Mark Your Calendar!

 October 9-11, 2008!

 Don't miss our annual Hawaiian Steel Guitarfest, which will feature guest steel artist,
Steve Cheney and mandatory fun, including member playing sessions,
infamous "no sleep" jam sessions/talk story and Saturday Night Lu`au.

We are overjoyed that Steve accepted our invitation to this year’s gathering.  Steve has been a respected and active steel guitarist in Hawaii since his teens when he was a student of the legendary  Benny Rogers.  Since 1996 Steve has performed five nights a week at the Polynesian Culture Center's nightly luau in Laie, Oahu. 

Listen to Steve play!

Hula Blues

Moana Chimes
 

Steve Cheney will play one set each day of the convention (click days)
Thursday | Friday | Saturday

Here is a taste of what you can expect at Joliet...
Photos from last year's HSGA 2007 Joliet convention.
 

Just Announced - Our Thursday & Friday night seminars!

This year we are fortunate to present seminars on  Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoon (pre-luau)during the convention.  These seminars are free of charge.  The instructional classes are hands-on.  For the steel guitar seminar,  bring your steel guitar tuned to C6 (CEGACE  - tuned from  Bass strings to high strings - suggested gauges .36  .30 .26  .24 .18(plain steel) .16 (plain steel) ), paper, pencil and some type of audio or video recording device.  For the ukulele class - any ukulele tuned GCEA will suffice.

Thursday

8 PM - Former HSGA Board member Gerald Ross will conduct a beginning level Hawaiian Steel Guitar class using the C6 tuning. Topics include bar handling, right hand picking, beginning slant technique - a basic song will be taught to get you started down the road.

Friday

8 PM - Joliet 2008 Guest of Honor Steve Cheney discusses his approach to music and the steel guitar.  Bring your questions, as this is a fun dialogue between Steve and the audience.

Saturday

3 PM - One of Chicago's best known ukulele instructors Terry Truhart will conduct a beginning level ukulele class.  All are welcome.  Learning the basics of the ukulele is very easy and Terry's class is both  informative and fun.

Saturday Night Luau and Floor Show

The traditional HSGA Joliet Saturday night Luau and Floor show is happening again this year!  Join us at 5:30 for pre-luau musical entertainment, cash bar and social hour.  At 7:00 enjoy a Polynesian style dinner and then sit back and enjoy the Luau Floor Show at 8:00.  Note: there is a separate per-person charge for the luau.  Luau admission is not included with your convention registration. 

Luau tickets are available at the convention registration desk.  Get your tickets early!   Luau Tickets are only available for purchase during the convention. There are no advance sales for these tickets.

Guests are encouraged to wear their finest Aloha wear!

Member Playing Time Slots

All performances are 25 minutes INCLUDING SET-UP TIME, and will be ASSIGNED BY THE PROGRAM COMMITTEE. This will allow us to schedule all music sessions during the day, thus leaving the evenings free for seminars and jam sessions. No music sessions are planned for the evening hours. Whether you're a first time, or a longtime performer/attendee WE NEED YOUR REGISTRATION. We cannot make up a program list if we don't know who's coming and who wants to perform. No matter who you are, if we don't get your registration, you WILL NOT have a spot on the program. The sooner you register, the better. When all slots are filled, you will be put on a STAND-BY LIST. We cannot guarantee which day or time you will appear on the program, but we will try to honor preferences when possible. Last minute registrations are not guaranteed a playing time.

Please bring at least two sets of chord charts for your back up players.

Nightly Jam Sessions

The legendary HSGA "no sleep, all night" jam sessions happen each night of the convention (including "pre-convention" Wednesday and "post luau" Saturday).  They usually start around 9 PM (after the last seminar of the evening).

These impromptu, informal, fun and free sessions are open to all musicians and listeners. 

The musicians at these sessions are friendly and open. They are enthusiastic and eager to share playing tips, tunings, “talk story” and sometimes even give a quick free lesson.

Sitting a foot away from a world-class steel guitarist and watching their hands is the fast track to learning the instrument.

Watch a video of a jam session from HSGA Joliet 2007.

Watch another video from 2007!

Free Instructional Seminars and Talk Story

Free instructional seminars and get togethers will be held on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoon at approximately 8:00 PM (Saturday - 3PM). 

Note: In past conventions many impromptu workshops have materialized over the course of the three days , most notably, Introduction to Hula,  Introduction to the Hawaiian language,  Lei Making,  Beginning Ukulele and Advanced Ukulele techniques.  These and other ad-hoc workshops are not officially scheduled and may or may not occur.

Convention Registration

Registration fee is $25.00 per person.  Tickets will be available at the door.  If you are planning on performing, you must mail the Convention Registration Form by September 1 to:

Wally Pfeifer
1110 Sheila Drive
Joliet, IL 60435

Use the convention form below or use the form included in your Spring 2008 HSGA Quarterly... Do NOT mail to Honolulu. Requests for playing time are honored on a "first come, first served" basis. When all playing slots are filled, you will be put on the standby list. Plan to perform 25 minutes on stage. Please bring at least two sets of chord charts for your back up players.

Tickets will also be available at the door.

Download 2008 HSGA Joliet Convention registration forms in PDF format:

Download the Hotel & Convention Reservation Form

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are ON YOUR OWN. They are NOT included in your registration fee. We are not planning any group dinners at any time during the convention, including Wednesday evening.

Holiday Inn Information

Make your reservation directly with the hotel, not with us. Your reservation must be received by the Holiday Inn before October 1st. After that date the rooms being held for the HSGA will be released to the general public, and are no longer guaranteed to be available. Send in your reservation form which was enclosed with your newsletter, or download the form below. You may also call the hotel directly at (815) 729-2000. Make sure to tell them you are with HSGA to get the special room rate. 

Download The Hotel & Convention Reservation Form

Holiday Inn Convention Center - Joliet, IL

Vendors

We do not have specific information on vendors at this time.

Tentative Convention Schedule (subject to change)