‘Ukuleleist
‘Ukulelelist
Liz has been an ‘ukulelist and ukulele teacher for the past 10 years. She has been teaching group classes, private lessons, and workshops - in person and online in her private studio and with the historic Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Sherwood Music School, and NYC’s Midori & Friends. She has studied how the instrument interacts with different stages of development, from pre-school to high school, and adults at every level of musicality. She believes learning the ‘ukulele is an open doorway to understanding and appreciating music, while it is an endless hallway of versatility and color for musicians to develop their musicianship in all genres. She believes in the sweet, warm power of the ‘ukulele to create community and harmony,
“‘Danielle gave us a call about three hours before Uke Fest saying, ‘I can’t make it. All the planes have landed.’ And this is the blessing she delivered us,” Schaffer said Saturday night, gratefully thanking Liz Chidester after one of the great pinch-hitting performances in the annals of ukedom.”
‘Ukulele Workshops
‘Ukulele 101
A lot of people who pick up the ‘ukulele on their own may not realize until it’s too late that they didn’t start their journey on a smooth path! It is important to take those first steps carefully and with guidance. This workshop will give any new player the tools to enjoy playing the ‘ukulele for the rest of their life. With attention to holding the instrument with relaxation, tuning, approaching chords, strumming, and chart reading, this is an essential workshop for anyone who wants to play the ‘ukulele.
‘Ukulele and the Voice
How does someone sing and play at the same time? In this workshop, we will explore a method to approach being able to sing while playing, both elements being at their strongest potential. We will explore the basics of the voice, and how an ‘ukulele players technique for strumming and executing chords relates the breath and phrasing.
Fingerstyle ‘Ukulele and Reading Tablature
Fingerstyle ‘ukulele is endlessly rewarding skill. Being a versatile instrumentalist, you can harness rhythmical and melodic playing simultaneously. Being able to read sheet music is valuable, but there are other ways musicians have found to communicate melody and rhythm. In this workshop, we will learn the basics on how to read tablature to start an ‘uke player’s journey to playing chords and melodies.
COMING IN SPRING 2024 - ‘Yoga for Singers’ and ‘Yoga for Musicians’
The practice of yoga has many benefits for the body, mind, and spirit, and can also help you access your deepest breath control and relaxation for optimal singing and musicianship. In these yoga sessions, we will focus on connecting movement and breath to sound to create freedom in the voice and conscious relaxation for optimal instrument playing technique.