On Sunday, September 10th, Fabric of Life held a “Singing Ukulele Retreat”. The event was a gathering of 30 ukulele players who, for one day, became a community of musicians dedicated to improving their skills and making music together.

We are excited for the opportunity to offer this musical program as part of our ongoing efforts to preserve and promote traditional skills that enrich our daily lives.  People have always made music, but in our modern world most people are passive listeners rather than active music makers.  Both singing and playing ukulele are easy and accessible to anyone who wishes to discover how enjoyable and rewarding it is to be a musician.

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Most ukulele workshops offer the chance to learn new songs and skills to improve playing technique, and this was no exception.  But even though the ukulele is most often used to accompany singing, attention to vocal technique is often overlooked in group settings to ukulele players. In this retreat, we paired the two together to produce a fun-filled afternoon .

Stu Fuchs opened the day with a session on mindfulness and musicmaking. This introductory session combined some playing, singing and mindfulness practice to get everyone in the mood. Then the group was split into two groups to practice each set of skills separately. Stu led participants in improving their playing technique using easy and fun songs while Justina Golden focused on vocal technique and understanding how the voice works with the power of one’s breath.

In the evening, the group came together for a delicious supper prepared by our host Becky Ashenden. We enjoyed a mini concert where Stu and Justina each did a short performance, followed by the group singing and strumming the tunes they learned during the day.

This workshop enabled musicians of varying skill levels to work with professional teachers and performers at the beautiful Bassett Homestead in Shelburne, MA. During the Singing Ukulele Retreat, we received many favorable comments from participants who learned new techniques, made new connections with other musicians, and enjoyed this very special day.

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Meet our Singing Ukulele Instructors

Stu Fuchs is a lifelong musician, award-winning teaching artist blending mindfulness practice and creative play.  He has presented his ukulele workshops and concerts at ukulele festivals around the world and has performed classical and gypsy jazz guitar with symphony orchestras.  Stu blends accessible mindfulness practices with playful holistic music instruction at his “ukulele zen” workshops and retreats.  He was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for his work bringing healing music to cancer patients.  Stu recorded and toured with renowned sacred chant artist Snatam Kaur, playing on her  “Best New Age” Grammy award nominated album “Beloved”.  Stu continues to offer weekly lessons and music inspiration at his YouTube channel Ukulele Zen.

Justina Golden is a singer and vocal teacher since 1986.  She fell madly in love with teaching, trying to explain how to wield something invisible that has the power to transform lives.  She has taught individuals, small groups, and choirs, turning good singers into professional singers.  Justina also toured for 12 years in a singer/songwriter duo, taught voice at the Dar Williams “Writing a Song That Matters” workshop, and has taught at the Northampton Community Music Center and Smith College.  She now teaches in Florence, MA at her Profound Sound Voice Studio.

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About Fabric of Life

Fabric of Life is a 501(c)3 not for profit educational organization dedicated to the preservation and passing on of knowledge and skills that enrich our daily lives. We strive to see traditional skills flourish in our modern world and make these educational opportunities available to future generations. Working together creating practical things of beauty not only improves quality of life, but also strengthens communities.

We hope our work brings joy to your life!

Should you feel moved to do so, we always welcome tax-deductible donations toward our mission.

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