Thank you, Uketoberfest! 🎃

Read all about the fun that was had in Northern Michigan this weekend!

Victoria Kolasinski
October 27, 2025

Welcome to VIGGY NEWS - a very jiggy newsletter 📩

Hey friends! 👋🏻

A special hello to all my new friends who joined Viggy News from Uketoberfest this past weekend! I was joined by Ben Hassenger, Pat Malloy, Frank Youngman, and John & Chuck from Punch Drunk for a day of music in lovely Interlochen, MI. I taught three workshops over the course of the afternoon - Fingerpickin’ Fun, Triplets Rolls and Flares OH MY!, and of course, Strum & Drum. The pic above was taken at the end of my Strum and Drum class, and it looks like everyone had a blast. 🎃🍗🥁

Instead of a teacher recital at the end of the day, all the attendees and teachers gathered together to create a big arrangement of Monster Mash using all the skills we acquired throughout the day. Such a great way to showcase what we learned!! There’s a video that’ll be posted soon, I’ll be sure to share it with you all here.

Ken gave me this awesome keychain at the day’s end. If you’ve been to my workshops, you know I like to make jokes where I flip off all the attendees when showing which fingers to pluck and strum with, so this gift was most appropriate. Thanks so much Ken!

Our jam continued down the road at the Karlin Inn where we all strummed songs into the evening. Frank had brought a marimbula, a big bass thumb piano-esque instrument, that he let me play for the night. It was so much fun! Not that I need any more instruments of any kind, but wow, what a cool instrument to have.

Me plunking away on the Marimbula. I actually broke a nail playing it LOL

The festival was at the Interlochen School of the Arts in upstate Michigan. It was so beautiful! Colder than it is in NY, but beautiful nonetheless. I’m glad I brought my jacket!

The view from outside my window. Interlochen means “between the lakes” so we were surrounded by lovely lake views.

the lovely campus!

this was a sweet sign I found walking around the campus.

It was a quick weekend trip for me, in Friday and out Sunday, but I tried to soak up every moment while I was there. Thanks so much for having me, and I’ll see you all at Mighty Uke Day next year!

Next up: my in-person chord melody clinic at Aloha City Ukes this December! [Click here for tickets]

Thanks friends!

xoxo Viggy