Father and Son Ukesters Greg and Jonah Price

What does the UPS man do in his spare time? Well if you're Greg Price you make ukuleles. I first ran into Greg and his son Jonah while performing my magic show at Seaport Village. They were watching my show because Jonah is an aspiring magician. The fact that all three of us are ukulele players was just an added bonus. Seeing them again at the San Diego Ukulele Festival was a pleasant surprise. Greg is known for his cigar box ukuleles and for his gourd ukuleles. Cigar box ukes have been around for a long time. I've even built a few myself. But gourd ukuleles???!!! Greg is the only one I know of making 'em. And they sound wonderful! You can find out more about Greg's gourd ukuleles here and his cigar box ukuleles here. You're gonna love them!

Next up is Greg's talented son Jonah. Jonah and I share an interest in magic. In fact it was after watching my show that we first met. Then he saw my ukulele case sitting next to my show rig. What are the odds of meeting someone who shares your interest in both magic and ukes? Jonah was a member of the Magic Castle Junior Magicians. He is also one talented musician. Playing guitar and piano as well as the ukulele he's a triple threat. You can hear his music over at his YouTube channel here. And, if you're looking to add a little magic to your day you can see some of Jonah's magic at his YouTube channel here. Thanks Jonah and Greg for being part of the chalkboard ukulele experience. I'll see you on the streets!

Fred Shields Ukuleles

While strolling around the San Diego Ukulele Festival I heard a voice call out, "Hey, aren't you a magician?" It was none other than San Diego uke maker Fred Shields. Fred is a one-of-a-kind ukulele craftsman. In addition to the standard soprano, concert, and tenor models he also makes Tahitian, oval, triangle, teardrop, paddle, backpacker, and banjo models. His banjo model is all wood instead of having a skin head. It reminds me of the old Gretsch Camp Ukes. He's also the guy who made the custom ukulele Boone plays. You can find his ukes at my favorite guitar shop, Moze Guitars over in La Mesa. Do yourself a favor and head over to Fred's facebook page and see the interesting ukuleles he's made. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fred-Shields-Ukuleles. You just might end up asking him to make a custom one for you!

SD Ukulele Festival Star Derick Sebastian

While hanging out in the sun at the SD Ukulele Festival my wife grabbed my arm and said, "Did you hear Derick Sebastian play? You should get him on the chalkboard ukulele!" Never one to miss an opportunity, I waited patiently in line with his other fans and asked him to draw a little something on the uke. He was laughing the whole time he drew his big-eared creature. It seems that his family says he has no artistic talent! I think he did a great job. He also did a great job at the ukulele festival. He shared the stage with Jake Shimabukuro, did a set of his own, and taught a couple of workshops. A week later he was in Arizona playing the national anthem at a Diamondback's game. Derick is one busy guy. You can keep up with him over at his site http://www.dericksebastian.com/ Enjoy!

Jim D'Ville - Chalkboard Ukulele by Ear

While at the San Diego Ukulele Festival Mike DeSilva was again nice enough to introduce me to ukulele instructor Jim D'Ville. In addition to being a wonderful ukulele player Jim is best know for his 'Play Ukulele by Ear' DVDs. While I haven't viewed his DVDs I have perused his blog. I'm a big fan of his '3 Chord Club.' It's amazing how many songs use just three chords. You can see that Jim drew a big '5' on the headstock of the ukulele and a 'circle of fifths' around the soundhole. While playing music can be a lot more complicated than that three chords are a great place to start. And, Jim D'Ville will get you off with the right start. Check out his blog, Play Ukulele by Ear. You'll be glad you did.

Ukulele Virtuoso James Hill

While at the San Diego Ukulele Festival Mike DaSilva was nice enough to introduce me to the talented James Hill. Hailing from Langley, British Columbia, Canada (check out the maple leaves on the ukulele) Ukulele James began playing the uke as a school boy. It was mandatory in many Canadian schools. How cool is that? As a teenager he honed his skills as a member of the Langley Ukulele Ensemble. He then went on to co-author the book Ukulele in the Classroom with J. Chalmers Doan, the very teacher that pioneered the use of the ukulele to teach music to Canadian school children. But that's just the back story. His real talent is his playing and composing. Rafe Mair of Vancouver's 600Am has called him "one of the world's top composer for the ukulele and probably the best player on the planet." His YouTube videos have had over 150,000 views. He's constantly in demand for for concerts and music festivals. If you know about the ukulele then you know about James Hill. If you need to know more you can find it at his website www.ukulelejames.com and you can see his custom tenor ukulele over at DaSilva Ukuleles. And, as James like to say, "Uku-Lel-Eh!"

Ukulele Luthier Michael DaSilva

While at the San Diego Ukulele Festival I reintroduced myself to Berkeley ukulele maker Mike DaSilva. I met Mike several years ago at another uke fest here in town. Mike took the time to sketch a nice beach scene complete with palm trees and hammock. Unfortunately, I took the photos in the bright sun and most of the detail isn't visible. Sorry Mike. Have you heard about DaSilva Ukuleles? His ukuleles are amazing works of art and craftsmanship. I had a chance to strum a few jazz chords on his prototype archtop ukulele. Absolutely fantastic! Every instrument he builds is top of the line. His ukuleles range from traditional Hawaiian and mainland models to whimsical and artistic to innovative bamboo and carbon fiber ukuleles. And he's a big supporter of the ukulele scene in the Bay Area. His ukulele workshop hosts concerts and ukulele lessons. In addition to being one of the most creative ukulele makers, Mike is also an all around nice guy. He was very helpful in arranging a couple of guest artists for the chalkboard ukulele. Thanks Mike. Please take a little time and check out the amazing DaSilva Ukuleles at http://www.ukemaker.com/

San Diego Ukulele Festival

Dateline San Diego - I spent a wonderful day at the San Diego Ukulele Festival. I got things started by checking in with festival organizer Jan Hatch. She was kind enough to use the chalkboard ukulele to help promote the event. With an all star line up that include headliners Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill, as well as Ukulele Bartt, Derick Sebastian, Fred Thompson and the Ukulele Orchestra of Southern California, Uncle Dave, James D'Ville, Sarah Maisel, Ukulele Ray, Ronnie Seno, Brad Norris, Erich Blase and Bassman Mike, the Kalama Brothers and Mitch Chang there was a great assortment of music to listen to. There were also quit a few ukulele vendors there as well. Whether one was an experienced ukulele veteran or a first time strummer there was a ukulele wait for you to play. I avoided UAS, ukulele acquisition syndrome, and left with a DVD of The Mighty Uke and a Rhythm Ring for my strumming hand. Liberty Station (the former Naval Training Center) was a great venue for the event. The large grassy mall and the sea breeze made for a wonderful time. Although I couldn't spend as much time at the festival as I would have liked, I did manage to get a few guest artists to pose with the chalkboard ukulele. I'll be posting more updates as I have time to write them. Stay tuned, I think you will enjoy what's coming up. In the mean time, check out the San Diego Ukulele website to see what you missed. And, bookmark their site so that you will be ready for the 2012 festival. http://www.sandiegoukefestival.com/