 | | | From left: Ukulele students Austin Herting, Cooper Vashel, Ty Herting, and Chase Vashel strum along with instructor Vincent Lay. Photo John T. Miller | | | | | | Talented musician and teacher Vince Lay is running ukulele camps as part of the Music Coop's programs in Lafayette.
Located on Golden Gate Way, the ukulele camp is turning children on to the versatile Hawaiian instrument with classes that meet from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for two hours each day.
In their week of camp, the students learn to play "Demons," by Imagine Dragons, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," by the Tokens, and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"-the version made famous by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo?ole.
They will give a concert that's open to family and friends on July 28, but the current students chimed in that they weren't quite willing to perform for anyone other than family just yet.
"We cover basic chord structures and give the students an introduction to the ukulele," says Lay. The four-string instrument is officially pronounced "oo ka lay lay" in Hawaiian, but Lay uses the Western pronunciation, even though he's been corrected many times.
Lay spent 10 years at the Red House Music Studios in Walnut Creek, heading youth summer programs and youth and adult rock band programs and workshops.
An accomplished guitarist and songwriter, he has performed with multiple bands in the Bay Area for the last 20 years. He's released 16 full-length albums and played in 46 states throughout the United States.
For more information, or to sign up for a ukulele camp, call Lay at (925) 407-6639, or he can be reach at Vincelaymusic@gmail.com, or at Music Coop website Mymusiccoop.com. Cost for the weeklong session is $200.
The Music Coop has studios in Lafayette and Walnut Creek. More information on the organization will be in the next issue of the Lamorinda Weekly.
|
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA