March 24-28, 2025

Join us for a joyous week of all the ukulele goodness! You'll spend 4 nights and 5 days at Menucha with people who love the ukulele in all its shapes, sizes, and who love to play music from many genres. We gather the best instructor/performers who bring a wide variety of musical skills and experience, and they share them generously. Classes, jams, sing-a-longs, pop-up classes, open mic, and an instructor concert - what's not to love?!

Artistic Directors Nicole & Aaron Keim have gathered a stellar faculty for 2025:

 

Del Rey - Dani Joy - Larry Wyatt - Mika Kane

Matt Weiner - Nova Devonie

 

Scroll down to learn more about the 2025 faculty, see examples of the schedule from 2024, and read our attempt to help answer the question "Is Ukulele Band Camp for me?".

Registration will open in October, join the email list to stay updated:

2025 Ukulele Band Camp Faculty

Del Rey

Del Rey holding ukulele

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.

Learn more about Matt...

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.

Learn more about Nova...

 

 

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.

 

Is Ukulele Band Camp for you?

If you are wondering if this camp is for you, please read on.

 

Menucha’s Ukulele Band Camp is offered for advanced-beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. The word “beginner” covers a lot of ground, and the faculty recognize that there will be a range of skills in class and usually provide different parts to accommodate the students. Most teachers expect that the students know more than a few chords and are capable of changing chords smoothly and in rhythm.

We have devised an exercise to help you evaluate what you might want to work on before camp so you get the most out of your musical experience.

 

Try the following exercise in three different keys. Use a metronome!

 

At 60 beats per minute, play each chord four times (four beats per chord). Play the chords without diagrams, that is, by heart.

C – Am – F – G7 – C

It should take 20 seconds. Try it in this key as well:

G – Em – C – D7 – G

Extra Credit: F – Dm – Bb – C7 – F

If you can do this, then you will get the most out of your classroom experience! You might have difficulty making the chord sound beautiful, even though you know how to play it (B-flat anyone?). Not to worry – the teachers can help you with that.

 

If you need to look up any of the chords, then you know what you may want to work on before the camp starts.

Costs to attend are per-person and all-inclusive of all classes and activities, overnight lodging (or site-use fee for commuters), and meals.

Cost is based on how many roommates you'll have. For example choosing double occupancy is reserving a bed in a room that will have 2 people in it.

We use all buildings except The Barn and McCall House for housing during band camp. We do our best to accommodate needs and preferences. Don't hesitate to look around at the buildings and their bedrooms. Most of the single occupancy rooms will have a shared bathroom. Triple and Double occupancy rooms have bathrooms either in the room or right next to the room.

Cost to Attend in 2025

Single Occupancy $1230

Double Occupancy $1030

Triple Occupancy $930

Commuter $788

Lunch-only Commuter $688

At the time of registration you can choose the Optional Purchase Protection which is administered by a separate company. Follow the link to learn more about their terms and if you want to buy it when you register.

You can read Menucha's cancellation policy here.

Questions? Call Lori at (503) 695-2243

2024 Ukulele Band Camp schedule

2024 Ukulele Band Camp Schedule

Purchase Protection

During registration you will have the option to add Purchase Protection from Purchase Protection LLC. "Purchase Protection is not an insurance policy.  It is a service by Purchase Protection LLC that will refund you 100% of your event fees, taxes, and dues should you be prevented by unforeseen circumstances from attending the event."

Please read what is covered and their terms to decide if this is something that you want to add. It is only available at the time of registration. It is an additional cost paid directly to Purchase Protection LLC and not administered by Menucha.

Learn more about Purchase Protection

Read Menucha's cancellation policy here.

 

What does the schedule for band camp look like?

While the 2025 schedule is under construction you can take a look at the 2024 schedule to see what the camp looks like:

 

What does Ukulele Band Camp look like?

Check out some pictures from 2023 and 2024 on our Facebook page linked below.

 

For those who don't have Facebook...click on the date below to go see the pictures that were collected and posted:

 

We had an amazing time at Ukulele Band Camp. The staff was stellar, the students were eager to learn and participate,...

Posted by Menucha Ukulele Band Camp on

 

Monday, April 3, 2023

 

April 2, 2024