Roisin hits the right note with online ukulele festival

Roisin hits the right note with online ukulele festival

13 May 2020

A CROSSGAR woman has just staged her first successful ukulele festival.

Roisin Erskine held the two-day Irish Online Ukulele Festival, which attracted accomplished and novice ukulele players from all over Northern Ireland and further afield.

And despite it be held on streaming platforms such as Zoom, the 37 year-old mother of one said her festival had everything she had planned for such an event in the autumn.

“I have received brilliant feedback from those who joined in about the performances and the workshops,” said Roisin. “It also raised nearly £800 to support the artists who put on all the workshops and performances.”

The ukulele is a small guitar-like instrument which is part of the lute family and has been played by artists as diverse as US top charter Billy Eilish and performed by most traditional groups throughout the world.

Roisin is an accomplished yoga teacher and meditation expert with 15 years’ experience of youth and community work to her credit.

She came late to the ukulele, having started to play several years ago when she needed something to sustain her while experiencing a period of profound grief.

A believer in the therapeutic power of making music and expressing oneself through music, Roisin now hosts special classes and workshops through her YogaLeles business for people who want to work on their well-being.

She said: “Playing the ukulele is incredibly popular and I suppose you wouldn’t realise just how popular it is until you actually join in. It’s probably easier to pick up than guitar, I actually taught myself. But it’s really good fun and I would encourage everyone to give it a go. Judging by the interest in the festival and the feedback, there is scope for another festival and further workshops.”

Roisin has hosted classes in Crossgar and Newcastle. She can also be found playing at ukulele jams and hosting workshops in Europe at music festivals. For further information visit www.yogaleles.com.