2024 Artists and Workshop Presenters

Jim Beloff

Jim Beloff is the author of The Ukulele—A Visual History (Backbeat Books) and author, arranger, and publisher of the Jumpin’ Jim’s series of ukulele songbooks with over 1,000,000 copies in print. This series is available worldwide and includes The Daily Ukulele, one of the biggest and best-selling ukulele songbooks ever published. All Jumpin’ Jim’s songbooks are distributed by Hal Leonard LLC. In December 2021, Backbeat books published Jim’s memoir, UKEtopia—Adventures in the Ukulele World.

Jim produced Legends of Ukulele, a CD compilation for Rhino Records, and has made three how-to-play DVDs for Homespun. He is also an active songwriter and has released a number of CDs. His two-CD set, Dreams I Left in Pockets, features 33 songs he wrote or co-wrote with uke legends, Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta and Lyle Ritz. His most recent album, The Wind and Sun, was released in August 2020.

In 1999, Jim composed and premiered Uke Can’t Be Serious, a concerto for solo ukulele and symphony orchestra. Since then, the piece has been performed with both high school and professional orchestras, including the Michigan Philharmonic in 2016. He has also performed it many times with a string quartet. His second concerto for ukulele and orchestra, The Dove Tale, premiered in 2017 with the Wallingford (Connecticut) Symphony Orchestra.

Jim and his wife, Liz Maihock Beloff, own Flea Market Music, Inc., a company dedicated to the ukulele and they play their family’s Fluke, Flea and Firefly ukes. They have toured Japan, Australia and Canada and believe in their company’s motto, “Uke Can Change the World.”

Peter Moss

With his ukulele, Peter Moss has been very fortunate to have toured around America and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, throughout Europe and of course good old Blighty! Added to that, he has appeared on BBC television and radio on numerous occasions. Peter’s concerts are engaging, offering a wide range of material from different genres including laid back tunes, intense material and everything in between.

Flight collaborated with Peter Moss, a highly respected and well-known player in the UK ukulele scene, to create a one-of-a-kind ukulele. The Peter Moss signature ukulele reflects everything about Peter’s playing style – sophisticated, precise, warm and unique. Peter, who is also a long-time player of the Flight Spirit Concert model, wanted to keep some of his favorite features of the Spirit like the scalloped cutaway, offset fret markers, active pickup and the famous Flight signature headstock. He then wanted to combine these features with a classic wood combination that isn’t featured on any other Flight ukulele – spruce and mahogany. This combo combines the brightness and projection that you expect from spruce with the warmth and roundness of mahogany – offering the perfect balanced sound. To add to this timeless pairing, the moonburst stain gives this uke a really striking appearance. This ukulele is like an old classic with a modern twist, what more could you ask for?

The Aloha Boys

Born and raised in Hawai'i and transplanted to the Washington D.C. area to pursue careers, The Aloha Boys, Glen Hirabayashi, Isaac Ho'opi'i and Irv Queja - met in 1996 while playing music for their children at Halau O 'Aulani, a school of Hawai'ian culture, in the Washington, D.C. area. A special and exciting bond grew musically among the Aloha Boys, who love to kanikapila or play an acoustic down-home, backyard-style Hawai'ian music, a style which includes everything from the very traditional to contemporary songs and styles. They all sing lead and backing vocals. Their voices blend in a nahenahe (soft pleasant) style. They have performed at numerous functions from backyard parties to concerts and at many venues including Carnegie Hall and on the National Mall at the openings of the World War II Memorial and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, the Barns at Wolf Trap, and in Rheims, France, Toronto, Canada, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charlotte, Southern California and Hawai'i. In Hawai'i, their performances include Pakele Live, the Gabby Festival, Slack Key Guitar Festival O'ahu Style, and Slack Key Guitar Festival, Virginia Style. The music of the Aloha Boys brings them and their audience back to a lifestyle that is unique and precious to Hawai'i.

Ray Cygrymus

Ray Cygrymus Ray has taught elementary school music for over thirty years, most recently specializing in ukulele instruction in the classroom. He has lived in the Pittsburgh area his entire life, and attended Duquesne University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, with an emphasis on voice. Ray has performed in many musicals and plays with theaters throughout the Pittsburgh area and has fronted many rock bands where he was the lead singer and played various instruments.

Ray’s goal is to share his knowledge and experience to influence other ukulele players to look at their instrument in a different way by gaining knowledge of different techniques, expanding new skill sets, and effectively using sound effects. Ray hopes to continue to grow, entertain, inspire, and educate the world on the beauty and diversity of this spectacular little instrument that brings people together in such a big way! YouTube@SURFN-RZ/Facebook@surfn-rz.

Curt Sheller

With Curt's re-introduction to the ukulele after a 20 year break and taking advantage of his thirty plus years jazz guitar training and skills, he began pursuing the potential of the ukulele exploring instrumental music using the vast repertoire available from the traditional contemporary jazz repertoire and with a few originals thrown in for fun. Curt has developed an international reputation as a ukulele expert having written over 50 books for ukulele, Guitar, Bass, and Music and over 800+ lessons for the ukulele available on his LearningUkulele.com site.

As an author and private music teacher Curt created Curt Sheller Publications in 1995 and has been on the web since. Curt has over 50 years of playing experience and has been involved in private music education for the past 30 plus years. Curt is also on of the owners along with his wife Bernadette and daughter Kelly of Funky Frets Music Store and the annual Funky Frets Uke Fest.

Jack Kohler

Jack Kohler has been an elementary school teacher for twenty years. He currently teachers fourth grade in the Philadelphia Public School System. In addition to teaching, he stays active by running, biking, and kayaking, and recently became a certified diver. Jack also writes and illustrates children's books including The Duck Said Baaaa!, Pig Flew, and his most recent publication, Bitsy Blew a Bubble. Jack fell in love with the ukulele about two years ago. Since then, he has taught ukulele to a group of students after school two days a week, and to a group of teachers and administrators every Friday morning. Jack's passion for the ukulele stems from its ability to break down barriers and bring people together.

Jodi Damon

Jodi Damon is a folk singer-songwriter based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Music has always been a huge part of her life. She played flute, piano, and guitar before discovering her cosmic kinship with the ukulele. Jodi earned a bachelor's degree in Music from Ohio University and became a board- certified music therapist in 2001. She loves teaching music to people of all ages but her first love is and always will be performing. Her music explores the full spectrum of human emotion and she delivers every lyric authentically and soulfully. She believes strongly in embracing your authentic self and aims to inspire others to do the same. While Jodi enjoys collaborating with other musicians, she is most at home on an empty stage with a microphone and an attentive audience. Jodi enjoys traveling and has played her music for audiences all over the country. A small intimate venue is her happy place, but she has extensive experience playing in larger venues as well. Her hope is to build community through creativity, meaningful connections, and shared experience. Jodi plays a Blackbird concert ukulele and a Mainland baritone ukulele.

Laura Wootton

Laura L. Wootton is a writer, musician, artist, and yoga teacher. She had given up on music for many years, and then a ukulele unexpectedly appeared on her path in 2015 and inspired her to start singing again. Her music is gentle and peaceful, an invitation to slow down and enjoy the moment. You can visit her website to learn more about all of her offerings: www.livinglovewithlaura.com

Debi Velasco

Debi Velasco has over 30 years experience in teaching and performing Polynesian dances, including Hawaiian, Tahitian and Maori.

Uncle Zac

“UncleZac” is a Fairfield County CT ukulele performer and teacher who has played the uke for over 50 years. He has a wide range of styles and materials that he performs and teaches. He has performed in several bands including Sharkey & the unknowns, a local 50 s and 60 s oldies group, Tim Currie’s Mowtown Band, Roswell & the Ukulaliens, a five piece ukulele band, The NY Ukulele Ensemble, “uke consultant” to the Darien High School Ukulele Group and leader of the Laphalele’s, a senior uke ensemble in New Canaan , CT. He presently fronts a trio performing uke & vocals with sax/clarinet/flute and upright base known as UncleZac & the ZacTones

Unclezac is the author of two chord charts, “Bari to Soprano and Back Ukulele Chord Chart” and The Ultimate Chord Inversion Chart for Ukulele” distributed by The Magic Fluke Company.

UncleZac is the author of several chord charts, “Bari to Soprano and Back Ukulele Chord Chart” and The Ultimate Chord Inversion Charts for Ukulele. In addition to teaching private and group lessons, he has also presented several workshops and performed at venues including The New York Uke Fest, The Tampa Bay Uke Fest, The New Jersey Folk Project Uke Fest, The Fort Lauderdale Uke Fest and The Funky Frets Uke Fest in 2015.

He plays music from Leon Redbone to Jimmy Buffett to Allan Sherman and more. Primarily a bari player, he never travels with only one uke because as uke legend, Fred Fallin, says, “each one has a different voice”, a necessity for different songs, so bring more than one.