Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lil’ Rev is hopelessly midwestern. Even so, he teaches and tours all over the continental United States, delighting audiences from coast-to-coast with his one-man shows that might celebrate everything from the humble ukulele, to the lore and history of quilting in America, to the Jews of Tin Pan Alley. Inspired by a musical family, Rev’s musical career started early, with a guitar purchased with money he earned on his paper route. His instrument inventory soon grew to include a harmonica, a mandolin, a banjo, and, finally, an old beat-up Wendall Hall banjo ukulele, when he 25. Today he is one of ukulele’s super stars, but the folks back home in Wisconsin know Lil’ Rev primarily for his harmonica and vocal skills, having won numerous state and national music competitions. We know him as a charming song writer, an engaging story teller, an entertaining performer, and a generous and competent teacher, willing to share his vast bank of skills and knowledge with his students.
Workshops
Hot Licks for Ukulele
Intros, endings, turn-arounds, licks, fills, riffs, and more from classic rock, blues, and jazz tunes from the last thirty years, all distilled into 75 minutes of Hot Licks for Ukulele with Lil Rev. In this workshop Lil Rev will also be sharing some soloing tips, as well as some juicy music history. While this class is open to advanced beginners and up, students who can already play some very basic melodies on the ukulele and are willing to learn from tablature and/or notation will get the most from this class. And, a recorder will be very handy to help you retain the licks after the class is over. (Level 3-4)
Essential Strums, Strokes and Tricks for Ukulele: FULL
Two-finger, four-finger, and five-finger rolls are just a few of the strokes you’ll learn in this grab bag of ukulele skills, taught by the guy who (literally) wrote the book. In this fun and entertaining workshop, Lil Rev will also be teaching triplets, slides, tremolo, and other novelty strokes through a few blues, Tin Pan Alley, and novelty numbers. (Level 1 – 4)
Jug Band Repertoire
“Then the doctor said, “Give him jug band music. It seems to make him feel just fine.” Fine indeed, is how you’ll feel while learning tons of fun tunes from the jug band era, along with some of the skills and techniques that make them unique from the master, Lil’ Rev. Before you know it you’ll be singing, “ I was down in Savannah, eatin’ cream and bananas, when the heat just made me faint………” (Level 3)
Mastering the Triplet Stroke
And you thought there was only one way to do a triplet stroke! In this workshop you will join Lil Rev on a fascinating exploration of the almighty triplet with an in-depth look at a variety of techniques, including two variations on the two-finger triplet, a three-finger triplet pattern, and the famous George Formby fan stroke, just to name a few. Then, to top it off, you’ll get to practice what you’ve learned on a couple of blues and standard tunes and learn some helpful practice drills to take home with you that will help you to gain proficiency and speed. (Level 2)
