From the Winter 2016 issue of Ukulele | BY ADAM PERLMUTTER I didn’t necessarily want to like “Chocolate Banana Pie,” by the young Japanese uke master Ryo Natoyama. But as I prepared it in notation, I grew fonder of this…
By Craig Chee The 2nd annual Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival was a fun-filled celebration of the ukulele, held at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, in Torrance, California, September 24. There were many more events this year including uke workshops,…
From the Fall 2014 issue of Ukulele | BY MARCY MARXER A visionary player on the ukulele, guitar, tenor banjo, and lap-steel guitar, the vaudeville performer Roy Smeck certainly earned his nickname “Wizard of the Strings.” Born in Reading, Pennsylvania…
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There’s a long tradition of upcycling old cigar boxes into musical instruments. Over the decades, many homegrown builders have taken to making ukuleles, guitars, or just about anything else for strings with these lovely leftovers. While this is mostly been…
From the Fall 2016 issue of Ukulele | STORY AND PHOTOS BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY When you think of ukuleles made on the American mainland during the “uke crazed” 1920s, brands such as Martin and Gibson are likely the first to…
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By Craig Chee & Sarah Maisel Just as there are many different styles of ukuleles (and styles of playing them), ukulele festivals also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Every great uke fest includes a mix of workshops…
By Jim D’Ville Imagine six days of music immersion in the beautiful environs of a Pacific Northwest pine forest surrounded by like-minded musicians. That’s the idea behind one of the most prestigious music camps in America, the Puget Sound Guitar…