toronto ukes - corktown | ukulele | lessons | jams | clubs

CORKTOWN UKULELE JAM

UPCOMING

BRIEF BACKGROUND

On January 14, 2009, 28 people with ukuleles braved a road-closing winter storm to gather for the first time at Toronto's legendary Dominion on Queen, hosted by co-founders Steve McNie and David Newland.

As the flagship event of torontoUKES, the Corktown Ukulele Jam has grown to 2,000 active members and become the epicenter of Toronto's unique uke scene.

Since its inception, CUJam is cited for having inspired the formation of ukulele communities in Kingston, Beamsville, Orangeville, Richmond Hill, Welland, Scarborough, Port Dover, the Comox Valley (Vancouver Island) , Martha's Vineyard (Massachusetts), Kitchener, and the University of Waterloo.

Every Monday 8-11pm

8pm workshop (Steve McNie)

9:30-11 hosted open stage and group jam

While we present family events from time-to-time,

The Corktown Ukulele Jam is for 18+ adults

The Tranzac Club

Main Hall

292 Brunswick Avenue

(immediately S of Bloor)

TORONTO "in the Annex" downtown

TTC: two blocks west of Spadina subway stn.

→ MAP

"Best damn jam anywhere!"

Workshop: $12 cash, exact change at the door ($10 with your tŪ card)

FREE after the workshop (around 9:30pm)

Show your valid Tranzac membership at the door

to purchase your tŪcard. Tranzac memberships are

available at the bar: $30 includes a t-shirt and critical

support for one of our city's most valuable cultural institutions.

___________________________________________

torontoUKES presents the reunified Corktown and Annex Ukulele Jams every Monday, 8-11pm at Toronto's Tranzac Club, in the Annex, a stone's throw from great eating, entertainment and the UofT campus.

(we are no longer at either the Paintbox Bistro or Dominion on Queen and no longer Wednesdays)

NEW AND INTERESTED? WE WELCOME YOU

Here's what to do:

1) join our eMail list from the homepage of this site (torontoUKES.com). Our weekly email informs you of specifics on our weekly activities and contains links to register and/or sign up in advance for our weekly open stage. Registration for the Corktown Ukulele Jam is from the eMail, not from this site.

2) keep an eye on our CALENDAR, accessed above in the header menu of this site

3) to get the most from (and contribute to) the experience we offer, please familiarize yourself with our minimum skill requirements

PROGRAM

We're about developing musicianship by finding and honouring "the music within" the songs we play. Our jams focus on style, groove, and relevant theory.

Our format has remained remarkably consistent for almost a decade of weekly events:

a workshop, a group jam, and an open stage.

The Koaloha Workshop with Steve McNie is weekly from 8pm sharp until about 9:30.

Come early to get a decent seat, tuned and ready to go by 8pm. We tune G-C-E-A ("C6 tuning")

Please respect the flow by refraining from talking/practising/noodling while someone has the floor.

Ukuleles only please (other instruments are by invitation only).

Guests without ukuleles are welcome, space permitting. Instrument or not, everyone is expected to pay our workshop fee.

Group Jam playlists are determined by online vote in advance of every jam by those attending.

Open Stage hosts Tony Burns and Brendan O'Malley tie it together with a quirky charm that makes ours the most welcoming, happening open stage anywhere. Sign-up in advance by clicking a link our weekly eMail pertaining to that evening. Please be familiar with our open stage guidelines. If you wish to have a chart for your song projected, create it using this powerpoint chart template and adhere strictly to our formatting. Give your chart on a usb memory stick to Tony Burns immediately after the workshop.

▶ MEDIA COVERAGE | ▶ THEME NiTES + SPECIAL EVENTS | ▶ KEVIN FOX UKULELE SERIES

▶ PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS | ▶ PORTRAITS | ▶ VIDEO HIGHLIGHT S I | ▶ V IDEO HIGHLIGHTS II

Corktown Ukulele Jam members prefer Koaloha

available at BROADWAY MUSIC and THE TWELFTH FRET

THEME NiTES

Once per month, a theme connects the focus of the workshop and an extended open stage line-up of up to 17 performers. The workshop is $6 and the open stage is $3. Themes vary from once per month but generally fall into one of these categories: Music of a genre, of an artist, relating to a calendar event or holiday, music that emerges from a common idea or concept. Refer to our calendar for a schedule of upcoming theme nites which typically occur on the first Wednesday of each month.

→ complete history of past themes

SKILL

Our workshops and group jams assume at least some playing experience: the ability to fluidly transition between the 8-10 basic chords and sense for consistent rhythm and some strum technique. Absolute beginners are encouraged to first attend one of our UKE-101 introductions to the the ukulele in order to contribute and glean from the CUJam experience.

→ more about skill