Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway 2018

Hey there Dudes and Dudettes!

 30s Uke Girl here aka Norine Mungo, and howdy do we have some fun news about the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway 2018!  

It's gonna be a  weekend packed full of activity and it is again at the Sirata Beach Resort!  Newly remodeled and bigger and better, the Sirata is def an affordable Luxury resort experience that has partnered with TBUS to bring you the best of everything that is Florida and Tropical. 

Tickets are just about gone, so if you're sitting on the fence, don't get disappointed if you miss getting one. 

With an all star line up,
Rachel Manke , Matthew Kirkland , Liz and Jim Beloff  ,
 Ari Chi and many new added activities, this is going to be one jam packed weekend of fun! 

Friday, after opening ceremonies, the crowd will move outside to the beach bar for open mic hosted by Mim of Mims Ukes.  Mim will also be our MC for the weekend and will do a performance on Saturday as well as  a SET UP workshop.  Now wouldn't you want to know how to take care of and set up your UKES?  Though, if you buy from either Mim or from Jim at Uke Republic they automatically set up your uke before shipping!  Open mic ends about 8pm.

Then the Friday night concert jam by Reenee and The Rollers (aka Norine and Vinny Mungo of the South Tampa Ukulele Rock Jam) starts up in the Ballroom about 8pm.  This years theme is  60s Folk Rock and Rock. The room will be Hippiefied and attendees are asked to bring their tye dye shirts and flowers in their hair etc. Peace Love Dove Baby!
  
 Then Endless jamming for sure, with a spare room set aside with AC or on the beach, ala natural.  Also, there will be some beginner sing and strum sessions on both days by Pete McCarty of whom you can read about here. From the infamous Memphis Flash Mob, Petey Mack will bring fun and laughter to our crazy weekend. 

Other new workshops include Songwriting, taught by Norine Mungo,  Nashville songwriter, member of ASCAP , under Norine Mungo Publishing, writer of It's An Ukulele Day  also recorded  by Ukus In Fabula! 

An Onsong workshop!  Yes, the dreaded beloved OnSong!!!! 

Of course there will be the huge Silent Auction again, our biggest fund raiser of the year, chaired by Pat Spera, who is still accepting donations.  This has been a highlight of this festival since it's inception.  Many folks have walked away with Ponos and Mighty Moes, jewelry, books, art, it is always new each year and our members from all over the world contribute, as this funds the charities that we are involved in.  

If that isn't enough for you, we raffle off a whole load of Ukuleles as well.  

Then on Sunday Mim hosts the Open Mic for groups, 3 or more, and then after the raffle and silent auction, we move out to the beach for a Luau lunch with music from Ty Olepai and band. 

Did I mention that lunch and dinner are provided on Saturday as well as the Luau lunch on Sunday?  All this with the price of your ticket. 

So there you have it, a tropical resort vacation with concerts, workshops, great food, epic jams and open mics, in beautiful Florida, the East Coast Hawaii!!!  

I'll be seeing YOU there!  

As Always,
Ever Strumming, 30s Uke Girl
aka, Norine Mungo , Reenee and The Rollers

It's A Ukulele Day now on Soundcloud, music and lyrics by Norine Mungo

South Tampa Ukulele Jam
hosted by Norine and Vinny Mungo
with their live Ukulele Band
Reenee & The Rollers

It's A Ukulele Day

Here you go peeps from around the world, I'm posting It's A Ukulele Day, music and lyrics by Norine Mungo and performed by Norine aka 30s Uke Girl and also aka Reenee of Reenee and The Rollers.  We performed this at the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway on both Friday night to Kick Off the weekend and on Sunday with Ty and his Hawaiian Group to Close the Festival.

Thank you all for your overwhelming response and requests for this song.  I will love knowing that y'all are performing this song at your clubs around the world!  My motto, "No Nukes! Play Ukes!"

For those that heard the beginnings of this song several years ago, when I first wrote it as It's World Ukulele Day, yes, this is the same song, but revised to reflect that, heck EVERY DAY is A Ukulele Day, not just once a year!  So, have fun, and please let me know if you are doing this song at YOUR clubs, and also, keep us in mind if you ever want to have us at YOUR festivals and workshops!

Later Dudes, Dudettes, and to all my peeps, Blessings in Abundance are wished for you and yours!
Ever and Always, 30s Uke Girl!!!

Catching Up on all the events!

Holy Moly, Peeps, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted.  Wow!  It's been a very busy year for our band and our ongoing very successful jam session, South Tampa Ukulele Jam.  Festival Season has come up fast for our group, and we are performing every month through Feb 2017.  This Saturday is the Country Jubilee Festival at Heritage Village, Largo, where our band performs at 11 am on the main bandstand.  The Gazebo for those who know the place.  LOL  And, this will be the first year that Tampa Bay Ukulele Society has been honored to host two workshops at the festival, for beginner and advanced beginner!! Go to Tampa Bay Ukulele Society Meet Up for more information!!

Also, Vinny and I, Norine, AKA  Reenee, will host the open mic at The Whistle Stop in Safety Harbour,  this month of Oct on the 27th.  Format is that we do one song with the members, then start the open mic, get up a few folks, then Vinny and I will lead y'all in another song. Etc and so forth through out the night!  Bring your Ukes even if you don't plan on getting up!!!

Next,  The Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway is FAST approaching!  Nov 4th thru 6th!  Guess what PEEPS??? Vinny and I will host the open jam on the opening night of the Getaway!  How cool is that??  So everything you expect from the South Tampa Ukulele Jam you can expect on Friday at the Getaway!  Yes, it is Rock Rock Rock as we lead you with a live band, percussion, bass, amped and loaded!  Be ready to bring your outdoor Voices, cause we're gonna SING OUT!!! 

December 3rd is the 2nd Annual Uke It Out Fest hosted by WMNF 88.5 and our band is included for a 2nd year.  This year it will be at Cage Brewery in St Pete.  We are booked for this one as Reenee and The Rollers.  

The South Tampa Ukulele Jam is back at Fendig Library in Nov, always the 3rd Saturday of the month, and Nov's Rock Theme is .  .  ..   Woodstock!!!!!  YES!!!  Dec will be back at Jan Platt for our Holiday Jam, called Rock N Roll Christmas II .    Then in Jan 2017, back at Jan Platt, for dot dot dot  The White Album!!!  Don't miss this one!!!  Get there early!!

Also in January, The Pinellas County Folk Festival will be held at Heritage Village and we are assuming that our band will be back for our 4th year!  I'll keep you posted on that one!!

That's it for the moment.  I will try to post some pics soon.  We are recording albums, working the day jobs and playing every night!  Woot.  Life is good!  And I will work on the blog to clean up the sites making sure links are still good.  I will also hunt down the uke fests across the world and get them posted and updated on the left side of the blog.  Something for everyone!!!  Later Peeps!  Love ya as always!!  30s Uke Girl

Tampa Bay Ukulele Society's Annual Getaway Festival

Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway has come and gone.  What a weekend! What a line up!  What a concert!

Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel This was sweet, jazzy, and harmonies were ethereal! I must say I teared up at the lyrics, the vocals and the exceptional playing of the Ukulele.  The workshop they gave was so awesome for all levels.  I found myself practicing much of what they taught throughout the days following the session!  They filled in at the last minute for a cancellation of performer, Hal Manitoba!  We were all thrilled that they were able to swing by and be a part of this festival again!

Stuart Fuchs What can I say? Stuart Fuchs has become a dear friend of mine.  The versatility of this performer is mind boggling!  Running the gamut from Jazz, Gypsy, Formby, Vamp, Rock A Billy, he kept us guessing as to what he would do next!  The Brazilian/Latin pieces were exquisite! Classically, there is none to compare, but pair that with a spiritual take on performing and throw in Didgeridoo, and you have an experience bordering on ZenErgy!   That is a word I made up to explain Stu to all my peeps!! ZenErgy!!! His workshop is still being talked about today on Facebook. Everyone LOVED this workshop!

Danielle Ate The Sandwich Then! OMG!  LOL.  This girl of whom I honestly didn't know a great deal about, just stole our hearts!  Her lyrics were honest and soul searching, and irreverent at times!  I LOVED IT!  Here we have someone who seems so natural and confident, and funny and sure and true, AND, what a vocalist and ukest!  I honestly didn't know what to expect but I am SO glad I got to experience her workshop and performance in person!  She is also very delightful in person, with a relaxed demeanor, and upon meeting her, you feel like you've known her and have been friends all your lives.  Def want to see this performer again!

Aldrine Guerrero  Shut The Door!!!!  What a go give spirit this guy has!  And to top off his humble soft spoken personality, add the driven expertise of a heavy metal Shimabukuro looping monster talented Uke-Al-Alien! Aldy G blew the roof off of the Concert with a feverish build up to a finale that NO ONE WILL EVER FORGET!  His hand was moving so fast at the end, that I literally couldn't see it anymore!  He had about 20 (or so it seemed) amazing loops going together that had us standing and screaming at the end when he raised his hands and just let all that music sink in as it played on without him!  O. M. G.  Workshop was awesome with finger exercises, (that we were so happy to do, lol, cause that didn't hurt or stretch our hands at all, no, no, it was so kind to show us that we needed to do this every time we are going to practice! LOL), and again, referring to Ukulele Underground, we can  continue to build and grow our skills!  

Overall, it was a spectacular weekend, with the exclamation point on awesome fun being Mike Hind, the MC for Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway!  More on him and his unbelievable journey on another post!  Needless to say, don't know what it would be without him!  He is so very much a part of this festival, and this Bermudian is one heck of a Floridian!!  LOL

A big thanks to all the volunteers and the committee for all the hard work and planning that went into giving us the Super  Sized Fun Weekend of a lifetime!  Jay Nunes and the whole committee are to be applauded for this fantastic line up and a seamless three days that will be memorable for all who attended!

 Also, the vendors this year as always, they Brought IT!  Perfect selection and blends from each vendor, Augustino LoPrinzi ,  Uke Republic , Mainland Ukulele , Rhythm Inlet Ukulele , Dixie Ukulele  and none other than Mim's Ukes
A big thank you to all the vendors and your family and friends who came and helped everyone take home new babies, and helped with set ups and strap pegs etc.  Also for all the donations for the raffles!  So many happy ticket holders!
  Next years plans are already in the works and TBUG is going to the BEACH!  YAY!!!!  More on THAT later too!  
Ever Yours, 30s Uke Girl, Norine Mungo

 

Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway lineup announced!

Holy Cow!  The line up for the 2015 Getaway is Stupendous!  I'll post videos from the various artists as time permits.  The tickets will disappear the moment they open the gates on July 1st Midnight!  Manitoba Hal, Stuart Fuchs, Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Aldrine Guerrero, and MC Mike Hind will perform concerts and conduct workshops in the November extravaganza! I can hardly wait.  I'll post when I get done with all my events.  Lots of great bios on the TBUG Site!!!  Ever, 30s Uke Girl.

Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway! Almost Here!!!

We are fast approaching the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway weekend festival! Held in Clearwater, it runs from Nov 7 to Nov 9. 

 Everyone is bristling with excitement, anticipating one of the best weekends ever for Ukulele Fests here in the Bay Area.  Not only are there great performers for the Saturday night concert, but most of these amazing performers also will be conducting workshops on Saturday, as well as participating in the "Jam" that goes on throughout the weekend in various spots all over the hotel. 

 That is the big draw and a big reason why the tickets sell out in hours for this getaway.  To be up close and intimate with these National and International performers, well, it's Priceless!!

 This year we have headliners that include Victoria Vox, Lil' Rev, Uncle Elvis aka Mike Hind,  Narciso Lobos, AmandaLynn, Uncle Zac, Colin Coleman,and a special performance by the TBUG Allstars!! 

 Ty & Mapuana  accompanied by Steve Boisen, TJ Wedger & Big Jim Allen  will finish the weekend with the Sunday Luau! 

On top of all that, the vendors are supreme this year!  Uke Republic is back in the house by popular request!! Featured in the Fall issue of Ukulele Magazine, this power house out of Atlanta has quite the story, from it's humble beginnings to the speed of light transformation that has become a household name in Ukulele circles around the globe!  

Vendors also include  custom ukulele artists  Augustino Lo Prinzi luthiers, need I say more? Then   Mim's Ukes, Mainland Ukes, & Dixie Ukuleles are also major favorites and represent a large portion of all the major brands of ukuleles. Mim loves to set up your ukulele and has all the tools right there at the event!!

 Rhythm Inlet returns again this year to bring sunshine from the Venice Sarasota area. They have built a huge following in our Southern counties of Tampa Bay in all things percussive!  From that foundation, they began with a humble selection of Ukuleles, and now have expanded their efforts to supply the Sarasota and all surrounding areas with the happy little fleas!



On Friday, the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society members gather together for a Mini Concert given by the TBUG AllStars, followed by a huge jam led by Jay Nunes who not only hosts a monthly jam event in Clearwater/Largo area for Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, but also gives Private Lessons, and has a serious  following of ADDICTED Ukulele enthusiasts who can attest to his dedication to all things Ukulele and his amazing teaching style!  Jay also performs with Todd Hughes as The Two Ukes here in the Tampa Bay Area! Fun, eclectic music from many generations that everyone loves to sing and dance to, performed, of course, on the Blessed Ukulele! 

  This jam will be followed by an Open Mic hosted by yet another event leader with Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, Big Jim Allen.  Allen performs in many groups around Tampa Bay as well as solo, and is the founder and performer of Ukulele Weddings!  Getting married on the Beach?  Coming to Florida for your Wedding?  Contact Big Jim Allen for classy beach ukulele music.  

Speaking of our own talented performers here in Tampa Bay, if you haven't checked out AmandaLynn yet, oh man, you better do it quick, so you can say, "I knew her when!"  Her voice and lyrics, well, talk about floating on a pink sunset cloud of trills and content that speaks to the heart and soul, I am amazed with each impactful session she produces!  You can catch more of AmandaLynn on Youtube or click on her name above under headliners to visit her website and get information on CDs and performance schedule. 

The weekend moves on with workshops and concerts by the headliners on Saturday, and then on Sunday,  more mega jams, raffle giveaways of amazing Ukuleles and merchandise, and a Luau with Hawaiian music and great buffet.  

Really, who could ask for more?? As always, I will be showing many of the event leaders from other parts of the state and outlying areas my transitional chording technique that is helping many first timers move quickly into jamming with the groups. Since the article came out about our happy crazy 3rd largest uke group in the nation in Ukulele Magazine, I've had many inquiries from these other leaders as to what I am teaching at the Beginner Sessions. Just watch for me as I will be there all weekend.  Happy to share with you!  Ever yours, 30s Uke Girl, Norine Mungo!!