Updated: Cedar City hits on all four strings: Ukulele Bootcamp strums into town

Students learn ukulele. Undated. | Photo courtesy of ukuleleplay.com, St. George News

CEDAR CITY — Ukulele Bootcamp offers a chance to get jump-started on one of today’s most popular instruments.

Students learn to tune, hold, chord, strum and sing along with their ukulele and all the basics needed to get started on a life filled with ukulele bliss.

“One of the things I love about the ukulele is that it gets people participating in music in an active way; children, teens, adults and seniors,” Ukulele Bootcamp creator and teacher M. Ryan Taylor told the Utah County Daily Herald.

In the U.S. alone, there were 1.5 million ukuleles sold last year, up from about a half million ukuleles in 2009.

“[The ukulele is] sort of a lightning rod for community,” James Hill, a ukulele player and educator, said.

The current wave of ukulele performers can be traced back to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s cover of “Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World,” which became popular in 2004. It opened up people’s ears to the sound on a large scale.

Since then it has been used more and more in recordings. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder produced a full album of ukulele songs. Twenty-One Pilots did a viral cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” using only a ukulele. Vance Joy, Jason Mraz, Train and many more have all included ukulele in their lineup.

“My father was a junior high band director, so I’ve been in music for most of my life,” Taylor said, “but I’d always thought of the ukulele as a novelty instrument, at least until I saw Jake Shimabukuro’s viral rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on YouTube. … That video pretty much single-handedly changed my concept of what the ukulele could be and sparked my interest; I got a ukulele and then I got a bit obsessive-compulsive about it.”

Event details

  • What: Ukulele Bootcamp.
  • When: Saturday, March 31, 9:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  • Where: Cedar City Library in the Park, 303 N. 100 East, Cedar City.
  • Details: Advanced tickets are $44 – $49.50, Day of event tickets are $55. To purchase tickets, click here.

Ed. note: The date of this event has been changed from the original date of March 24 to March 31.

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3 Comments

  • M Ryan March 23, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    The event will actually take place on March 31st.

    • Avatar photo Paul Dail March 23, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      * Ryan, thank you for contacting us. We have updated the article with the new date and will repost it on Facebook with a note to that effect.

      Best of luck with your event.

      Paul Dail
      ST. GEORGE NEWS / CEDAR CITY NEWS
      Editor, Reporter

  • M Ryan March 23, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    See https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3336513 for event date.

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