Uke Jam on Jan 17th

There's always some confusion about whether we have uke jams on holidays. Can't promise we will on EVERY holiday, but we usually do. In fact, some of our most fun jams happen on holidays! This coming Monday, MLK day, we will indeed be having a jam. So come and play with us. And if you have any Martin Luther King holiday inspired songs you want to play, bring them along!

Cary Uke Jam

There will be another uke jam in Cary this coming Tuesday, January 11th, at 7p.m. These jams are hosted by Tom, and everyone is welcome. Check out (and subscribe to!) the Cary Uke Jam blog for future updates.

No RSVP is required, but it will help Tom plan accordingly if he knows how many people are coming, so drop a comment in the appropriate place on his blog if you're thinking about attending.

Please bring songs to share and music stands if you have them.

Happy New Year Jam!

Didja get a new uke for Christmas? Or were you hoping for one? Has your ukulele been sitting in a corner gathering dust and you've promised yourself to start playing after the holidays? Or have you just been pining for the uke jam experience? Well, come join us this Monday, the first Monday of January, and of 2011, and play with us! Usual time and place. Bring songs. No uke necessary. Beginners and NPB (Never Played Befores) always welcome.

Cary uke jam starts next week!

There is a new uke jam starting up in Cary!
Check the Cary Uke Jam blog for more info. First meeting is next Tuesday, December 14th, with subsequent meetings on the second Tuesday of each month.

uke jam tonight - bring Hanukkah songs!

We'll be meeting for the 1st Monday in December uke jam tonight. We're in the midst of Hanukkah, so bring any Hanukkah songs (serious or silly) that you want us to play together. Other holiday songs are welcome tonight too, and we'll have our usual slew of "any holiday tune you can think of" jamming next time, on December 20th.

BOOKULELE VIDEO!

You gotta check out this video made by High Strung!

BOOKULELE THIS SUNDAY!

Please join us for Bookulele this Sunday, October 31st, 6 p.m. at The Pinhook in dowtown Durham.

Bookulele is the annual uke-centered Halloween event thrown by High Strung. It will feature performances by the Durham Uke Jam, Shawn Luby (of Humble Tripe), the Durham Ukulele Orchestra, and headliner Lil' Rev. There will be door prizes and an audience "uke-in."

AND don't forget to dress up your ukulele for halloween and enter the uke costume contest to win some fabulous prizes!

Pre-Register for Lil' Rev workshop!

The Lil' Rev workshop is approaching quickly - next Sunday, October 31st, 2-3:30 p.m., at High Strung.

Pre-register now!
http://shop.highstrung.info/Blues-Tunes-and-Licks-with-Lil-Rev-20101031.htm

Why should you pre-register? Read below.

Rev will be teaching us how to play the blues on ukulele. We'll learn common blues forms/styles and chord progressions, and some fun "licks" and ornaments. I'm extra excited about this topic because I've been wanting to add some blues to the uke jam repertoire. Playing blues offers lots of opportunity for improvised jamming and I think we could have a lot of fun in the jam with the blues. Rev is a dynamic teacher and performer, as some of you know already. This is going to be a fun time!

SO....
If you are planning to attend, please pre-register with High Strung. What are the benefits of pre-registering? You will help:

1. Lil' Rev: If he knows how many people are coming, he can plan the flow of his class and prepare his handouts accordingly.
2. You: If you are pre-registered, all you have to do at the start of the workshop is come in, find a seat, and get your uke out. No waiting around to sign in or pay at the door. (Even if you just sign up in advance, and then pay at the door, you will speed up the process quite a bit!)
3. High Strung: Workshop organizers love it when they have an idea in advance how many people are coming to workshops. For one thing, they then know if they have enough participants to cover their costs. For another, they can plan things like chair and music stand set-up.

So what are you waiting for? Come join us next Sunday. In the meantime, sign up here:
http://shop.highstrung.info/Blues-Tunes-and-Licks-with-Lil-Rev-20101031.htm

UKE WORKSHOPS IN OCTOBER

Hi everyone.
October is "ukulele month" at High Strung, and for the next three Sundays there will be uke workshops at 2 p.m., starting with an introduction to uke class for complete beginners tomorrow, and capping off with Lil' Rev's workshop on October 31st. You can register for any of the workshops through High Strung:
http://www.highstrung.info/High_Strung_Workshops.html

Here are the details:


Intro to uke, Part I
Sunday, October 17th, 2-4 p.m.
This is the class for new ukulele players. Come join us if you've just started playing and want basic info about chords, how to read chord diagrams, how to play simple melodies, etc. Or send your friends who have been eyeing your ukulele jealously and claiming that they've "always wanted to play a musical instrument." Having your own uke helps, but is not required for this class!
Cost: $20

Intro to uke, Part II
Sunday, October 24th, 2-4 p.m.
This class is for anyone who came to the Part I class, or who has been playing just a little while and is familiar with the very basics of the uke, such as names of the strings, a few chords, and wants to learn a little more. We'll play more melodies, learn some strum rhythms, and have a good time!
Cost: $20

Blues tunes and licks with Lil' Rev
Sunday, October 31st, 2-3:30 p.m.
Learn essential blues strums, patterns, licks and scales, as well as secrets to improvisation, Boogie, Woogie, Jug-Band Tunes, Hokum, Chicago Blues, Shuffles, Jazzy Blues Licks, Turnarounds and much more. Open to all levels. We will use tab, live demo and Q and A. Bring a recorder if you have one!
Cost: $25
More details:
http://shop.highstrung.info/Blues-Tunes-and-Licks-with-Lil-Rev-20101031.htm