On April 11, 2021, world-renowned ukulele strummers and ArtistWorks master instructors Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel helped kick off the 51st Annual Ukulele Festival Hawaii, celebrating the rich culture of the instrument, and its music and heritage.

This multi-day festival typically consists of a handful of events celebrated across the islands of Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, Kauaii, and Maui. This year, however, the festival will be celebrated virtually.

Today, the festival has become so much more. It is the Ukulele Festival Hawaii’s mission to spread the joy of the ukulele and its music by providing not just hours of wonderful free musical performances, but also free ukulele lessons, community events, college scholarships, and instruments to the underprivileged.

Last Sunday’s event kicked off the first of four, and focused specifically on ukulele artists local to Hawaii, including Honoka Katayama, Kelly Boy Delima, Bryan Tolentino, and more. It also featured performances from Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel, Jake Shimabukuro, Herb Ohta Jr., and others!

If you missed the event on April 11, fear not! The entire virtual festival is available for your viewing pleasure here:

Their course starts with the basics and teaches everything from beginner ukulele to advanced performance techniques and compositions. So, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, all levels are welcome and all students will grow and improve their skills as ukulele players and musicians!

Try out some free music lessons here and see what makes ArtistWorks courses some of the best online music lessons around!