Uka-Palooza!

Nickie

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Uka-Palooza!

Saturday, February 9th is the date of the 1st annual Uka-Palooza.
Several local uke groups, including the Barnkickers, who will open for....
James Hill!

SPAM cook-off, ugly Hawaiian shirt contest, Teach the Teacher Workshop, ukulele "raffles", etc.
All indoors at the Florida State Fair!

If you have any questions, send me a PM.

Y'all come!
 
CONTACT: Emily Stehle, APR
(727) 688-7993
Brenda Gregory, FL State Fair,
(813) 734-2810

FIRST OF THREE PRESS RELEASES
UKULELE MASTER AND SONGWRITER JAMES HILL TO PERFORM AT
Uka-PALOOZA! Florida Feb. 9, 2019
The One-Day Uke Festival is a first at the Florida State Fair
TAMPA, FL (Jan. 5, 2019) – Canadian award-winning Ukulele Slinging Songsmith James Hill will be the featured performer at the Uka-PALOOZA! Florida, a one-day ukulele festival at the Florida State Fair, Feb. 9, 2019.
Uka-PALOOZA! presented by the Florida State Fair Authority and the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society (TBUS), the largest ukulele club in Florida with 2,200 online members, is the first attempt in the state to bring ukulele magic to a mass audience on a grand scale. Opening for James Hill is the local group, The Barnkickers, the wholly unique father-daughter duo, Steve and AmandaLynn Boisen.
The Concert with James Hill carries a $20 advance adult ticket cost, $10 child ticket cost, in addition to the Fair’s admission. Click on this link to purchase: https://tickets.floridastatefair.net/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=Holiday18&c=Ukulalee2
Hill, a classically trained musician and a legend in the ukulele world, has been recognized for his folksy “roots” rock and Americana approach in his songwriting. He and his wife, Anne Janelle, a cellist and touring partner, won the Canadian Folk Music Award’s Traditional Album of the year in 2009 for their CD, “True Love Don’t Weep.” His last album, “The Silo,” was nominated for the Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year-Solo” in 2015.
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James Hill
Hill will appear as a solo performer at Uka-PALOOZA!’s Night Concert at 9pm and will hold a one-hour “Teach the Teachers” workshop/presentation cosponsored by TBUS and Luna Guitars, Ukuleles and Percussion earlier in the day from 2:45-3:45pm. The special class, geared for music teachers, is sponsored by TBUS as part of a 2019 initiative to introduce the ukulele in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco county classrooms.
It is not required for participants to be a teacher, but all registrants must be adults. There is a $20 advance registration workshop fee.
For information and to register, click here. https://squareup.com/store/tampa-ba...ames-hill-teach-the-teachers-ukulele-workshop.
Hill learned to play the ukulele in a school program developed by J. Chalmer Doane in 1977 and consequently played in the Langley Ukulele Ensemble for more than 10 years. He eventually met with Doane and collaborated with him to create the “Ukulele in the Classroom” program. He has a bachelor of music degree from the University of British Columbia.
Hill developed The James Hill Ukulele Initiative, the world’s only certified teacher education program for ukulele, to promote and celebrate “the leaping flea,” as the instrument has been nicknamed. In his travels, he has taught his course online and taught workshops and performed throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand at many ukulele festivals and gatherings.
James Hill plays a variety of custom-made Mike DaSilva ukuleles, a Mya Moe tenor and a Beltona resonator. He lives in Nova Scotia.
Opening act for James Hill is the local group, The Barnkickers, the wholly unique father-daughter duo, Steve and AmandaLynn Boisen. Their original music possesses a vintage-yet-modern vibe that incorporates touches of tin-pan alley and ragtime along with a contemporary folk and singer-songwriter sound. They’ve performed at music festival and venues around the country and appeared on radio broadcasts and television programs spotlighting their music.
Steve and AmandaLynn have also coordinated several fundraising projects designed to benefit children with autism, including an annual music festival and a compilation CD featuring many noted artists including Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes and 60’s pop star Ian Whitcomb.


Website: https://www.jameshillmusic.com
YouTube videos:
Billy Jean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u778gSi94N4
The Comb and Chopsticks https://www.jameshillmusic.com/videos
Jimi Hendrix cover, Voodoo Child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wzsE67O5tE
 
Today about a dozen volunteers from TBUS, and various Fair Employees began to set up the large room for Uka-Palooza tomorrow. We are 90% done, and will have to finish another room early tomorrow morning, because no one there had a key...
We'll have a Hawaiian corner with hula dancers, Hawaiian shirt contests, SPAM cookoff, SPAM carving, a plastic water bottle chandelier making project, beginner workshop, jam session, concert, vendors, and Teach the Teacher workshop by James Hill. This is all happening in about a 10 hour timespan!
My friend Emily Stehle did almost all the planning. There's no way I could have done this. The State Fair should host about 30,000 attendees tomorrow, I figure on 1% of them attending Uka-Palooza, which will be a nice number.
 
Are you guys doing this again in 2020? I'd love to come and make a trip out of it.
 
Yes, we are. Lil Rev is coming, and we don't know who all else yet.
Last year I thought it was the best event we ever put on, except when Aldrine came to TBUG.
 
Just seen this thread after all this time, and I would've love to attend the next one. Sadly however, at 4,500 miles away, I don't think my bus ticket would cover me for the journey! lol
Seriously, much success with all the events - they sound like great fun.
 
Thanks Dave,
Too bad you live so far away, you'd really like this event.
IF you want to follow our antics, check out Tampa Bay Ukulele Society on Facebook.
 
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