Jim Cl

I have been a semi-professional musician and ukulele instructor for over 5 years. From my home studio in Santa Barbara, California, I use the convenience of the Internet to work with talented musicians from all over the world, creating an international ‘virtual group’ free from geographical boundaries. This collaborative freedom allows me to switch styles between acoustic solo pieces to songs with a full band sound.

While my wife was pregnant with twins in 2005, I began learning the ukulele so my kids would grow up in a house that was always full of music. I am primarily self-taught, drawing from a large pool of influences such as George Harrison, James Hill, Boulder Acoustic Society, Barenaked Ladies, and The Magnetic Fields, just to name a few.

The music that inspired me to choose the ukulele as my primary instrument was “The Cowboy Song” as sung by Tom Hanks in the movie “Joe vs. the Volcano”. It was the first song I learned to play, and I've since recorded my own version for my kid-friendly album “Ukulele Jim’s Jumping Flea Circus” released in 2010.

When I'm not recording or performing, I write webcomics and graphic novels. I can usually be found busking for the crowds at comic book conventions.

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