Lois Hornbostel and Ehukai Teves present a wide range of instructional classes in mountain dulcimer and ukulele. These can fit into time schedules from 1 hr. to semester courses and accommodate all skill levels of students. They are taking joint bookings and can teach both individually or as a "tandem" team!

Cincinnati Dulcimer Society:  "Lois Hornbostel and Ehukai Teves were the featured artists at our Society's '12 Spring Festival, and many of our members felt their music and teaching made it the most successful one we've had in its 33 years."

Ehukai has played and performed on many stringed instruments since he was a child. He holds a Batchelor of Arts degree in Music Theory and Voice. Learning mountain dulcimer from Jean Ritchie, he has applied all these skills to his playing and teaching of the mountain dulcimer. Throughout his life Ehukai has also performed traditional Hawaiian music with his parents, and offers workshops in this repertoire and contemporary styles on the ukulele (end of this list).

MOUNTAIN DULCIMER WORKSHOPS - Ehukai ... Some examples: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced skills & repertoire.

. "KILLER" Techniques - Add life to your playing with riffs and licks used by professionals and add spice to your playing. Includes tips on economy of movement and finding chord inversions and harmonies you may never have tried before!

. Music Theory for the Mountain Dulcimer - Music theory is the study of how music works. It covers the fundamental elements of music - rhythm, harmony, melody, structure, form, texture, etc. In a class for people who are new to theory the class is an introduction. Intermediate level theory class gives a deeper understanding of the principles of theory and how they are used. Advanced covers deeper application theory and its use.

. Hawaiian Slack Key Music for the Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate skill level, in DGD tuning. Learn to play a new repertoire with authenticity. Your dulcimer can replicate the sounds of a Hawaiian slack key guitar in the DGD tuning when you explore the strumming and picking styles with Ehukai. He will teach you a handful of Hawaiian songs, including the importance of playing a "vamp" - an important ingredient in this music.

. Play Chords in SIX Keys in DAD Tuning! - Advanced Beginners who know what a chord is or players of higher levels will especially benefit from this new technique from Ehukai. Using Ehukai's "Home-Middle-Outside" system you'll be able to play the I, IV and V chords in the keys of D, E, G, A, B, C - in a very accessible way without looking at your hand or using a capo! Great for playing songs in your singing key and for playing with other instruments.

. Singing with the Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced Beginners & up. Ehukai will coach you on using your voice to improve pitch and tone and will give you exercises to practice and strengthen your singing. On the dulcimer you will learn to find keys that will be comfortable for your vocal range. He will teach you chords and harmonies that you can play to accompany your voice.

. Intros, Fills & Outros - Intermediate & up. DAD tuning. Have you ever wished you could add special touches to the pieces you play? One stylish way to do this is to add musical "introductions" to prepare the listener's ear for the piece to come. Another is to "fill in" complementary notes when you have a long tied note (waltzes often have these). And at the end of a piece you can polish it off with an "outro" (fiddlers call them tags). Ehukai will give musical examples of these enhancements, will explain how they are built, and will give you suggestions on pieces you can spruce up with these techniques!

. Songwriting - Beginner players & up who want to write a song). Songwriting is arranging with intent. Starting tuning DAD. Ehukai will cover selecting subject matter for a song, constructing a melody (options like verses, choruses, etc.), matching words to your m usic and matching music to your words, and how to use your dulcimer to help you write and accompany your song. If we have a long enough session we will write a simple song using all of the above elements.

UKULELE WORKSHOPS - Ehukai:

Some examples:

. Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Ukulele Skills.

. Authentic Hawaiian Uke Strums.

. Singing with the Ukulele.

. Changing Keys to Suit Your Vocal Range.

. The Importance of I, IV and V Chords.

These are a few of the workshops Ehukai presents. Contact him if you have other musical technique or repertoire needs!

IN TIME FOR YOU TO LEARN FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS:  Ehukai's mountain dulcimer arrangement of "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen"!