All festival workshops will be held at either the Carrington Community Centre, or at the Carrington Bowling Club.
The Community Hall is fully wheelchair accessible, including an accessible toilet, with plenty of street parking available.
Workshop Descriptions
Festival Marimbas with Heather McLaughlin
Times: 10:30-11:30 Saturday and 11:45-12:45 Sunday
At: Carrington Bowling Club
Marimbas are very big xylophones which can be played by three people standing up. They are good for almost instant group music making, and for all ages - no experience necessary!
In the two sessions at Newkulele this year, Heather will lead all ages in playing pieces such as Jon Madin’s "Boris the Bassman”, well-known tunes such as “Heart and Soul”, and we will also put together our own version of familiar classical tunes such as the William Tell theme. The weekend will conclude with a mass combined session with marimbas, ukuleles and brass playing a common piece.
Heather McLaughlin has enjoyed getting people of all ages playing marimbas and other percussion instruments for over 30 years.
There’s a Song in That (Tuck Shop Ladies)
Time: 1:00-2:00 Saturday Only
At: Carrington Community Centre
In this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants workshop, Sam and Rosie turn your suggestions into a song - right then and there!
Expect laughter, joyful chaos, creative tangents and at least one freshly minted potential banger by the end.
The Power of the Beat with Benjie from Earthen Rhythms
Times: 11:45-12:45 Saturday and 9:15-10:15 Sunday
At: Carrington Community Centre
Accessible, Inclusive, Fun, and Engaging. Be reminded that rhythm has no boundaries. It’s a fundamental component of music, culture, and community. The beat, the pulse, is made to move humans to unite and bond over a collective cause, whether fun or serious. It can also help release freedom of expression and help escape the everyday.
There are also some very powerful wellness aspects to drumming supported by science. For example, did you know that drumming has been shown to reduce blood pressure and increase ‘killer T cells’?
If this interests you, come along and find out more. During the workshop, you’ll experience this when you get in the flow.
Unlock what’s already in your DNA with Benjie, Global Drum Circle Facilitator extraordinaire who’s based right here in Newcastle. Absolute beginners to Experience Drummers welcome.
Ukulele Workshop - Picks and Plucks (Sally Carter)
For intermediate players.
Times: 10:30-11:30 Sunday Only
At: Carrington Community Centre
How to bring your own creativity into working out your own plucking patterns. It’s easier than what you think! We will then be arranging a couple
of well-known songs with different plucking patterns to bring a unique sound to your playing.
What to bring:
- Your own ukulele.
- Music stand.
- Pen/pencil and notebook.
The Newkulele Street Band
For brass, wind and percussion
Times: 10:30-11:30 Saturday and 11:45-12:45 Sunday
At: Carrington Community Centre
All instruments, all experience welcome for this street band workshop
where you'll learn a couple of grooving tunes to take to the streets of
Carrington!
Looking for brass, reeds and percussion instruments - from beginners to
soloists, and other instruments like accordions, woodwind and strings are also welcome. The tunes will be learned mainly aurally but charts will be available as a back up. It’s a chance to sing and play outside the parameters of what
you normally do, to get the feeling of being part of something bigger and
to have fun and spread joy!
Lyndal Chambers & Brian Strating are experienced performers and community music facilitators from Victoria, who love empowering people in their own music making journeys. They draw their material from a wide range of sources, with colourful parade tunes being a specialty!
They like to keep the music accessible with room for stepping out. They will be accompanied by Newcastle's own master of percussion Benjie (Earthen Rhythms) so if you have a drum or percussion instrument, this is your chance to play with a full marching street band.
Everybody Can Sing (what’s the big deal?)
Times: 11:45-12:45 Saturday and 10:30-11:30 Sunday
At: Carrington Bowling Club
Want to sing with others in a big beautiful sea of vocal harmonies? Want to learn some vocal techniques that will get more out of your voice?
Under the leadership of four accomplished singers and music arrangers: Jane Jelbart, Ruth McCrae, Mark Jackson, and John Wallace there will be a part for every voice, and a leader for you to follow who can help you with your voice no matter what range or style you sing.
We will do some vocal exercises together: we will learn a couple of songs in four part harmonies and learn how to create a beautiful wall of vocal vibrations. Call it a sound bath if you want!
Festival Strings
Times: 9:15-10:15 Saturday and Sunday
At: Carrington Bowling Club
We all know how fabulous is that wonderful gateway to musicianship; the ukulele! But the essence of musicianship is to play with others, with whatever instrument that is being played. The question is, how do you do that well?
The culmination of the Newkulele Festival is to explore that idea, and what better way to begin than to work with other string instruments. Under the guidance of some very of accomplished string players we will blend this ensemble into a cohesive unit. We ask you to bring just about any stringed instruments (that you can play, even just a bit) to this workshop so we can bring it together.
Together we will play arrangements that will sound like a big band, but which can cater for all levels of players and offer opportunities for skill development for all. Riffs, arpeggiations, ostinatos, plucks or strums, we have a part for all to play. You will not want to miss out on the opportunity to play with others like this!
Your tutors for this include Mark Jackson on guitar, ukulele and bass, Jane Jelbart on banjo and ukulele, Sally Carter on fiddle, mandolin and ukulele, and John Wallace on bass and ukulele.
Stay and Play with Miss Mel
Time: 9:15-10:15 Saturday Only
At: Carrington Community Centre
Bring your child and your own inner child to discover how you can play your way into learning music. From ukulele to singing, creative movement and dance, you and your child will love making memories together.
Miss Mel (Melissa Saunders) from Hive Creative Studios has over ten years experience teaching and writing programs for under 8s. She writes kids' music full of imagination and mischief. Come join in!
Note: Ages 3-7 years. Your children must have an accompanying adult.