Mel Bay Learn To Play Fingerstyle Solos for Ukulele
Multi-instrumentalist Mark Nelson has been active in the folk, Celtic and world music scene since the early 1970's. Considered one of the nation's premiere mountain dulcimer players-he won the National Championships in 1979-he is equally adept at guitar, 'ukulele, bass and various other instruments. His passion for Hawaiian slack key guitar led him to seek out and study with the masters of the vanishing art form. In 1997, Mark and revered Hawaiian musician Keola Beamer co-authored "learn to Play Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar," the first comprehensive tutorial for this gentle art form. After a lengthy touring career, Mark now hosts The Aloha Music Camp, a weeklong immersion into the music and culture of Hawaii with Hawaii's beloved Beamer family. (Aunty Nona Beamer recently honored him with the Hawaiian name "Kailana".)  Acoustic Guitar Magazine dubbed his most recent CD, "The Water is Wide", a lovely blend of Celtic dulcimer and Hawaiian slack key guitar, "achingly beautiful." Mark's new Mel Bay book, "Learn to Play Fingerstyle Solos for 'Ukulele" will be released in early 2006.  Mark lives in Southern Oregon's beautiful Applegate Valley, where he maintains a small recording studio and writes about music and music technology for a number of publications.