NEW CCMC WINTER WORKSHOP

Introducing a “Get Ready to Jam” Winter Workshop—an afternoon of instructor-led workshops on Sunday, February 22, designed to help beginning/ intermediate jammers learn and practice basic jamming skills. This event begins while the CCMC retreat is wrapping up and is open to both retreat attendees and the public (you DO NOT need to have attended a CCMC camp in the past). Workshop attendees do not need to also sign up for the weekend retreat. If you attended CCMC’s summer camp and felt most comfortable during the slow jams or the teacher-led classes, you should enjoy this event as well.  Each of our workshop leaders is a skilled multi-instrumentalist with years of teaching, coaching, and jam-leading experience.  

The workshops take place at the retreat site near Aptos, CA. You should plan to arrive no earlier than 12:00 pm. You’ll be greeted in the parking lot and shown the best area to park. From there you’ll head up the slope to the workshop designated area and the workshops will start at 12:30 pm sharp. Our closing jam happens at about 2:30 pm and the event ends just before 3 pm.  

WHAT: This workshop event is designed to help you have more fun and get ready to “play well with others,” although there is a workshop for total beginners as well. Concurrent workshops will occur in each of two 45-minute workshop periods. You’ll decide which workshops you’ll take each period – no need to pre-select. Each session will include lots of hands-on playing as well as demonstrations and practice. While ukulele and guitar are the main focus, other unamplified instruments are welcome.  Your workshop fee covers the whole afternoon. (If you are already comfortable jamming with other people and you are a CCMC summer camp alum, you may prefer the Winter Retreat to this workshop event.) 

Workshop 1: Numbers Game: What’s a “1-4-5” song?
All you need to know is “three chords and the truth” to find yourself amazingly able to play familiar songs in rock, folk, calypso, reggae, country, and blues genres. But what do they mean when they say, “It’s easy, it’s just a one-four-five in G?” Come to this workshop to find out.  – With Ukulenny.

Workshop 2: We Got the Beat!
This workshop’s focus is on your strumming hand, to help ensure that everyone in the circle “gets” your groove.  You’ll learn how to choose the right strum for the song and be able to set the pace to give each song the right start. Count us in!  – With Steve Kritzer.

Workshop 3: Start Getting Started
If you feel that your starting point is as a “real beginner” then come to this workshop. It’s open to ukulele, guitar, or mandolin players who are new to playing any stringed instrument. Learning online only doesn’t give you a posture check like a live teacher will do. Afterward you’ll set out on your path to success!  Bring a tuner and your own instrument, preferably with a strap. – With Janet Lenore.

Workshop 4: Soloing: the Give and Take  
Giving someone the opportunity to take a solo is an important and often overlooked part of jamming. If your rhythm and chords are clear, you’ll make even the simplest solo shine when you smile and say, “take it!”  – With Ukulenny.

Workshop 5: Hand Over the Chords!
How on earth do people manage to play along when they’ve never heard the song before and there aren’t chord charts? Answer: be able to “read” chording hands and know some familiar patterns. Soon you’ll be able to play along “on the fly” if you can just see one guitarist’s or ukulele player’s hands at the jam.  – With Steve Kritzer.

Workshop 6: Jam Session! 
If you want to start jamming, come this this session. We’ll all have the chance to test drive some of the things we’ve learned. You’ll learn a few new-to-you songs with positive messages that you‘ll want to bring to your next jam. – With Janet Lenore.

Winter Workshop Instructors

Ukulenny brings positive energy and excitement to every ukulele-playing moment, whether it’s busking in a train station or leading a jam for hundreds of players. Lendl San Jose became “Ukulenny” while growing his YouTube subscriber base and online tutorial series. While also a bass guitar and saxophone player, Ukulenny was featured at the San Francisco Summer Ukexplosion at Yerba Buena Gardens. He enjoyed his first CCMC teaching stint in Summer 2025. 

Steve Kritzer is not only a treasured jam leader, he’s a singer-songwriter, studio musician and international performer. As a performer, Steve can be seen playing guitar, mandolin, and banjo in addition to the ukulele. He frequently co-leads the paperless uke jam at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts. Audiences, students, and jam participants from children to seniors enjoy Steve’s great musical talents and warm smiles. Steve’s been a teacher and camp instigator several times at CCMC’s summer camp.    

Janet Lenore is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, mandolin and ukulele player. She’s been self-producing a new collection of original songs for release in early 2026. Janet has taught at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop (PSGW) and was the camp instigator and a teacher at the CCMC summer camp in 2025. She has managed two annual events for two decades, the CCMC Winter Retreat and the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts Webster Street stage.