Welcome to my website and blog!
Singer, ukulele and piano player, teacher, songwriter, entertainer and recording artist. What fun!
New ukulele tutorial… “Better Times Will Come”
Janis Ian has generously shared her glorious and uplifting song with musicians everywhere, to learn, record, and share. Read more and get the chart.
Zoom classes and lessons
Learn ukulele and have some fun! Donation-based Zoom classes for beginners and intermediates—open to the public!
Cali’s Ukulele Kids Club Academy Workshop
Learn to play and sing Cali’s tune “OO-KOO-LAY-LAY” — with all kinds of ways to fancy things up!! Get the sheet music here. The UKC is an international organization that helps children overcome the stress of serious health conditions by playing the ukulele. Check out their website and their YouTube page for more academy workshops.
The CC Strummers… in the news!
A great video story by Kristopher Gee about Cali Rose and The CC Strummers – read it here!
Cali Rose featured in OokTown’s Ukulele Podcast
Coming to you straight outta Culver City, Cali Rose comes to talk to us about the beginnings of The CC Strummers, affirms the power of the ukulele in music therapy, and takes us through her journey from studying nursing to full-time musician. Hosts: Stuart Yoshida, Doug Brown. Watch on YouTube or Listen on iTunes.
— Peggy K.
Love, Toni 2/2017
M.D.
—S.W.
— Bosko and Honey
— R.
—D.
— Ernie S.
— Kim
B.
— David B.
—D.
— S. & B.
— Jill G.
— B.
— Bruce B.
— Ukulele master Kimo Hussey
— A.
—C.L.
—M.A.
—Lyn
— E.
— Anita J.
— Independent Songwriter Web Magazine
—A.
—L.
— Susan A.
— Gregg W.
— M.
— Ukulele Player, Aug 2009
Video tutorials
Pick up new ukulele skills at your own pace. Chords, embellishments and more!
Cali’s schedule
Zoom classes, workshops, appearances and more!
Donations
Suggested donation per Zoom class is $5. Read about the preparation that goes into each class.
Cali’s version of Chopsticks
Cali sings her own song “Smile, Smile, Smile
This Morning Something Wonderful Happened to Me (I Woke Up)
Cali Rose plays “The Way You Look Tonight” on piano
The CC Strummers
Cali leads this ukulele group and teaches two weekly Zoom classes. Players local to the Culver City area are welcome to join our in-person jams.
Cali’s blog
Read the latest stories and musings from Cali Rose. Sign up and get them delivered to your inbox, too!
Cali’s Blog
A SMACK GOES VIRAL AND THE STORIES WE TELL
I’m watching the Academy Awards, answering emails and cleaning my desk. That’s when I see Jada Pinkett Smith, sitting in the swanky front row with her husband Will Smith. The next presenter, Chris Rock, lays into her with a lame joke about her hair. She’s rolling her eyes and looking very pissed-off. Hubby is laughing, kind of fakey-like. Until he isn’t. That’s when he bounds on stage, all huffy-puffy, and smacks Chris Rock in the noggin. My computer screen goes … Read More
ONE YEAR LATER
One year ago, Friday, March 12, 2021, I had big plans for the day — two Zoom gigs and a Covid surge take-out dinner with my sweetie, wrapped and ready to go from our favorite Mexican Restaurant, Paco’s Taco’s.
But…
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,” wrote John Lennon. Instead of enchiladas, I stared down a baby bowl of tepid vegetable soup that a guy from dietary delivered to my hospital room.
CARDIAC REHAB –THE GRAND FINALE OR HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE DUMBBELLS AND TRIGGER BALLS
The staff in Cardiac Rehab at UCLA offered me a cap and gown for this momentous occasion: Graduation. I thought they were kidding. They weren’t kidding nor were they laughing as hard as I was…
KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP
Big fun happenings are happening in my world and I want to keep YOU in the loop! This Thursday, September 16, 2021, from 5:00 to 6:00pm (PST), I am the guest teacher at The Ukulele Kids Club Academy. It’s FREE and online! So all you have to do is sit your butt down and play along. I remember the first class I taught with the UKC Academy because so many of you showed up and it just felt like home.
THIS MORNING SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENED TO ME
My relationship with time has always been a little wobbly but since the pandemic, wobbles have turned into free-falls and bumpy rides through the land of “what is time anyway?”
This is my way of saying I don’t remember when “that morning” happened. Was it spring, summer, fall, winter? I don’t know. But it’s easy to flash back to the moment.
PUT YOUR OWN HEART FIRST
My phone alarm goes off at 5:30am. I am jolted awake by Al Jarreau crooning his song Mornin’ because it sure is… I’ve been doing this “deliver-the-newspaper-kind-of-early” for the last couple of months so I can get to Cardiac Rehab on time every Monday and Wednesday.