Tag Archives: Jam

Cutie Circle’s 12th Birthday Celebration — Music in the Square

In collaboration with the City of Port Coquitlam, Cutie Circle is bringing two world-renowned ukulele artists to Leigh Square for an afternoon of workshops, concerts and a ukulele jam!

Intended for ukulele players and music lovers alike, this event will show the audience some ukulele techniques; entertain via various music genres played through the lens of this happiest instrument on Earth; and engage the community in an open jam for a hearty singalong !

Program

Check-in (for registered attendees who would like to receive workshop and jam packages)

01:00 PM onwards

Workshops

02:00 PM – 03:40 PM

Concerts

03:40 PM – 04:30 PM

Ukulele Jam

04:30 PM – 05:00 PM

Door Prizes

05:00 PM

About the Artists

David Chen

A leading figure in the Ukulele world from Taiwan — performer, author, and educator across Greater China.

He graduated from York University in UK for his master degree, now is the president of Chung Hua International Ukulele Association in Taiwan.

David Chen is a key promoter of the ukulele in the Chinese-speaking world, devoted to music education and international cultural exchange. He has served as a special guest ukulele instructor for companies such as Alibaba Group and Apple Shanghai Headquarters. He is widely recognized as a renowned performer, best-selling author, and educator in Taiwan, China, Singapore and Malaysia.

David is particularly known for his unique “Hawaiian Two-Finger Style,” which has captured attention across the industry. He has held solo ukulele concerts at prestigious venues like Shanghai Concert Hall and Shenzhen Concert Hall, delivering emotionally rich and technically refined performances.
As the founder and organizer of the Taiwan and Shanghai International Ukulele Festivals, David has played a crucial role in fostering the ukulele boom in Greater China, while also promoting deep international collaborations among performers.

He is the author of over seven instructional books, including the best-selling “24 Essential Ukulele Lessons”, the first comprehensive ukulele textbook for Chinese readers, and the highly acclaimed “Perfect Hawaiian Two-Finger Arrangements.”

David’s unique style has made him beloved by ukulele enthusiasts around the world. He has been invited to perform and teach in over 20 countries and cities, including Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe, and the Americas, continuing to spread the charm of the ukulele worldwide.

Always with me

Demo of Two-finger style

Eduardo García

Eduardo is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Mexico who arrived in Vancouver in 2017.

He has been a full time Ukulele Instructor since 2012. He was the founder/director of the Academia de Ukuleles de la Ribera (Lakeside Ukulele Academy), a self-financed music school that provides instruments and free music lessons to all children in his community and that continues to this day.

He was a feature performer at the Vancouver Ukulele Festival in 2018 and 2019; the Ajijic Ukulele Retreat (Mexico) in 2017 and 2019; the Seoul International Aloha Ukulele Festival (South Korea) in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025; the Kamloops Ukulele Festival (Canada) in 2022, 2024 and 2026, the Fort Langley International Ukulele Festival (Canada) in 2025, and was featured in the International spotlight of the Ukulele Festival Hawai’i in 2021, among other online ukulele events organized in Japan, Brazil, Canada and USA.

Autumn Leaves

Undertale

Acknowledgements

We thank the City of Port Coquitlam for financially supporting this event at the beautiful Leigh Square. We are grateful to Louise and James for their generous contribution towards the costs of workshop and jam packages. Special thanks go to Harvey for some of the book prizes.

Event Details

Date: Sunday · July 5, 2026
Time: 2:00 to 5:00 pm
Location: Leigh Square, 2253 Leigh Square Place, Port Coquitlam
Admission: Free

Ticket and Registration:
To receive a free workshop and jam package at the event, register at Eventbrite by June 29:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/music-in-the-square-tickets-1992175794429?

Parking Map: https://maps.portcoquitlam.ca/portal/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=2e0c6ce36b334b1c9aab01b949d5cb8b

Courtesy of City of Port Coquitlam

What to Bring for the Workshops and/or Jam

Participants are encouraged to bring their own ukulele, music stand, digital tuner and clips (or clothes pins) for fastening songsheets.

What to Bring for the Concerts

While there will be benches on site, please feel free to bring chairs or blankets. Also, attendees can feel free to bring hats. There are eateries nearby for a quick snack or beverage.

Cutie Circle’s 11th Birthday Jam

Get ready to celebrate 11 years of cuteness with lots of fun, games, and sweet treats at the Cutie Circle’s 11th Birthday Bash!

Cutie Circle’s Ukulele Jam aboard the Bear Creek Park Train

Welcome to Cutie Circle’s 11th Birthday Bash! Join us for an afternoon filled with fun, laughter, and lots of ukulele. We’ve got exciting train rides aboard Eddy the Engine, door prizes, and awesome train music lined up just for you.

Come celebrate with us in person and make unforgettable memories with all your favourite Cuties. Don’t miss out on the most adorable party of the year!

Be sure to bring your ukulele, music stand, and hat. Train whistle and clothes pins are optional! We’ll be strumming on the train platform and on the train! Songsheets will be provided.

Time

Sunday, July 6, 2025  •  2 PM – 4 PM

Location

Bear Creek Park Train & Mini Golf

13750 88 Avenue
Surrey, BC V3W 3L2

This event is reserved for Cutie Circle members.

Admission is free (or by donation to help offset venue rental).

Seats are limited and only ticket holders will be accommodated.

To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cutie-circles-11th-birthday-bash-tickets-1424944570569

Cutie Circle’s 10th Birthday Jam

Join us on Sunday, May 12, for an outdoor ukulele jam at the beautiful amphitheatre, the Coquitlam Town Centre Park Community Plaza.

The Cutie Circle’s 10th Birthday Jam will be an afternoon of fun with ukulele, hula, and demonstration of instruments made from the trees in Coquitlam.

Thank you for your enthusiastic response. Registration has now closed and all packets have been spoken for as of 4:00 pm on May 11. Spectators and strummers are still very welcome to join but may need to share packets with other attendees.

     

    The Cuties Band will be leading our ukulele jam. We are very honoured that Kalaya’s Dancers will be performing hula, and Larry Parks will be representing the Trees to Instruments Project (aka tree2music) to showcase musical instruments built by local luthiers using trees cut down from the Coquitlam water main project.

    There will be fabulous door prizes (e.g., t-shirts, mugs, an ukulele, etc.).

     

    We thank the City of Coquitlam for renting us the venue.

    Date: Sunday, May 12, 2024
    Time: 1:00 to 4:00 pm
    Place: Coquitlam Town Centre Park Community Plaza [within walking distance from the Lafarge Lake — Douglas Station, part of the Millennium Line of the SkyTrain System.]
    RSVP: Email events@cutiecircle to reserve seats
    What to Bring: Ukulele, Music Stand, Cushion / Chair, Hat / Cap, Water, C’mon Let’s Sing Songbooks
    Parking: See Parking Map below. For more information, visit the City of Coquitlam page: https://www.coquitlam.ca/facilities/facility/details/Town-Centre-Park-84.

     

    We kindly ask attendees to carry their waste with them upon leaving the venue to keep the park tidy for all to enjoy. Thank you.

    We look forward to celebrating our special birthday with you! See you there!

    Summer Picnic Jam to Celebrate Ralph Shaw

    We are celebrating our ukulele friend, Ralph Shaw, founder of the Vancouver Ukulele Circle, who’s visiting from the UK with a picnic jam this Sunday at Bear Creek Park! He is instrumental in building our ukulele community!

    Ralph shares his musings and entertaining musical insights in a regular newsletter that you can subscribe for free here.

    Bring your own snacks and water, hat, ukulele, blanket / chair, and love for Ralph and join us for a grand time to sing and strum. If you have the Vancouver Ukulele Circle song book, please bring it along, too, as most of the songs for the jam will be from that book.

    Ralph, Carol, Harvey, Jen, Ron and Tara will be leading songs!

    Time: Sunday, August 13, 2023. 1:00 to 3:00pm

    What to Bring:

    • ukulele
    • kazoo
    • music stand
    • blanket or chair
    • hat
    • tropical attire (optional but very welcome)
    • lei (optional)
    • Vancouver Ukulele Circle song book and/or song sheets
    • clothes pins, clips, or magnets to fasten song sheets to music stand
    • snacks and water
    • park address / map

    Location: Bear Creek Park, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey, BC V3W 3L1
    We’ll endeavour to gather in the general area as indicated by the NEW LOCATION on the map below. The white box with “///” is where we’ll meet.

    Please keep the park clean by not leaving any waste behind. Thank you for placing garbage into trash cans (available throughout the park).

    New Map

    Views from new spot (near the concession / train station):

    Song List:

    Singin‘ In The Rain Page 174
    Jambalaya  
    Brown-Eyed Girl Page 31
    Dream Lover Page 54
    Bye Bye Blackbird Page 33
    Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue Page 62
    Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight Page 70
    Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)   
    Home for a Rest  
    I‘m Yours Page 100
    It’s Not Unusual   
    Jamaica Farewell Page 105
    On the Sunny Side of the Street Page 153
    It’s Intermission Time  
    King of the Road Page 110
    Puff, The Magic Dragon Page 159
    Raindrops Keep Fallin‘ On My Head Page 161
    Runaway Page 166
    Stand By Me Page 179
    Sea Of Love Page 169
    Take Me Home, Country Roads Page 193
    The Weight  
    Save The Last Dance For Me Page 168
    Under the Boardwalk Page 207
    Tiny Bubbles Page 203
    Til There Was You Page 202
    Y.M.C.A.  
    Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Page 12

     

    See you on Sunday!

    Canada Day Outdoor Ukulele Jam, Parade and Free Lessons in Coquitlam

    Cuties are ready to celebrate Canada Day on July 1 with ukulele players of all ages at the City of Coquitlam’s big birthday bash! Join us between noon and 6pm for some singing and strumming! We thank the City of Coquitlam for hosting this family friendly event once again!

    For the second year in a row, Cuties will parade a ukulele float to partake in the Coquitlam Celebrates Canada Day Parade this year! Come help us strum O Canada!.

    1. Canada Day Parade (11:40 am to 12:30 pm)

    Assemble at 11:40 a.m. at the gravel lot adjacent to the tennis courts.
    The procession starts at 12 noon.

    Please feel free to wear your cultural attire and/or festive red/white Canada Day wear. 

    To sign up for the parade, go to the following Doodle Poll (and include your email address in the comments area):

    https://doodle.com/poll/ibr5ufucpv5xwum9

    2. Outdoor Ukulele Jam (1 to 4 pm)

    Our outdoor ukulele jam starts at 1pm. Bring your songbooks, a chair and your music stand. Come with a song to perform! Meet new friends and sing your heart out on Canada Day!

    3. Free Ukulele Lessons (Noon to 6 pm)

    We will be giving free ukulele lessons from noon to 6pm to all guests wanting to try their hands at a fun and happy instrument.

    Students earn certificates for participating in the ukulele lessons! Come also for some mini ukulele bumper stickers and the multi-colour ukulele hand stamps, too!

    Learn to play “O Canada!” on the ukulele with us!

    Our booth will be located on the Community Drive. Look for the tent with lots of ukuleles, flower leis, music stands and happy smiles!

    See the map below for the Community drive where our tent is located.

    “Named one of the top 20 festivals in Metro Vancouver by Business in Vancouver, this is a free community festival with live music and entertainment, food, beverages, family activities and fireworks.”

    — City of Coquitlam’s Celebrate Canada Day’s webpage

    Event Parking

    Limited parking will be available. We encourage you to walk, bike, carpool or take transit to the event site. A free bike valet will be available to keep your bike safe and secure during the day. Ride the SkyTrain to the Lafarge Lake-Douglas station, it’s located right beside Town Centre Park and is a short walk from the event site.

    A free shuttle bus will run from Glen Eagle Secondary School from 11:30am to 11:30pm. View the parking map below for a list of free public parking in the area.

    See you all there!

    Canada Day Outdoor Ukulele Jam, Parade and Free Lessons in Coquitlam

    Cuties are ready to celebrate Canada Day on July 1 with ukulele players of all ages at the City of Coquitlam’s big birthday bash! Join us between noon and 6pm for some singing and strumming! We thank the City of Coquitlam for hosting this family friendly event once again!

    For the first time, Cuties will attempt to build a ukulele float to partake in the Coquitlam Celebrates Canada Day Parade this year! Come help us decorate our float.

    1. Canada Day Parade (11:40 am to 12:30 pm)

    Assemble at 11:40 a.m. at the gravel lot adjacent to the tennis courts.
    The procession starts at 12 noon.

    2. Outdoor Ukulele Jam (1 to 4 pm)

    Our outdoor ukulele jam starts at 1pm. Bring your songbooks, a chair and your music stand. Come with a song to perform! Meet new friends and sing your heart out on Canada Day!

    3. Free Ukulele Lessons (Noon to 6 pm)

    We will be giving free ukulele lessons from noon to 6pm to all guests wanting to try their hands at a fun and happy instrument.

    Students earn certificates for participating in the ukulele lessons! Come also for some mini ukulele bumper stickers and the multi-colour ukulele hand stamps, too!

    Learn to play “O Canada” on the ukulele with us!

    Our booth will be located on the Community Drive. Look for the tent with lots of ukuleles, flower leis, music stands and happy smiles!

    See the map below for the Community drive where our tent is located.

    “Named one of the top 20 festivals in Metro Vancouver by Business in Vancouver, this is a free community festival with live music and entertainment, food, beverages, family activities and fireworks.”

    — City of Coquitlam’s Celebrate Canada Day’s webpage

    Event Parking

    Limited parking will be available. We encourage you to walk, bike, carpool or take transit to the event site. A free bike valet (11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.) will be available to keep your bike safe and secure during the day. Check out the site map for location. CloseRide the SkyTrain to the Lafarge Lake-Douglas station, it’s located right beside Town Centre Park and is a short walk from the event site.

    A free shuttle bus will run from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between Town Centre Park and Glen Eagle Secondary School. View the parking map for a list of free public parking in the area.

    See you all there!

    Cuties Celebrate Canada 150 in Coquitlam

    Cuties are ready to celebrate Canada 150 on July 1 with ukulele players of all ages at the City of Coquitlam’s big birthday bash! Join us between noon and 6pm for some singing and strumming!

    We will be having an outdoor jam all day and be giving free ukulele lessons to all guests wanting to try their hands at a fun and happy instrument. Students earn certificates for participating in the ukulele lessons! Come also for the multi-colour ukulele hand stamps, too!

    Learn to play “O Canada” on the ukulele with us! Come with a song to perform!

    Our booth will be located on the Community Drive near the basketball courts. Look for the tent that has lots of ukuleles, flower leis, music stands and happy smiles!

    See the map below for the location of our tent.

    “Named one of the top 20 festivals in Metro Vancouver by Business in Vancouver, this is a free community festival with live music and entertainment, food, beverages, family activities and fireworks.”

    — City of Coquitlam’s Celebrate Canada Day’s webpage

    Event Parking

    Limited parking will be available. Event-goers are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or use ​skytrain. A free bike valet service will be available. Ride the SkyTrain’s Evergreen Extension to the Lafarge Lake – Douglas Station, it provides direct access to Town Centre Park.

    A free shuttle bus will run from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between the site and Gleneagle Secondary School and free public parking will be available at:

    See you all there!