I offer a variety of finger style instrumental workshops for players of all levels – from beginners to advanced. Popular workshops include How to Read Tab From Scratch, First Tunes, Turning Chords into Arpeggios, Campanela Style and Classical Ukulele. Workshops cover a range of technical and musical aspects and can be tailored to suit the needs of specific groups depending on time restrictions. Some time is also devoted to playing together as an ensemble. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss a classical ukulele workshop for your group or event.

I have given workshops at the following events:

Grand Northern Ukulele Festival, Huddersfield. UK

UKE East, Norwich, UK

BUG Day (Biddulph Ukulele Festival), Staffordshire, UK

Halsway Manor Ukulele & Singing Weekend, Somerset, UK (Resident tutor)

Yeovil Ukulele Festival, Somerset, UK

Highland Ukulele Gathering, Perthshire, Scotland, UK

Forest Ukulele Retreat, The Forest of Dean, Gloucester, UK (Resident tutor)

Benslow Music Ukulele Ensemble Weekend, Hertfordshire, UK

Valla Beach Ukulele Camp & Beach Party, NSW, Australia

Port Macquarie Ukestra, NSW, Australia

Making Music 4 Life, Northern Beaches, NSW, Australia

Magnetic Island, QLD, Australia (with Anu Grace Music)

Kalamunda Ukulele Collective, Kalamunda, WA, Australia (Australian Ukulele Festival)

Busselton Ukulele Strummers, Busselton, WA, Australia (Australian Ukulele Festival)

 

What people say about my workshops & performances:

Sam entranced all who partook in her workshop with her delicate quality of playing – music never heard before by some. Then she proceeded to teach folks the same delicate and accurate touch with players on different harmonic parts – the sound was magic and they were delighted.

– Anu Grace, Uke Nomad, Queensland, Australia

 

Sam has the rare gift of being both a virtuosic musician and an excellent teacher. She inspires without intimidating and is patient and calm, adapting her material and her lessons on the fly to the needs and standards of the group in front of her. If you get the opportunity to host or attend a workshop, seize it, and if you can swing a one-on-one session with her, even better.

– Ruth Allen, leader, Port Macquarie Ukestra, NSW, Australia

 

We are pleased to report that Samantha Muir was our celebrity guest artist and tutor at the 2019 Valla Beach Ukulele Camp and Beach Party in New South Wales, Australia. She was recommended to us by respected musicians who had seen her perform in the UK, and her online videos further demonstrated her knowledge and skills.

We were not disappointed. Samantha has quite a following in Australia, so her full-day Study Institute conducted before the Camp was booked out within an hour of being advertised. She generously agreed to present a second one after the camp and this too booked out fast. In addition to these two intensives she ran workshops throughout the camp weekend, performed in our two evening concerts and chatted amiably with the camp participants between workshops.

Samantha excelled as both tutor and performer. Her workshops were excellent, invariably conducted in her calm, confident and knowledgeable manner, paced to enable every student to progress through the repertoire, and including a variety of materials tailored to suit differing group levels. She was very skilled at demonstrating ways of engaging with the meaning of the music as well as with achieving the technical and theoretical aspects to ensure outstanding outcomes.

As a performer Samantha’s genius was clearly apparent. She demonstrated what can be achieved with persistent practise and a highly developed appreciation of musical story-telling. Her playing was inspirational, technically brilliant and spiritually uplifting, so we were not surprised when the full audience gave her a standing ovation.

As event organisers we found Samantha a pleasure to work with from beginning to end. She is the consummate music professional, communicating clearly, easy to negotiate with, arriving well prepared and keen to work with music students of all levels. She also has a delightful sense of humour, is lots of fun and a generous spirit.
All our participant feedback was highly positive and appreciative of Samantha Muir’s work. By popular demand we have asked her back next year and many campers are now already booking in for the 2020 Camp. We look forward to working with her again.

– Cathy Welsford and Angie Smith, Directors, Valla Beach Ukulele Camp and Beach Party

 

Samantha (Sam) led three workshops on finger style ukulele and reading tab (introduction, intermediate and advanced/ensemble) in Kalamunda, Western Australia in August 2019.  These workshops were sold out and a run away success.  Sam was technically outstanding, patient, enthusiastic and inspiring at these workshops and participants left with an appetite to do more with finger style ukulele.

Sam also performed in an intimate solo concert entitled “Little Gifts”.  Again sold out.  She performed this concert on machete and ukulele, including original pieces, without amplification, yet her sound completely filled the hall and captured the audience for over 90 minutes.

Sam attended and led the Kalamunda Ukulele Collective group (KUC, which has about 50 members) during her visit. The group had a ball that night and practised some material from the workshops; playing melody, accompaniment and singing in parts.   Sam jammed with the group on some popular music; including “In The Summer Time” by the Kinks and “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. This free form jamming with a ukulele group is something she had wanted to do for some time.  

Ukulele players in Perth are hopeful Sam can return in 2020 to build on this work with groups in 2019.

– Kevin Chennell, leader, Kalamunda Ukulele Collective, Western Australia

 

Sam’s workshops are engaging, informative and fun. What I like is that attendees get to learn the potential of great ukulele playing, going beyond just rhythm playing into melody and harmony, in a calm and supportive environment.

– Matt Stead, The Uke Room, UK

 

Whilst attending Sam’s workshops, I have found them to be really informative and helpful. Sam is a great tutor, very patient and understanding.

– Margaret Elliott, UK

 

I had the great pleasure to attend two of Sam’s workshops in the Forest of Dean. It was a privilege as well as a pleasure as Sam is one of the finest exponents of the ukulele and other similar instruments in the UK. Her expertise is truly astonishing and it was wonderful to see and hear her play!

It was a pleasure because she is an excellent teacher! I am what may be called a mature student, who is relatively new to playing the ukulele. I had no experience of playing a musical instrument prior to picking up a ukulele. Sam is so friendly, supportive and patient and offers encouragement and guidance throughout her classes. Her advice is always spot on as she gears it to the ability of her individual students. I gained a great deal from her.

Her knowledge of music and of the ukulele is astounding, but she wears this expertise so lightly that it is an absolute delight to see how well she conveys her knowledge and expertise within her workshops.

I am really looking forward to being able to attend a workshop again with Sam as the tutor when the present pandemic allows them to be run again.

The way she plays her instruments is a delight to the ears and is an inspiration to aspiring ukulele players.

– John Jackson, Forest of Dean, England