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syungen
Aloha
USA
22 Posts |
 Posted - 04/30/2011 : 4:55:07 PM
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Several of us have started a weekly kanikapila at Phoenix, Oregon. Since this is the only kanikapila in our area for many miles, I'm looking for some ideas on how to make it more interesting and enjoyable for everyone. The range of ability within the group is from very much beginner to very much advanced. Some have no knowledge of Hawaiian music. Some only play their instrument when they come to kanikapila, so there is no at-home practice or improvement. At lot of time is used simply learning the basic chords. For many, it seems to have turned in to a time to get free lessons. The more advanced players, rather than having a good time, are starting to feel frustrated.
We've been working through the 'He Mele Aloha' songbook.
How is kanikapila organized in other areas? Is there a protocol that seems to work well?
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 05:57:26 AM
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We have a couple of groups that gather regularly in Seattle; I'll speak here mostly to the `ukulele side, not guitar. At one of the kani (monthly), there is a pretty wide range of knowledge and skill, so we try to accommodate that to a certain degree. We don't spend time on teaching chords, but some of the uke players who are more experienced will often sit by those who are less so, and show them a chord or two as the song goes along. If they don't even have a basic chord vocabulary, they generally aren't at these sessions - largely because there are other opportunities to learn and play `ukulele around here. You probably don't have that many gatherings, so you are attracting a wider range of interest.
We generally promote the sessions by word-of-mouth (and here on TP), and try to get out the vibe that some basic chord knowledge is a prerequisite, and that the focus is on Hawaiian & Hapa-Haole song. A majority of the song choices come from the couple of people who (a) have the widest repertoire and (b) do most of the singing, but we pretty much bounce around the group, asking people what they'd like to play (always giving encouragement to less-experienced folks).
We don't spend much time "teaching" a song - it's more of an old-style "listen and learn" setting. If you don't know the material, we encourage you to come back again and again - a combination of seeing it in a book (we mostly use "He Mele Aloha" and another collection assembled by someone locally but not for general sale or distribution), hearing it played/sung, and playing what you can will carry you further in your education.
With one of the `ukulele groups that meets monthly (about 50-60 players show up each month), we know there are some people who only play when they come there, and don't work on it at home. If you have people who only play once a week, that's not too bad; if they really get the "bug," they will find more time to practice. If you want the kani sessions to be less about teaching and more about playing, maybe talk with a couple of your better players and see if they are interested in creating some teaching opportunities - it's a way to get less-experienced folks up to speed and generates a wee bit of income for the more-experienced ones - and then you can also make it clearer that the kani time is not so much of a classroom, because you can present an opportunity to learn elsewhere (and play more often). |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 07:22:49 AM
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Perhaps you could set up a weekly beginner session, and have one experienced player mentor them. It could be a different mentor each session, and could even be a different day, or at least a separate room. Experienced players will frequently find it tedious to spend what they consider jam time as teaching the same thing over and over. But as new players come, you need to revisit the same basics we all started with, this will always occur, unless the jam gets the reputation as being unfriendly to beginners. Most will not want that reputation, so it becomes necessary to meet the needs of the newer players. By rotating teachers, no one has to give up their jam time every week.
We have only two uke sessions in our area. One is a very diverse group of players, at different levels and with wide musical interests. Unless I choose a Hawaiian song, none will be played. The songs range from Tin Pan Ally to Lady Gaga, Johnny Cash, Peter,Paul & Mary, and The Beatles. They have selected a specific uke songbook as their basic guide, and are working their way through it.
The other session is at our Halau, and is mostly a teaching session, with the songs predominantly chosen from our hula songs. The focus right now is on teaching the chords, strumming and singing while playing. I am the only member attending both sessions, though I only occasionally attend the first one.
Teaching is a special situation, and not all accomplished musicians are good teachers. Some don't have the temperament for teaching. There is more in disseminating information than just understanding it. (This would handicap any student who tries to learn from ME!) The bottom line here is that a rotating teacher will help to avboid the downsides of teacher frustration and lack of teaching skills.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2011 : 12:33:10 PM
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Kika Ki Ho'alu Kanikapila will be more difficult than Ukulele.
At the Ukulele Society of America in Carlsbad, CA we have a weekly kanikapila for ukulele. We coordinate activities through Yahoo! Groups. We collect a modest dues for members which has been used to purchase a laptop, projector, and screen so all can see the projected chord sheets and there is no need to bring a music book. Our focus has always been on hearing yourself play, and playing with the group. As a result, we regularly have over 50 members each week. We also encourage and teach members how to be "Guest Conductors" for a song or two. One of our other goals is to help other groups get started and help them create a positive environment where members learn and love to play. One of our key concepts is our Kokua Team -- experienced players that wander around the room and help our newer members get acclimated and quickly enjoying the evening. Email me or RicDoug directly for more information. Visit our Yahoo! groups website.
CAPT Mike (former President, Ukulele Society of America)
Ric Douglas (former VP, Ukulele Society of America) |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
Edited by - Mika ele on 05/02/2011 12:35:21 PM |
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Earl
`Olu`olu
USA
538 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 05:33:49 AM
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All kanikapila groups seem to struggle with these issues. We certainly had issues for a couple of years here at the Boise Ukulele Group (www.boiseukulelegroup.com) until we found the right combination that seems to work. We get 20-25 players at our jams now.
We started out with weekly meetings, and because most folks were beginners we would spend a half-hour or an hour with instruction. Then we switched to a jam for the second hour. Experienced players were frustrated because an hour was not enough jamming and the instruction part was boring for them. Beginners got left behind for the second hour once the jam started.
It really started working for us when we decided that weekly was too often, but monthly was too infrequent. We now meet the second and fourth Mondays of each month. We also modelled ourselves after the local bluegrass club and switched to just jamming -- no instruction at all during meetings. We always have a few easier songs that are done slower to let everyone participate.
Learning is done on another night completely separate from the jams, or in private lessons. And we now recently started a "third Wednesday" slow-hands / instruction night for the newbies and those that want or need to take it slower. This seems to be working well, adressing the needs of everyone reasonably well. We have different leaders for that, so that I don't get burned out.
One interesting thing we found was that people rose to the occassion. When the sessions were at a lower skill level and partially instruction, they coasted along within their comfort zone. But when challenged by the full-speed jam and more complex songs, most folks buckled down and worked to keep up. We helped that along with mentoring and lessons taught from within the ranks, and informal Q&A help sessions after the jams.
I've also recently visited Sun City (Phoenix) and sat in on two different ukulele groups while there. They are dealing with all the same issues too -- how to keep experienced players involved, how to disseminate music, how to bring new players along to reasonable playing skills, etc.
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2011 : 06:05:39 AM
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This is pretty much the normal evolution of open jams. There will always be new people wanting to learn, and experienced players who only want to jam. As Earl said, having different leaders keeps the leader from burning out.
If something isn't done to prevent these problems, the jam breaks up into separate jams, and the experienced players often close their jams to only invited players, keeping most new players out. It's pretty universal, not only ukulele related. I have seen the same thing happen in dulcimer, banjo, Old Time, and Bluegrass jams. Having a separate learning session and slow jam for newer players, and rotating mentors is the best method I know to keep the jams open and healthy.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2011 : 12:31:36 PM
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| Actually, we alleviate this issue somewhat (we're not perfect) at the Ukulele Society of America Kanikapila by having a dedicated Kokua Team (helpers) that goes around to new players and makes sure they can follow along and helps them catch up with the group. These are volunteers that have good ukulele playing ability, good people skills, good teaching skills, and the spirit of Aloha! We discourage "private performance" where nobody is able to follow along and encourage group playing. Those that are a little ahead of the group can take a turn as a "Guest Conductor" for a song or two. This seems the ease the pain of transition and keeps the group happy and singing. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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syungen
Aloha
USA
22 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2011 : 06:52:25 AM
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| Thanks to everyone for the constructive comments. It's reassuring to hear that most other areas have struggled with similar issues, but were able to resolve them in most cases. So, we're going to take some of these suggestions and apply them to our own situation. Last Saturday's Kanikapila was a bit better, even with just a few minor tweeks and better communication, so I think the outlook is positive. Please contact me if you're planning to be in Southern Oregon and you might be able to join us! |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2183 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2011 : 12:25:29 PM
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| Tell the gang what Slipry1's mantra is: "The more you do something, the better you get at it." A big chunk of music is MUSCLE MEMORY. Another big chunk is BUILDING YOUR EAR. Practice is boring, but if it is boring, then muscle memory is setting in. Always have tunes to listen to, especially when doing household chores, driving, etc. Little kids learn to run after walking, and they learn language(s) by ear. We never really lose that ability, we just have to keep using it. Have fun, don't stress, jus' press. |
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Kanikapila ideas for improvement
