Del Rey
Del Rey started playing guitar when she was four years old. At thirteen, she was immersed in the world of folk music, via the San Diego Folk Festival. She has tried to get a whole band onto her solo instrument from the beginning. This gives her music an interesting complexity, especially when applied to the ukulele.
Rags, blues and tunes of the early 20th century are her specialty, even as she writes new music to add to the tradition. Del Rey also has fashion sense that would make Minnie Pearl smile.
Del Rey has taught and played all over the world, and brings her distinctive finger-style approach to guitar and ukulele to her teaching DVDs on Homespun “Boogie-Woogie Guitar” ” The Music Of Memphis Minnie” , “Memphis Uke Party” and “Blue Uke. Her website is www.delreyplays.com and her albums can be found at www.hobemianrecords.com
Dani Joy
When you hear her velvet vocals, you’ll forget your worries and drift away on a cloud, through Latin rhythms and vintage throwbacks. Sometimes haunting, often sweet and delicate, the music created with her finger style ukulele accompaniment is guaranteed to play on your heart strings in all the right ways.
Soon after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (Illustration 2010), her Dad Stu Herreid gave her a ukulele, opening an unexplored world of jazz, songwriting, music theory and endless possibilities on four simple strings. For nearly a decade she has been entrancing audiences across the globe, inviting them in with her velvet vocals and compassionate style of teaching. She has just finished her newest project, an album of original songs in partnership with world-music artist Daniel Ho, titled “Drop In My Flower”.
You can learn more about her here: https://danijoymusic.com/home
Larry Wyatt
Larry Wyatt is a retired Elementary Music Specialist from Hood River, Oregon. He is a Level 3 certified instructor of James Hill Ukulele initiative who has taught Ukulele at the JHUI in Vancouver B.C. Larry has appeared at several ukulele festivals including the Eugene Uketoberfest, Denver Ukefest, the Gorge Ukefest, and Centrum Ukulele Camp in Port Townsend, WA. In addition to ukulele, he also is also a songwriter and performer playing guitar, bass and steel guitar in a variety of ensembles. Most importantly, he loves to play and sing with his friends. This will be Larry’s third year teaching at Menucha Ukulele Band Camp.
Mika Kane
"Mika Kane is a professional 'ukulele artist and educator from the island of O'ahu, Hawai’i. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Music with an 'Ukulele focus and a Masters Degree in Educational Foundations from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Mentored by many of Hawai’i's finest musicians, including Dr. Byron Yasui, Bryan Tolentino, and Ian O’Sullivan, Mika has a prolific background in Classical techniques and interpretation, musical awareness, and music theory with Jazz harmonies. He mostly specializes in fingerstyle playing, adding relevant music theory concepts from his university studies to create a clean, one-of-a-kind sound.
As an educator, Mika has a diverse teaching background, having taught in-person 'ukulele classes at The Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility for four (4) years, a current college lecturer of three (4) years in ‘ukulele at The University of Hawai'i West O'ahu and Windward Community College, and has been invited to teach at festivals/workshops all over the US in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Hawai'i. Mika also teaches private online lessons full-time with students from all over the world. In his free time, he does side work such as podcasts and sound samples for TheUkuleleSite and UkuleleFriend. He also occasionally gigs professionally with Na Hoku Hanohano Award Winner Kala’e Camarillo at various hotels around O’ahu and at private weddings and functions."
You can learn more about him here: https://www.mikakane.com/
Matt Weiner
Big tone and solid rhythm have made Matt Weiner one of the busiest bass players in the Northwest. Inspired by the “prebop” bass players and their music, he’s slapping out a syncopated jazz feel on one tune, on another bowing a folksy melody.
Frequently performing upward of 200 shows per year, Matt can be spotted around Seattle and other places plucking, bowing and slapping his gut-strung bass with Jacob Zimmerman, Ray Skjelbred, Del Rey, Barton Carroll, Bric-a-Brac Trio, Squirrel Butter, Wayne Horvitz, Eli Rosenblatt, Casey MacGill and many others. He has also recorded and performed with The Todalo Shakers, The Hot Club of Cowtown, The Asylum Street Spankers, Butch Thompson, Becky Kilgore, Danny Barnes, Matt Munisteri, Jon-Erik Kellso, Rani Arbo and James Hill.
He was a featured musician in the 2019 production of the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, MA. Less recently, he played the role of bass player Joe B. Mauldin in the 5th Avenue Theatre production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. At The Ukeshack #1, an album of bass and ukulele duets with Del Rey, was released in 2007.
2+ decades of experience has made Matt a highly sought-after teacher. Matt has taught at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, the Yukon Woodshed Acoustic Music Workshop, The Portland Ukulele Festival, The Menucha Ukulele Bandcamp, and 4 different Centrum music camps: the Ukulele Festival, the Country Blues Festival, Voiceworks and the Red Hot Strings Workshop. He teaches bass, electric bass, tenor guitar and beginning guitar private lessons and workshops at Dusty Strings in Seattle, and at his little home in White Center.
Nova Devonie
Nova Karina Devonie is a busy Seattle musician who delights audiences with her sensitive accordion playing, sonorous singing style, and sideways fashion sense. Interested in the amazing connection and communication that music can provide, she loves adding accordion to many styles of music. Nova divides her time between performing in bands, teaching private music lessons, and composing music with David Miles Keenan for the duo Miles and Karina.
Nova has been playing piano accordion since the age of eleven and teaching the instrument since the late 1980’s. Focusing on tunes and technique with a bit of theory thrown in, she aims for fun and ease while moving at a comfortable pace for the student. She utilizes both reading written music and playing by ear, and especially enjoys helping beginners develop good habits and intermediate players broaden their skills. Nova draws from her years of experience listening to and playing with top-notch musicians in a variety of styles.
Nova toured as a member of the cowgirl supergroup Ranch Romance in the early 1990’s and now performs regularly in several Seattle bands, including Miles & Karina, The Buckaroosters, and Rare Birds. Nova has taught at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, California Coast Music Camp, and the Port Townsend Ukulele Festival.
Nicole & Aaron Keim - Artistic Directors
Aaron and Nicole Keim live in Hood River, Oregon with their son Henry, building instruments, playing music, writing books, making art and embracing a hands-on life. Aaron started Beansprout in 2007 with Heidi and Rob Litke (Red Sands Ukulele) in Broomfield, Colorado. They made 100+ instruments before Aaron moved to Oregon to work for Mya-Moe Ukuleles in 2011. While at Mya-Moe under the guidance of Gordon and Char Mayer, Aaron's building skills blossomed while he learned the importance of customer service and keeping a focused shop schedule. Most importantly, they gave Aaron the opportunity to work on the 2000+ instruments that Mya-Moe put out over these years. In the meantime, Aaron developed an interest in domestic/local/salvaged woods, vintage woodworking equipment and traditional hand woodworking techniques. Since re-launching Beansprout, Aaron has consistently produced instruments that play easily and sound great in addition to being carefully built pieces of folk art. Aaron and Nicole continue to perform and teach worldwide and publish books as The Quiet American.