Ukulele for Everyone in Rochester

There are two definitive New Yorks: New York City, and then everywhere else. The Big Apple is, of course, famous for the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and Central Park. But the booming city that never sleeps has nothing to do with the rest of the state, and Rochester, New York prefers to keep it that way.

Sitting on the south shore of Lake Ontario, Rochester is known for its unique accent, barbeques that rival the south, local delicacy called “The Garbage Plate”, crazy parking rules and incredible amount of annual snowfall. It’s also the birthplace of amateur photography, and the founder of Kodak was a local.

There’s always something to do in Rochester. The festivals alone can fill up your calendar pretty fast: The Lilac Festival, ROC City Rib Fest, International Jazz Festival, Monroe County Fair, Rochester International Film Festival, Festival of Food, Big Rib BBQ Blues Fest, Oktoberfest, Dance Festival and Corn Hill Arts Festival all take place in Rochester.

Its closest ukulele festival is four hours away in the warm, green Catskill Mountains (just two hours north of New York City). Around May every year, residents from Rochester and all over NY state travel to the Ashokan Uke Fest to take part in ukulele classes, workshops, concerts, jam sessions and great food. Past and future performers include Daniel Ward, Heidi Swedberg, Lynn Sokolow, Fred Sokolow, Kevin Carroll, Gerald Ross and Ben Hassenger. Their workshops include topics like Right Hand for Newbies, Blues Uke, Understanding Chord Progressions, dealing with stage fright and feeling relaxed on-stage.  

Locally, Rochester’s Ukulele Orchestra plays everything from folk and classical to pop and rock music. They’ve been heard at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, the First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival, the 19th Amendment Festival, Greentopia, the Brighton Market, Boulder Coffee and at their home base of Bernunzio’s Uptown Music. The band members – who include Michael Brisson, Valerie Weyand, Randy Pollok, Darryl Hurd, Stephen Jacobs, Mia Young, Mike Axelrod and Suzanne Kepper – also play throughout the Rochester area at music festivals, luaus, farmers markets, schools, senior centers, and wherever else people will gather to enjoy their music.

If you’re looking to play along with others, the city also plays host to a ukulele group. The Rochester Ukulele Support Group (RUSG) meets on the first Thursday of every month to learn songs, new techniques and to share information about the ukulele community. Don’t have your own uke? Don’t worry, RUSG can provide one for you. All skill levels are welcome.

Rochester really does have something for everyone when it comes to the ukulele.