LA Expo Update

quiltingshirley

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Well, it took place yesterday with just over a thousand of my close ukulele friends. We didn't break the record but we sure had a good time. Thought I'd post a picture or two. I'm sure others that were there have more to say.

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I got there very early (7AM) to get a good parking space anticipating that we very well could make the record (sorry we didn't, but there's always next year). Shmoozed with some of the volunteers as they waited for their check-in to start. Have to thank Kathy for teaching me the proper strum for "Pineapple Mango" because I had learned my own strum.

I planned to spend most of the day, did not do to any of the classes, but went through the vendor section thoroughly. Was very impressed with, oops don't remember the company name, they were first or second on the right inside the entry door. They had what I thought was a great idea for stringing the bridge; the string holes go through the bridge and the top, the string is fed down through, grab it from inside the sound hole, make a good knot and pull it back from the top to tighten. The idea is to have the tension of the string pull up on the top from underneath against the underside of the bridge, basically changing the tension from horizontal to vertical so the bridge is not being pulled sideways toward the neck, but pulled down to the top. I might even try that on one of my ukes.

The good things in the day were all the volunteers who helped put together the record attempt by not only checking in and guiding everyone to their place, but also each taking the time to show their group how to play "Pineapple Mango". I also liked the various uke groups who played through the afternoon. I was a member of the Westside Ukulele Ensemble but had to drop out. I did video their performance for YouTube, they're an excellent instrumental group. I spent a little time in the free sessions in the U-Space shop, which was done well. By then I was getting tired (still recuperating from a hip replacement) so I took off.

A couple suggestions for next year; make the record attempt later in the day, 10AM seemed a little too early to get enough people, also, have more food trucks, the one that was there did not have a handle on service, they basically made one order at a time, you ordered, they took their time to make it, not taking any other orders, served that one, then went to the next person in line. Took forever to get something.
 
I am glad to hear this may become an annual event - or at least that it may happen again next year. I wanted to go but am out of town. Hopefully next year's instructors will be great too. :)
 
I only learned of it the night before, and unfortunately I've been too behind on personal projects from having jury duty the last 2 weeks, so I couldn't go =(

Yes, another improvement they need to make is get the word out a lot earlier in the year and to many more people. I was disappointed that more people didn't show up. I'm hoping it is annual, but that will probably be determined by how well the vendors did. I do plan on attending the seminars next time.
 
Yes, another improvement they need to make is get the word out a lot earlier in the year and to many more people. I was disappointed that more people didn't show up. I'm hoping it is annual, but that will probably be determined by how well the vendors did. I do plan on attending the seminars next time.

Well I'm not the most informed on events. I miss a lot of things :)
 
Well I'm not the most informed on events. I miss a lot of things :)

One of the best reasons for getting out and playing with a group.
Many ukulele events suffer from general publicity. The community seems big to many of us, but it is a rather small community and the cost of advertising is high.
There are events I missed from not knowing about it, sometimes it does feel like a secret handshake society.

Saturday was a fun day and it is a shame we did not make the record, but there is always next year.
 
One of the best reasons for getting out and playing with a group.
Many ukulele events suffer from general publicity. The community seems big to many of us, but it is a rather small community and the cost of advertising is high.
There are events I missed from not knowing about it, sometimes it does feel like a secret handshake society.

Saturday was a fun day and it is a shame we did not make the record, but there is always next year.

Well I generally shy away from group gatherings and the like, I don't like crowds in general.

As a mountain unicyclist, I know what small communities are like. For me, ukulele is a big community haha.
 
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