Swallow Hill presents the first-ever Colorado Ukulele Festival

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Contact: Rodolfo Betancourt
rudy@swallowhillmusic.org
Laura McGaughey
laura@swallowhillmusic.org
303.765.2488

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Denver — Swallow Hill Music Association is pleased to present present a unique festival for ukulele lovers on Saturday, February 9, starting at 10 a.m. This one-day event will give participants a lot of bang for their buck. There will be morning and afternoon ukulele workshops, jamming and open stages in the café, ukulele builders and vendors, a film screening of "Rock That Uke," and an evening concert in Daniels Hall.

The workshops and evening concert will be headed up by some of the most innovative ukulele artists in the country. Del Rey at the Uke Shack will headline the show and Del Rey will be delivering a blues-themed workshop dubbed "Blue Uke." Her live show is full of complex guitar grooves and sly humor. In addition to her live performance career, Del Rey presents a concert/lecture on women musicians called Women in American Music and is a music writer who contributes to various publications, including Acoustic Guitar magazine. Lil' Rev, who was named Best Folk Singer in Wisconsin in 2004 by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry, specializes in blues, rags, folk, old-time country, and original instrumental music for the ukulele. His workshop will cover country/old-time styles.

Some of Colorado's brightest stars are also on the bill for the event. Boulder Acoustic Society will perform together and several members are also doing workshops, from Kailin Yong's "Ukulele 101" to "Improvisation" with Brad Jones and more. In addition, Zebra Junction will host an open stage and a "One Man Band Uke" workshop, Ukulele Loki and the Gadabout Orchestra will have you picking with the "Strum Along" workshop, and The Ukulele Orchestra will teach you the best in "Ukulele Rhythm Techniques."

Bill Robertson's film, "Rock That Uke," will premiere at the Colorado Ukulele Festival and the screening is open to anyone with a Festival ticket/pass of any value. The film explores the history of the instrument and its modern-day renaissance in finding its way back to the hipster/experimental/art music scene. Vendors such as the Denver Folklore Center, Palm Tree Ukes, Bean Sprout and Jim Beloff's Flea Market Music will be on hand all day to participate and offer the best in ukuleles and uke-lover accessories.

VIP pass holders will have access to all the Festival events, including a special after-party with the artists. This party provides the opportunity to socialize in an intimate atmosphere with other uke fans as well as jam and learn with some of the best ukulele musicians in the nation. An event unlike any other for an instrument that has evolved into a favorite of the most eclectic artists of our time, ukulele enthusiasts would be remiss to not take part.

For tickets and the full Colorado Ukulele Festival schedule visit www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003. This press release is available as a RSS Feed at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/xml/newsroom/rss/SwallowHillNews.xml.

About Swallow Hill Music Association
Helping people make music since 1979 years, Swallow Hill Music Association is one of the largest institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. With more than 2,100 members—some of whom are also volunteers—Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 150 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. The Julie Davis Music School at Swallow Hill provides a valuable and affordable extra-curricular educational resource to the community with more than 50 music instructors involved in more than 240 adult classes and 70 children's classes annually. A Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Swallow Hill has won both the Mayor's and Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, countless "Best of Denver" awards, has been recognized by the the North American Folk Alliance, and is one of the most sought-after venues by folk and roots performers in the country.

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