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Hi Rock Class 101 Community!
We’re back with a VERY SPECIAL site member challenge #99! We’re teaming up with Kanile’a ‘Ukulele and Uke Republic to give away an INCREDIBLE Kanile’a 2025 Custom Made Ukulele! This tenor sized model is crafted with deluxe grade koa wood and retails for $2,250 USD.
I’m beyond humbled to share that over 5,000 members have now participated in our challenges. Absolutely amazing! If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, now’s the perfect time to jump in! This month’s challenge is a fun way to stay motivated and a great opportunity to connect with fellow ukulele players who are passionate about learning and growing as musicians. Plus, I give feedback on every submission! 🙂
Please watch the video above and read the instructions below carefully for all the details on this month’s challenge.
Pick 1 from the following 6 RC101 Lessons:
1) Song of Storms * – In this ukulele and piano duet, you’ll learn a beautiful melody that’s played alongside a rich, harmonic backdrop. This song is one of the most popular tunes from the Zelda video game series.
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
Note: If you choose this song, performing with the backing track is OPTIONAL. The backing track requires premium membership to download.
2) Summertime Swing * – This cute-sounding song expresses the joy of summer!
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
3) In the Summertime * – A feel good, summertime jam by Mungo Jerry!
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
4) Summertime * – A sultry take on a timeless melody.
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
5) Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty * – This arrangement tastefully blends fingerpicking and strumming with a percussive backbeat.
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
6) Goodbye Summer * – Learn to strum a fun, summertime chord melody!
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
Note: This song requires low G ukulele.
** If you need assistance with how to record yourself check out our FREE course on recording audio/video and/or private message me and I will be happy to help you out. **
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GOALS FOR MEMBER CHALLENGE:
1. Beginner Level: Be able to play one of the lessons as shown by Andrew smoothly and in time. Don’t worry about trying to play fast, slow and steady wins the race. 🙂
Recommended Piece: Song of Storms
2. Intermediate to Advanced Level: Be able to play the lesson as shown by Andrew smoothly, in time, and at or close to the original piece’s tempo.
Recommended Piece: Summertime Swing [intermediate], In the Summertime [intermediate], Summertime [advanced], Free Fallin’ [advanced], Goodbye Summer [intermediate]
3. Participation Goal: 50 Rock Class 101 Member Participant Videos/MP3 posted.
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GROUND RULES FOR PARTICIPATION:
1. Post your Youtube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud links of you playing 1 of the 6 RC101 pieces anytime between Sunday, June 1st till Monday, June 30th, 11:59pm ET.
The upload feature on the site only supports photos. Members must host their own files. Creating an account is easy and free. Here are the links to create an account:
YouTube (For Video) – https://www.youtube.com/create_channel
SoundCloud (For Audio) – https://soundcloud.com/signin
2. Submit individually, as a reply, IN THIS POST.
3. Feel free to submit more than one video for the challenge, but additional videos will not count as extra entries into the raffle for the prize.
4. Have fun and don’t be intimidated by this challenge!!! Use this challenge to help you set goals and complete them by a deadline. You can also use this as an opportunity to chat with your fellow Rock Class 101 members and share tips or tricks on this challenge that you think are useful.
5. You must perform the entire piece to receive an entry into the prize raffle. Your performance must be submitted by the deadline listed (in #1) above to gain an entry in the raffle, as well as, to receive feedback.
* Note: In my opinion, it is better to show progress versus perfection with these challenges. So if you are a beginner and can only play the first couple of measures. That is completely ok. If you play two more measures of the next challenge piece than you did the previous one, you are on track to getting better. This is what these challenges are about… you learning ukulele and getting better. Remember we are all here to support you no matter what your current playing level is.
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COMMON FAQs:
1) The prize and the challenge is open to the entire world!
2) Premium membership is NOT required to participate, but will make participation easier as it gains you complete access to the full video lessons, tabs, and the on-screen tab viewer.
3) Basic membership (free) is required to submit a reply on this forum post. You can sign up for Basic Membership HERE.
4) To post YouTube video links (in which they appear embedded on the forum), simply copy and past the video URL in its own line. For example:
YouTube URL
5) If you live in the Continental U.S., we will ship the giveaway ukulele to you for FREE! If you live outside of the Continental U.S., there will be a shipping fee ranging between $40 USD to $80 USD (as this ukulele is very expensive, shipping costs may exceed this amount. It will be shipped insured). This fee will be collected by Uke Republic. You are also responsible for any custom fees or duties.
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Giveaway Rules:
There will be 6 chances for you to win this ukulele:
SPRING CHALLENGES:
First Chance: Participate in our April Challenge.
Second Chance: Participate in our May Challenge.
Third Chance: Participate in our June Challenge.
FALL CHALLENGES:
Fourth Chance: Participate in our October Challenge.
Fifth Chance: Participate in our November Challenge.
Sixth Chance: Participate in our December Challenge.
Basic (free) members will receive 1 entry for each month they participate in, while Premium members will receive 2 entries.
On July 4th at 12pm ET, a video will premiere on our YouTube channel, picking 1 member by random drawing that will BE AWARDED 10 EXTRA ENTRIES. This event will mark the end of our Spring Challenges (April, May, June).
We will break for July, August, and September. Entries for the prize will resume for our Fall Challenges (October, November, December).
On Christmas Eve (December 24th at 12 PM ET), a video announcing the winner will premiere on our YouTube channel, picking 1 member by random drawing that will WIN this AMAZING Kanile’a Ukulele!
To qualify to win, you must submit your audio and/or video links of your playing by the deadline listed above.
Basic members can earn up to 6 entries for the prize.
Premium members can earn up to 12 entries for the prize.
You must have an “active” premium membership at the time you submit your performance. Active membership means that your membership HAS NOT expired. This does not mean that you cannot cancel auto re-bills. If you sign up for monthly membership (valid for 30 days) on the 15th of June and cancel your membership the same day, then submit your performance on the 16th (the next day), you are still considered an “active” premium member. The same concept applies for annual membership or gift card membership (3 or 6 month membership).
YOU MUST WRITE “I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER” ON YOUR PERFORMANCE SUBMITTAL POST. Please write this phrase in its own line. For example:
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
I will only award 2 entries to premium members that write this line. It would be too time consuming to check if everyone who submits is a premium member. If you do not write this, you WILL NOT receive 2 entries.
Grand Prize:
1) $2,250 Grand Prize! Includes:
A) 2025 Kanile’a Custom Tenor Model Ukulele (Includes: a premium padded case)
OUR 11 PREVIOUS KANILE’A WINNERS! WILL YOU BE NEXT?
LISTEN TO THIS SWEET UKE BEING PLAYED!
UKULELE SPECS
Tenor Body
Deluxe Grade Koa Top, Back, and Sides
Mahogany Neck
Ebony Fretboard and Bridge
D-Shaped Soundhole
Side Sound Port
Kanileʻa Crown Headstock w/ Ebony Headplate
White Mother Of Pearl Logo and Position Markers
Open Geared Chrome TunerOther Features: Includes a premium Kanile’a padded case
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
Kanile’a: https://www.kanileaukulele.com/
Uke Republic: http://www.ukerepublic.com/
AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO YOU! Let’s crush this challenge!
Very fun, cute topic! I’m definitely going to attempt Free Fallin’, though it’s likely to be a train wreck because I am bad at literally all the techniques involved. 😂 I probably shouldn’t try to learn that one in two days, that’s a whole month-er for me. Really looking forward to this challenge! 🙂
I love this selection @Andrew. I think I’m going to re-visit mungo Jerry, In the Summertime. I forget a song so quickly unless I play it A LOT.
@the_bumble_bard a good choice and maybe you’ll nail it in four days ☺️. It does have some moves in it though. I’ll look forward to listening.
Can’t wait to see who chooses the classic sultry Summertime. I’m tempted.
Happy June everyone.These look like fun. My first instinct was the classic Summertime but I played them all in order and Zelda’s Song of Storms is calling me this time. It’s so cute. I want to try to to add my piano accompaniment as welll. Should be fun.
@gi_gi_ I’d love to hear you sing with Summertime. ☺️👍
@leb397 I did sing that one for one of our challenges 🫣 I think it was a month we got to choose 😬
@gi_gi_ I believe I remember which is why I thought of you. 😁
🥰 @leb397
@leb397, that’ll be so lovely for you to play that one again! I think I remember you playing that one before maybe. It’s actually really cool to revisit songs you learned a while ago. I’ve really been meaning to do that with the song Always With Me from Spirited Away that Steven did because that one is so lovely. Just see what it’s like for me now. But that’s more of a random side tangent. 😂 Thank you, I know I’m going to be on the struggle bus with Free Fallin’ but FINALLY I can force myself to work on some strumming. I have a serious mental block with that. That also means I never really learned how to chunk/chuck, so that should be fun. 😂😂 Thank you so much for you confidence, though, maybe you’re right! 😂🧡
@Gi_gi_ I also remember you singing Summertime and it being so gorgeous. That will be really neat with Song of Storms! I really want to do a piano accompaniment with the uke for something, too, at some point, but I guess I need a piano for that. Maybe I can find a free-ish one somewhere. 😂…
I also had kind of a funny, completely unrelated thought that seemed really funny in my mind about last month’s challenge. So, I thought I’d share it here while we’re still in the random conversational stage of this challenge. 😂
Here it is:
After I mentioned that I learned the tune I chose last month in a couple of days, I noticed that a few other people mentioned they learned their tunes around that quickly. So, then I started to think about getting super braggy about how quickly I could learn the tune – “Actually, I learned the tune while I was watching the play through of the song in the lesson then instantly figured out how to play it (I have done that before, but only for parts of songs, lol!!).” But then it gets really extreme: “I guessed which song Andrew was going to pick this month before he even realized it, then figured out who was going to make the arrangement and guessed how he would do it – so I learned the song before it fully existed.” Final stage: “I time travelled into the past and wrote a song that would be picked for a future challenge – so I created the song he picked decades before Rock Class 101 existed.”
😂😂😂
In my mind, that seemed really funny, but probably no one else will find that funny, but now I feel unburdened… 😂
Well you made me laugh. I actually get it too!
I try to guess what next challenge will be, but OFTEN way off. I’ll put my requests in to you… we can focus together. Only difference is your genre is younger than mine 😁 still crazy you get it in few days.
Btw, I struggle with the chuck. It actually “scares” me. Not really but I don’t commit to it. IN the Summertime has Lots of Chucking. So we shall see. Thinking I might try to do the Andrew style chuck, which is a slap.
Hope your days are feeling less stressed with your loss. Practice more keep you happy 🎶🤗🌄
@the_bumble_bardHahaha!! @leb397, thank you, I’m so glad you found that funny. 😂 I often have thoughts / internal tangents like that about different things. It’s so satisfying when someone else finds them funny. 😂
The final final stage: “I time travelled back to caveman times and taught the first caveman how to sing – thus creating music itself – that means, I learned the RC101 song fastest” (none of that is correct). 😂😂
I also try to guess what the next challenge will be, but sometimes you can somewhat guess based on the songs being released the month before. Also, the newsletter. Also, because I’m super annoying, I have also asked Andrew directly. But even after all that, I still have often been wrong in my guess. 😂
Thank you, that definitely is not true with every song that I can learn it in a few days, but I think one of my skills with music is recognizing patterns (such as chord shapes and stylistic patterns with different players), even if I don’t know what the chord/note name is, and that helps me learn some songs more quickly. It’s also at least 78% moxy that propels me to learn quickly. 😂
Oh yeah, I forgot about Andrew’s slap/chuck! That sounds like a power move in a video game. 😂 Maybe I’ll try that if I can’t get the chuck. I am the same way with strumming, being “scared” of it, and I just have this huge mental block with it. I’ve talked with Matt about that in private lessons but he’s simplified strumming so much for me that it boils down to, “am I going to physically start strumming at any point, or just sit and worry about it?” 😂 I continue to choose the latter… until now (very dramatic).
Thank you, I am feeling better today. 🧡 I am trying to keep myself distracted, seemingly by diving back into the ukulele world once again even more. I still haven’t put any of kitty’s things away. I will keep all of them for a future time if I can get another cat, once I am emotionally and financially able to do so. But it will take time to put away her things, for me. Like her food dish is still out with food in it. So, not completely out of the woods yet with letting go of that, but feeling mentally better today. I do miss her sweet cuddles and pets a lot, though. 🧡
Also, I probably shouldn’t write replies on my laptop because I’m way faster at translating my thoughts into text this way compared to a phone – which is dangerous with my tangential brain. Sorry. 😂
@the_bumble_bard i think we have filled the first page of this thread! Agree, i use my computer less these days so my iPad is a one finger plunk plunk….
You should keep a journal. You have a great imagination and thought process. Okay…. Signing out 🤪😆@leb397, hahaha, whoops, sorry about that! I think you’re right. 😂 I usually don’t use my laptop as much either. I am bad at typing on my phone still, which is why I should write my replies on my phone. 😂😂
Thank you so much for that! I have thought about starting a blog, but obviously I’ve made huge progress with that. Yes, time to go “be productive” or something. Have a lovely day! 😂😂OH @The_Bumble_Bard I’m so sorry to hear about your sweet little fur-baby…..♥️♥️♥️
@Gi_gi_ I remember you singing Summertime also……it was beautiful….I’m almost thinking we should repost it in this thread…..but I will let you be the one to decide…..😁
@leb397 and @The_Bumble_Bard I am definitely not one of the people who can practice for 2 days and have something to post…..it is quite the opposite….I usually feel I could use more than a month to prepare……I find I’m anticipating that first day of the month….(almost like Christmas) waiting to find out what our new tunes will be…..maybe he should post the last day of the previous month (he has done that before……) I’d probably still be anticipating….
Not sure which one to work on this month…..tough choice!
@dianna It’s probably not even good at all. I’ll just leave you thinking it was and not play it again to prove otherwise 😂😂😂Thanks so much 🥰
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