Maine Central Institute and the Newport Ukulele Group

This week I also had the pleasure of performing / teaching for the Newport Ukulele group at the Newport Cultural Center in central Maine.  What a fun time I had with them.  There is nothing like seeing what you can teach people in a very short amount of time.

 Early into the clinic phase of the night I discovered everyone was afraid of the Emaj chord.  So I promptly went about providing different fingerings and hand shapes until I think I found at least one that worked for everyone.  Bmaj also seems to be an ongoing problem among novice ukulele players.  We fixed that too hopefully!  Everyone seemed like they got something out of the night, even if it was just a chord shape.  
Sharing your passion for entertaining to a high school gym with 500+ students and staff cheering you on is nothing short of epic.  I had a afternoon at Maine Central Institute first talking with the guitar class.  Perhaps a few will be converted!  Along with that I got to perform in front of the whole school with Pete Witham of the Cozmic Zombies.  It went swimmingly well.  Here is a clip of my afternoon performance.

That evening I also did a more intimate performance with Riff Johnson (another Maine rock star) in the student lounge.  What a fun crowd we had.  Just enough people to fill all the seats.  Perfect.

I can't wait to come back to the east coast again next year and do it all over again.  One more gig at the Smiling Moose Public House in South Paris, Maine and I will be getting ready to pack my bags and head back to the great land.  Heard it might be standing room only at the Moose.  That's just how daddy likes it.

The "One Man, One Ukulele" sessions

NEW SOLO TRACKS!!

Three new tracks from the one afternoon blitz recording session at the Casa Del Reny Studios in Waterville, Maine.  I think all three were one take wonders and then I spent the rest of the time playing the songs over and over and not keeping anything.  I'm calling these songs the "One Man, One Ukulele" sessions.



TRACK 1
Figured I needed a song in ode to my big old Chevy man truck.  I think with this one song I have cornered the ENTIRE ukulele truck song market.  I could be wrong, but then again I could be right!

TRACK 2


The solo version of the Bear Safety ukulele hip-hop explosion.  Get some!  SAFETY!  Be bear aware folks!

TRACK 3

Ode to Dr. Jones, Parks Highway Band Drummer / Doctor of Life.

Maine and Florida...both colder than Alaska

Why is it the one time I get out of Alaska during January to a state that is supposed to be warm it ends up being unseasonably cold and a heat wave hits Alaska?  Knowing my luck I will be back to the great land just in time for the cold to come back.  Even with that said... I still always miss being away.  I decided to post this pic of driving my old tour bus named "Ba" in the Yukon Territory.  My old home.  Good times.  

So I have been in Maine and Florida visiting family, friends, and playing some great shows!  It is always a pleasure to head south to charted and uncharted territory for me and play some ukulele for the people.  I have a full week this week and I'm getting it done.

Just recorded a few tracks for the "One man, one ukulele" album.  Keeping it simple.  Just my ukulele and I letting loose.  Casa Del Reny studios in Waterville, Maine (known as H2O-ville) are just the place to do it.  Mr. Mike Reny and I have been good friends and musical colleagues for a long time.  The four tracks we did today sound sweet.  Pretty much all one take wonders.  It is really nice when that happens.

Wednesday I'm conducting a clinic / performance for the Newport Ukulele Group at the Newport Cultural Center at 6pm.  Come learn some of the different things I'm doing and how to make sloppy playing work for you.  I'm telling ya, not everything has to be clean and pristine.  We are talking about functionality, not fancy.

Thursday at Maine Central Institute I will be working with the high school music students and then performing for the student body in the afternoon at 2:15pm followed by an evening concert on campus.  I love talking to the students about music and just love sharing my passion for musical endeavors.