about the after school club at AMS and the class I now teach. It is amazing to me that there are over 80 kids interested in the ukulele. And it is a pleasure to teach a class each day. It is also a lot of work. I have to get my own ukulele skills up.

I am now reading music for the ukulele fretboard. Who would have thought that I would be able to do that. It is simple right now, but I can read the key of C and G. Now I have to move up the neck and do it in more places. Isn't that the way the ukulele is. Move up the neck.

The workshops this year have been challenging and helpful and now I am thinking about where do I take my own playing. I need more time to play (don't we all) and I have to still teach and do the rest of my life. It means that 2010 will be another interesting year.

The star of the after school ukulele group is Karsten. He is pretty much self taught and has the ability to hear and play. He has been playing for a year and a half and is in the 8th grade this year. Here is a video I did at school with him around Thanksgiving.