15th Annual UkeFest

15th Annual

UkeFest

Sat–Wed, August 12–16, 2023

Sold out!

Location

The Music Center at Strathmore

Teacher Training Course Available

Learn More & Register

Special pricing available for UkeFest participants.

It’s not too early to plan a strummer of a summer learning (or perfecting) your ukulele skills! UkeFest Artistic Directors Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer return along with James Hill, Lil Rev, and more extraordinary instructors for five days dedicated to this small-but-mighty music maker. Registration includes 8 hours of skill-based classes, 5 hours of choose-your-own classes, jam sessions, admission to the student and instructor showcases, and a grand finale Live from the Lawn performance. For those looking for intensive skill development, Strathmore’s UkeFest is the only program of its kind that offers an advanced track.

Included in Tuition

8 hours of skill-based classes
5 hours of Choose Your Own class sessions
Jam sessions and ensemble work
Admission to the Student and Faculty Showcase Concerts (Sat and Sun)
15th Annual UkeFest T-shirt

2023 Instructors:

Cathy Fink
Marcy Marxer 
James Hill
Lil Rev
Brittni Paiva
Eve Goldberg
Pablo Regis

Learn more about our instructors

Limited weekend passes are also available. Please click here to purchase a Saturday and Sunday only UkeFest registration.

Weekend passholders receive:

6 classes (2 skills-based morning classes and 4 afternoon walk-in classes)
2 jam sessions
2 evening student/faculty showcase concerts
1 t-shirt

One of the greatest things about UkeFest is the faculty. So kind. So caring. They didn’t whack me across the head with Ukulele Magazine even when I made ‘plinka plinka’ jokes.

—Susan R.

UkeFest faculty laughing with their instruments

Special Pricing Available UKULELE TEACHER TRAINING & MASTER CLASS

Presented in conjunction with the 15th Annual UkeFest, we offer a full day of instruction and sharing in best practices for ukulele teachers of all levels. This master class will help beginning teachers as well as experienced teachers interested in expanding their teaching horizons.

Learn More & Register

CLASSES & SCHEDULE

: CONFIDENT BEGINNER

You know C-F-G, G-C-D, and A-D-E7 chords and can do a simple strum while changing these chords and keeping a steady, slow beat. We are not hosting novice or total beginner classes this year. However, If you are not at the Confident Beginner level but want to join this class, you can learn from many sources in advance, including a free month of lessons at https://pegheadnation.com/string-school/instructors/marcy-marxer

Use the code: MarcyM

INTERMEDIATE

You are comfortable playing 3-4 chords in 3-4 keys (C, G, F, A). You play a variety of basic chords (for example: A, Am, B7, C, C7, D, Dm, E7, Em, G, and G7) and understand simple chord progressions (such as I, IV, V chords). You can sing and strum at the same time and can learn chords to simple tunes fairly quickly. You’re ready for some jazz chords, some snazzier right-hand techniques, and ready to explore a variety of repertoire on the uke.

ADVANCED

As an Advanced player, you have strong knowledge of open and closed chords throughout the ukulele neck in multiple keys, have experience playing lead, and willingness to move quickly through material. If you haven’t taken the Advanced class at UkeFest in previous years OR have received approval from Cathy Fink and/or Marcy Marxer, we require you to submit a 2-5-minute video to uke@strathmore.org to be approved to take the class by our Artistic Directors.
: CLASSES BY SKILL LEVEL

These are 2 and 4-day classes from 10am–12pm EST Saturday through Tuesday. These are continuous classes based on skill level, which means you will choose a class and stay with it for either two (2) or four (4) days. In past years, you needed to pre-register for classes. This year, you’ll just show up to the class you want to take and do not need to register.

Brittni Paiva and James Hill will be switching off, teaching Intermediate and Advanced classes.

As a reminder, if you are an advanced player, you must send in your 2–5-minute video to uke@strathmore.org and receive approval by the Artist Directors to be placed in that class.

If you find you are not suited for a class during the first day, you can switch classes within the first 15 minutes by leaving the class and joining another one.

WALK-IN CLASSES

These classes are one-hour choice classes and, like the morning classes, do not require pre-registration. Feel free to hop around as you wish.

BARITONE FRIENDLY

Baritone Friendly classes are often taught on tenor ukuleles, but baritone chord charts or tabs are provided, and the instructor will have a baritone ukulele handy for answering any questions. For other classes, baritone players should either play a tenor/concert/soprano Ukulele or use a Capo on the 5th fret.
: Click here to view the class descriptions in PDF format.

Overview Schedule for UkeFest

All programs are subject to change.

Every day felt lively and refreshing. I woke up excited to leave my house instead of being filled with existential dread.

—Bob Y.

August 12 & 13 UkeFest Evening Student & Faculty Showcase

Enjoy an evening performance by both professional and amateur ukulele players, starting with a half-hour open mic for our UkeFest students followed by an amazing lineup of our esteemed instructors.

For UkeFest Participants: As a participant, you will automatically get into both showcases with your UkeFest badge.

LEARN MORE

August 12 & 13 UkeFest Evening Student & Faculty Showcase

Enjoy an evening performance by both professional and amateur ukulele players, starting with a half-hour open mic for our UkeFest students followed by an amazing lineup of our esteemed instructors.

For UkeFest Participants: As a participant, you will automatically get into both showcases with your UkeFest badge.

LEARN MORE

FAQ

Masks and vaccinations are encouraged.

We encourage wearing masks inside our buildings and encourage everyone to stay up to date on their COVID vaccinations and boosters.
If you have COVID-19, are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, know you have been exposed to COVID-19, or are feeling sick, please stay home.
Test kits will be available on site for testing but are not required.

Yes! We are partnering up with Canopy by Hilton again and are offering a discounted rate for the UkeFest room block. Click here to book your room today!

Park in the Mansion lot between the Mansion and Music Center, accessible at 10701 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Turn at the low brick walls that say “Strathmore.”

Strathmore aims to make music education experiences like UkeFest as financially accessible as possible, and we can offer a limited number of partial tuition scholarships. Please note that because our goal is to provide partial assistance to as many people as possible, we are not likely to offer full scholarships. To apply, please send an email explaining your need, your interest in the program, and your requested support amount to uke@strathmore.org.

Yes, many afternoon choice classes will be baritone friendly. Look for the classes marked “BF” to indicate baritone friendly.

By May 1: Full tuition refund minus $25 cancellation fee
May 2–June 1: 50% tuition refund
June 2–July 20: 25% tuition refund
July 21–Aug 16: no tuition refund

More questions? Please email uke@strathmore.org.

INSTRUCTORS

Brittni Paiva

Brittni Paiva is Hawaii's preeminent, award-winning female ukulele artist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Her modern approach to the traditional Hawaiian instrument has gained her a legion of fans. Her ability to bring the ukulele to the forefront of many genres breaks down barriers and changes perceptions of what is possible from this humble instrument. Brittni is also credited with being one of the pioneers of combining ukulele music and the loop pedal, creating beautiful, layered arrangements resulting in her being amongst the most watched ukulele artists on YouTube. 

James Hill

James Hill met the Ukulele in elementary school and understood its remarkable potential. He is undoubtably one of the most accomplished and prolific ukulele players in the world. He continued honing his skills in the renowned Langley Ukulele Ensemble and has been both performing and teaching worldwide ever since.

A passionate teacher, James went on to co-author the Ukulele in the Classroom method book series with J. Chalmers Doane, the trail-blazing teacher who pioneered the use of ukuleles in Canadian schools. In 2010, James and his father Barry, a retired schoolteacher, launched the JHUI Teacher Certification Program, the first of its kind in the world. His most ambitious educational offering to date is Uketropolis.com, home to unique ukulele courses like Ukulele Jazz, UkuleleX, The Ukulele Way, Booster Uke and the JHUI Teacher Certification Program.

A master player and teacher, James is continuously crossing the intersections where innovation and artistry meet.

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer

Cathy Fink is a GRAMMY Award winning multi-instrumentalist and co-artistic director of Strathmore’s UkeFest with Marcy Marxer. She loves teaching all levels and has created a series of courses on playing Clawhammer Ukulele, kin to the old-time banjo style. Cathy has taught at countless music camps including Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Midwest Ukefest, The Augusta Workshops and Palm Springs Ukefest. Cathy & Marcy released two duo recordings of all ukulele music, “Rockin’ The Uke” and “Wahoo.” They have released a total of fifty albums between them and over 50 instructional courses on ukulele, banjo, guitar, mandolin, harmony singing and even yodeling. Her online instruction is available at www.truefire.com, www.homespun.com, and www.pegheadnation.com. She has written numerous articles for Ukulele Magazine.

Marcy Marxer is a GRAMMY Award winning multi-instrumentalist who has been teaching ukulele since 1986. Her “Ukulele For Kids” online courses have brought up a few generations of young ukulele players. She has directed a seniors uke orchestra, taught at prominent Uke and Music Camps and is co-artistic director of Strathmore’s UkeFest. Marcy specializes in chord melody, swing and jazz uke, but plays a bit of everything! She also studied with the grand master of vaudeville, Roy Smeck. Her forte as a social music conductor is only rivaled by her virtuosity on over 20 instruments. Marcy teaches online through www.pegheadnation.com,  www.truefire.com and www.homespun.com.

Lil Rev

Lil Rev is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, author, educator and touring troubadour whose deep-rooted shows bring a healthy dose of blues, bluegrass, early country, folk, and singer-songwriter flavor to the stage. 

Rev is a former grade school music teacher and college lecturer who's passion for empowering others with the gift of music make him an in demand instructor at music camps, festivals, music stores, cruise ships, colleges, libraries and on his zoom "Revinar" series. 

While he is best known as a ukulele master, Lil Rev regularly performs on guitar, mandolin, harmonica, dulcimer and banjo. 

Eve Goldberg

Eve currently leads the Parkdale Ukulele Group and the Ukulele Orchestra of Toronto (Ukes of T). For over twenty years she organized The Woods Music and Dance Camp, an adult folk music retreat in Ontario. She has performed and taught music classes at the James Hill Ukulele Institute (Vancouver, BC, and Toronto, ON), Port Townsend Ukulele Festival (Port Townsend, WA), Midwest Ukulele and Harmonica Camp (Olivet, MI), Dock Street Ukulele Camp (Shelburne, NS), Haliburton School of Art and Design (Haliburton, ON). Eve is an accomplished songwriter, guitarist, and community music organizer.

Pablo Regis

Pablo Regis is a cavaco and guitar player, singer, and percussionist performing Brazilian music in the DC metro area. He grew up in Los Angeles and Brasília, surrounded by Brazilian music and culture. Over the years, he has worked with numerous Brazilian musicians and organized events and concerts to bring Brazilian music to the United States. He is a recipient of a Maryland State Arts Council 2018 Individual Artist Award. He has also trained in a variety of Brazilian movement styles, including the martial art of capoeira, and frevo and cavalo marinho from the state of Pernambuco. Pablo also brings professional experience in communications and marketing. For more information, visit www.pabloregis.com.