The Uke Box is Back in Town

We just returned from the Irish Ukulele Festival in Dublin and it was amazing! Everything from the venue to the performers, the workshops, events, vendors, sound system, food.... was wonderful! There have been lots of great events this summer but this was really really well done. Plus, i LOVE Dublin! We just can't wait to go back.

Here are some of the amazing performers that were to be seen & heard during the festivities: Ukulelezaza, Peter Delaney, Gus & Fin, Winin Boys, Vertigo Smyth, Steven Sproat, Andrew Robinson and The Ukuhooleys..

We also performed, did a beginners workshop (for 40+ folks...wow!) and set up "The Jumping Flea Market". (Photographs and Video yet to come.) We sold really well. I'm almost completely sold out of all my homemade musical items. So much work to do to build up the inventory but i'm looking forward to that.

An article from The Irish Times. Click to ZOOM!
Well, Dublin was the last large fest for the season. The coming months we have several dates for workshops and performances within Holland. We will be taking this time at home to make musical plans for this upcoming season. Really curious how things will develop from here. Last year we estimate that we taught over 500 folks their first ukulele chords in Rotterdam alone. Now were developing projects so that these people can get together to play and learn and have big ukulele fun! We're also trying to figure out how to carry on with the Monthly Ukulele Jamboree which started out humbly but now has the venue busting at it's seams. One thing is for sure...we need sponsors! Anyway, it's all very exciting.

But, the thing i'm most looking forward to personally is building more Cigarbox Instruments. I'd love to be able to do a set where we only play the instruments we've built ourselves. I want to build a sopranino uke, a concert uke and a mini 5 string banjo. Just for starters. I love the thought of long dreary winter days spent upstairs building wonderful things.