Conversation with James Hill

Awesome! I know what I will be listening to today. Between your podcast and UU+ I still have a few days that I need to scour for content., the fretboard journal podcast helps but we need more uke content!!
 
I'm going to add Abe's entire show list to my iPhone podcast app for my car. Along with Stewart Yoshida's Ooktown podcast, I'll be well entertained in my car while driving back and forth to rehearsal and gigs.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
I plan on listening to this today. Thanks for sharing it.
 
I listened to this yesterday as we drove back from our final camping experience of the year.

Based on your two interviews with James, I’m considering attending JHUI. Beyond playing for my own enjoyment, my focus is education—something that is a mixed bag in the ukulele world. We’ve turned “headliners” into ukulele instructors (if you perform at a festival, you’re expected to teach). That isn’t always a successful methodology.

James, of course, is a brilliant performer, but he may even be a better teacher.

I’m struggling with his Ukulele Orchestra (Ukulele Festival 2.0) concept. I’m sure that people attending a James Hill Hot Springs event will put in the practice time to learn a part. But what about local clubs not sponsored with someone with such “gravitas”? That doesn’t mean I’m against the idea...I’m just not sure that it actually works for the average festival. I hope I’m wrong!

Keep up the great work, Abe!
 
I'll check it out!

Awesome! I know what I will be listening to today. Between your podcast and UU+ I still have a few days that I need to scour for content., the fretboard journal podcast helps but we need more uke content!!

I'm going to add Abe's entire show list to my iPhone podcast app for my car. Along with Stewart Yoshida's Ooktown podcast, I'll be well entertained in my car while driving back and forth to rehearsal and gigs.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos

Thanks guys! Oh man the Ukulele Underground podcast is fantastic. And it's out every week! So good, but yes we could always use more uke content. Much appreciated, y'all.
 
I listened to this yesterday as we drove back from our final camping experience of the year.

Based on your two interviews with James, I’m considering attending JHUI. Beyond playing for my own enjoyment, my focus is education—something that is a mixed bag in the ukulele world. We’ve turned “headliners” into ukulele instructors (if you perform at a festival, you’re expected to teach). That isn’t always a successful methodology.

James, of course, is a brilliant performer, but he may even be a better teacher.

I’m struggling with his Ukulele Orchestra (Ukulele Festival 2.0) concept. I’m sure that people attending a James Hill Hot Springs event will put in the practice time to learn a part. But what about local clubs not sponsored with someone with such “gravitas”? That doesn’t mean I’m against the idea...I’m just not sure that it actually works for the average festival. I hope I’m wrong!

Keep up the great work, Abe!

There's not a whole lot of "how to teach" in JHUI, although there's a lot of "how to teach this curriculum." The curriculum is fantastic for teaching music literacy, so it was really appealing to me as a more well-rounded approach to music class when using ukuleles (which I was already sold on vs other instruments), rather than just being an uke club. I think it works best as a supplement, not the only thing you use in class.

I get that feeling about the Uke Orchestra. You need a bit of experience to conduct a group like that. Personally I think it would work, but the mindset has to be totally different. With this idea, you wouldn't be going to learn music at a festival the same way we're used to. We'd have to prepare. The participants are more involved and the learning is different. It's not so straightforward.

The reason I think it could work is that many musicians have been doing this exact thing for quite a long time: learn the piece, come in ready to rehearse. But that also makes success a little more difficult because you need players willing to take that extra step and put in more work.

Overall I'm really excited for this whole new area of ukulele music making.

Thanks for checking it out! So glad you enjoyed it.
 
I will listen to this when I have a little more time. I heard James and Anne Janelle in early 2017. They were amazing. The performance was in a small church in Connecticut. James hung around to talk and eat homemade ice cream after the performance. I spoke with him for 5-7 minutes. He's got a very dry, witty sense of humor. Anne was only out in the lobby for a few minutes. They were travelling wit their son who was only 17 months old at the time. James is also a very skilled fiddler. Anne is a first rate cellist. She has a very nice voice and is gorgeous as well.
Jim Beloff lives fairly close to the town where the concert took place and was in the audience.. I had met Jim once before at a Jimmy Webb performance. We talked quite a bit that evening. Jim is an awfully nice guy. He's got a real passion for the uke.
I was so happy to meet him and got a picture with him. He was thrilled to see pics I had taken with Ohta San and Jake. Don't pass up a chance to hear them if they come your way.
 
I will listen to this when I have a little more time. I heard James and Anne Janelle in early 2017. They were amazing. The performance was in a small church in Connecticut. James hung around to talk and eat homemade ice cream after the performance. I spoke with him for 5-7 minutes. He's got a very dry, witty sense of humor. Anne was only out in the lobby for a few minutes. They were travelling wit their son who was only 17 months old at the time. James is also a very skilled fiddler. Anne is a first rate cellist. She has a very nice voice and is gorgeous as well.
Jim Beloff lives fairly close to the town where the concert took place and was in the audience.. I had met Jim once before at a Jimmy Webb performance. We talked quite a bit that evening. Jim is an awfully nice guy. He's got a real passion for the uke.
I was so happy to meet him and got a picture with him. He was thrilled to see pics I had taken with Ohta San and Jake. Don't pass up a chance to hear them if they come your way.

Whoa I had no idea they came through my state! I'll have to keep a closer eye out. They're an incredible duo for sure.

I had an interview with Jim for one of my first episodes. He's definitely a nice guy. Invited me to his home and gave me a CD.

Thanks for checking it out!
 
Thanks Abe. This was a great listen!
You and your back catalogue are going to be my commute companions for the next while!
 
Thanks Abe. This was a great listen!
You and your back catalogue are going to be my commute companions for the next while!

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.

Have fun with it the catalog is just gonna get better. :)
 
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