Cahoots
UMS 101: All About the Uke
Immerse yourself in the virtuosity of the ukulele (or “uke”), an instrument rich with tradition that originated in Hawai’i in the 1800s.
This 90-minute workshop led by Mike Brooks and featuring members of Ann Arbor’s popular Brain Plasticity Ukulele Collective, will provide some background and context for Jake Shimabukuro’s Holidays in Hawai’i on Friday, December 8. Participate in activities and make music together in a fun, casual setting. Feel free to bring your own ukulele if you have one.
Tickets to the Holidays in Hawai’i performance are sold separately.
UMS 101 workshops are related to mainstage performances on the UMS season. Workshops are tailored for audience members who want to familiarize themselves with or deepen their understanding of a particular genre and performing artist in a fun, casual learning environment.
Each UMS 101 workshop is facilitated by a professional, community-based practicing artist/educator and features conversation, engaging activities, and live demonstrations that enhance each participant’s experience attending the full performance or can be enjoyed as a stand-alone experience.
Born in London, Mike began playing the ukulele at the age of 5 and the guitar shortly thereafter; he formed his own band as a teenager and began performing in pubs and clubs in London at the age of 16. Early influences were Marc Bolan and T Rex, Status Quo and AC/DC, Ry Cooder and all the old school blues artists, in particular Elmore James and Muddy Waters.
Mike ran a Youth Music Project in the UK called Electric896, teaching rock’n’roll to young people in the UK. The project remains the longest running youth music project in the history of the British Youth Service. Hundreds of young people were given a chance to give voice to their own unique expression, and Prince Charles even visited way back before he became King.
Mike moved to the USA about 16 years ago (to play the blues) and eventually formed the Brain Plasticity Ukulele Collective. The collective is intergenerational, with members ranging from ages 17 to 89 all playing together. Brain Plasticity Ukulele Collective regularly performs at Top of The Park, the Ark, and the Ann Arbor Art Fair, and they have released two albums in the past five years. Mike’s blues band, now stretching back over 35 years, has many albums in its back catalog. Mike teaches guitar, ukulele, music theory, and improvisation.
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