Cutie Circle volunteers (aka Cuties) will be offering aspiring ukulele players a free ukulele workshop on Saturday afternoons from October 3 to December 5. Intended for absolute beginners with little to no background in music, this workshop will give participants some basic knowledge to begin a journey into music using the happiest instrument on earth!
We thank the City of Port Coquitlam for offering the beautiful Michael Wright Art Gallery at Leigh Square for this workshop free of charge.
Gathering Place, Leigh Square Community Arts Village
Date: Saturdays, October 3 to December 5, 2015
Time: 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Location: Michael Wright Art Gallery, Gathering Place, 2253 Leigh Square Place, Port Coquitlam
Admission: Free
Pre-registration is strongly advised.
Courtesy of City of Port Coquitlam
Workshop Requirements
Participants are encouraged to bring their own ukulele, music stand, digital tuner and copy of the textbook, Ukulele for Dummies. (Please do not be offended by the title of this rather good publication.)
We have also acquired a few sets of ukuleles, music stands, digital tuners and textbooks (with our personal funds) for loaning to participants who do not own any equipment, upon receipt of a refundable deposit of $55. Please do not mark in (and/or damage) the loaner textbooks (otherwise the deposit will be forfeited). Participants can reserve a set when they register using the form below.
As some of you have asked about the availability of ukuleles in the region, we have made some inquiries at local stores.
Michael Wright Art Gallery, Gathering Place
Ukulele Rental
- Long & McQuade (Port Coquitlam) has a couple of ukuleles in stock for rent at $8/month. Please confirm with the store regarding availability if interested.
Ukulele Sales
- Empire Music has a selection of ukuleles available via its website and has offered us a discount on the ukuleles we purchased for this workshop.
- Long & McQuade (Port Coquitlam) has ukuleles for sale and can offer a payment plan. Please ask for Girard Knox for more information.
- Tom Lee Music (Coquitlam) has offered participants of this workshop a 15% discount on ukuleles and music books. Please contact Dallas Todd at the store and mention you are a participant of this workshop to receive a discount.
Disclosure: We do not receive commission from any of these merchants. They are mentioned here as a service to the participants only.
Scheduling Note and Supplementary Materials
There will be no workshop on October 10 for the Thanksgiving long weekend. Workshop materials will be condensed to accommodate for this closure.
On October 24, the workshop will end early as we will be heading to a concert in Bellingham by one of the ukulele superstars, Jake Shimabukuro, from Hawaii. If you would like to take part, tickets can be obtained from Mount Baker Theatre while they are still available.
On October 29 at 9pm or on October 30 at 12am, please watch the documentary, Mighty Uke, on BC’s Knowledge Network if you have not watched it already.
On October 31, we will have a special Halloween-themed session.
On November 28, there will be no workshop as we have just been notified on October 2 that the Gathering Place will be used to host another function.
Registration
The workshop is currently full and registration is now closed.
As seats are limited, we kindly ask that all who register for this workshop commit to attending all sessions. Participants with full attendance will receive a Certificate of Completion for the workshop. Due to the length of each afternoon session, the workshop is unsuitable for young children. To assist us in our lesson planning, please let us know briefly your music background. Volunteers who are registering to help with the workshop, please indicate availability in the “Music Background / Comments” box.
Cutie Circle 