Vancouver Ukulele Circle

 

Ukulele events are starting to pop up all over the place in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Here are the Classes and Clubs and jams we know about. This page also includes Out of Town regular events. You can see the Vancouver and Lower Mainland events and class start dates on a Calendar at the bottom of this page.

Classes

Vancouver, Downtown: Ruby's Ukes

Since September 2009 Ruby's Ukes is Vancouver's Ukulele school with classes, workshops & Vancouver's Ukulele festival. A Ukulele haven for all those interested in learning, playing, & buying all things Ukulele.....As featured on CBC national Radio Documentary "Four little Strings".

10 week Ukulele Courses extraordinaire are run three times per year, January, April and September.  There are 4 levels: Absolute beginners, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. From no musical experience at all, to learning to play jazz solos on the Ukulele! With Guido Heistek and Ruby at the helm. Private Ukulele lessons and intimate learning pods available. Also available is a two hour "Uke Can Play" Ukulele Workshop to book for your office, event or group of friends!

Please visit the Ruby's Ukes website for more descriptions, dates, prices and registration. Or contact "Ruby" at daphneroubini@gmail.com or  (604) 408 2290

"Uke Can" Saturday Workshop Series 2012 Once a month on a Saturday 2pm-4pm $35. For dates, descriptions and registration, go to http://ukecanworkshopseries.eventbrite.ca.

(Who's Ruby?  Daphne Roubini used to be called "Ruby" by her friends at school!)

North Delta and Tsawwassen (or your own area): Gary Cyr

Teacher Gary Cyr was featured in this "Fun With Four Strings" article in the Surrey Leader. Using the James Hill Ukulele in the Classroom method, Gary's classes will explore the many elements of music including melody, harmony, rhythm, etc. as well as developing skills such as singing, picking, strumming and more. These classes will be using C6 tuning.  

Firehall Centre for the Arts in North Delta
Wednesday nights 6:30 - 7:30 PM 

Kennedy Senior's Recreation Centre in North Delta
Three ongoing classes on Fridays 10am-2pm

Tsawwassen Arts Centre
Saturdays, 11:00am - noon 

NEW CLASS ! 
Tsawwassen's KinVillage West Court
Tuesday evenings 7:15 - 8:15  

For more information on these classes or to start a group class in your own area please call Gary at (604) 594-1485 or e-mail garycyr@telus.net

Chilliwack Academy of Music

The Chilliwack Academy of Music offers two levels of 4-week classes. Find dates, cost and contact info at http://www.chilliwackmusic.com/group-classes/adults or phone 604.792.0790.


Clubs and Jams near Vancouver, BC

Vancouver, Kitsilano: Kits Community Centre

Heather Stubbs organizes the Ukulele Jams sessions offered at the Kitsilano Community Centre, starting on Jan 14, 2012. They will be once a month, on the second Saturday, from 2:00 - 3:30. These jams will be at a novice/intermediate level, and many of the participants play on D6 ukes, so there will be tons of songs in the key of D & G. You're invited to join them! Cost is $3/drop in. Bring your uke & a stand, and $5 for a songbook. Register at Kits Community Centre. ($6.00/3 sessions).

For April only, the Kitsilano Uke Jam will be held on Sunday April 15th, instead of the usual Second Saturday.  Same time 2:00 (come early to set up/tune up) and same place—Kitsilano Community Centre 

Vancouver, Victoria-Fraserview: Hawaiian Ukes

Pam Holley organizes a small group that meets on a weekday every month or two, at someone's house or a park, to sing Hawaiian and hapa-haole songs. If you'd like to be on Pam's email list, contact her at holleypam@hotmail.com.

Vancouver, West End: Hey Uke

This group meets on the first Tuesday of the month in the West End. Please contact Anne at anne.carten@gmail.comto see if there is space available, or to get more information 

South Surrey /White Rock Ukulele Circle

Gary Cyr and Braden Deans organize the group meeting at Semiahmoo House, 15306 24th Ave in Surrey, off King George Hwy. Fourth Saturday every month, 2pm-4pm. $2 donation. Bring music stand and vanukes songbook if you have them. You can check out their facebook page.
Contact: Gary Cyr

New Westminster: Heritage Ukulele Club

Gordon Smithers runs the Heritage Ukulele Club, which meets Monday evenings 6-8pm, at the Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia st, New Westminister.  Beginners are always welcome. Here's their facebook page.

Maple Ridge: Kanaka Creek Coffee

Pam Burns organizes this jam on Wednesdays, 5.30pm - 7.30pm at Kanaka Creek Coffee, #101-24155 102nd Avenue, Maple Ridge (left at 240th/Lougheed, right on 102nd) Maple Ridge. Tel: 604 463 6727.

Chilliwack - Decades Coffee Club

"Uke Club 3.0" meets every Wednesday from 7-9 pm at Decades Coffee Club, 45846 Wellington Avenue.  Find cost and contact info at http://www.chilliwackmusic.com/group-classes/adults or phone 604.792.0790.  


Out of town regular events

Victoria: Camosun College

Camosun College, Lansdowne Campus has Ukulele Get Togethers on Wednesday nights 7- 9pm.  Joseph Ho at  camosun.ukulele.singers@gmail.com 

Victoria: Larsen Music Store

Larsen Music Store at 1808 Cook St has an ‘incredible’ employee named Paul Laverick who is the Uke master there. He provides lots of lessons, and organizes other special events and performances for Larsen. www.larsenmusic.ca or 250 389 1988. He also runs the Ukulele Ensemble which meets every 2nd Saturday at the Orange hall from 10 to Noon. 

Victoria: Mighty Little Uke Band

Strum-along opportunities: The last Monday of each month, a group called the Mighty Little Uke Band, led by Diamond Tooth Molly, gathers at the Fernwood Inn around 6pm for a bite to eat, then 7- 9 pm for their Strum-A-Long Show. The last few months there have been upwards of 35 ukulele players having a ball playing together. They meet again on the 2nd Thursday of the month at the Royal Canadian Legion, 411 Gorge Rd. East from 7- 9 pm. The Mighty Little Uke Band has just published a wonderful songbook complete with the ukulele chords for each song, in both C and D tunings!  Hot off the press, the coil bound book costs $20.

Victoria: Monterey Ukulele Strummers

This very welcoming ukulele club meets at the Monterey Centre, 1442 Monterey Av. in Oak Bay on Mondays from 1- 3 pm. Membership to join the centre and all its activities was $40 this past year. The ukulele club, led by Jamyang Lodto, is apparently the oldest continually operating ukulele club in the world! See Monterey section under http://www.bcukulele.org/clubs_and_groups.html for further information. Monterey Centre- Phone 250 370 7300, website http://recreation.oakbaybc.org/page/2/?s=Monterey+Centre&submit=Search.

Williams Lake

Visiting the Cariboo? Join the Williams Lake Ukulele group on Wednesday mornings September to June from 10 to 12 at the Arts Centre (old fire hall) beside City Hall. All skill levels attend this strummin' and singin' fest.
Contact: Sheila Wyse

Clubs and Jams other places

The idea was to provide a list of uke clubs in places our members might be likely to visit, but these two sites already have an extensive list of clubs and players. 
Ukulele Universe listing of clubs seems to be from 2004
Jim Beloff's Fleamarket Music lists clubs and players

One site missing from Jim Beloff's list is the Portland Ukulele Association (PUA, of Portland, Oregon), a very friendly group that has put on a great annual Ukefest since 2006.

Calendar

Gary Cyr, image by Hansol

Gary Cyr, image by Hansol

Guido Heistek, image by Hansol

Daphne Roubini, image by Hansol

Daphne Roubini, image by Hansol

Pam Burns, image by Hansol

Gordon Smithers, image by Hansol

Gary Cyr, image by Hansol

Pam Holley

Sarah MacKinnon, image by Hansol

Thanks to Hansol Kim for most of the previous group of photos on this page

Jamyang Lodto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page was last modified on March 18, 2012. 
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