kevincarroll.net

Guests watch as Grammy-nominated ukulele player Kevin Carroll leads the Austin Ukestra’s performance inside James Turrell’s Skyspace, “The Color Inside,” on Feb. 2, 2025.

During the pandemic, Kevin Carroll, founder of an Austin ukulele orchestra, Austin Ukestra, recorded a ukulele part alone in his room. Later, the part appeared on Ruthie Foster’s 66th annual Grammy-nominated album, “Healing Time.” 

The Ukestra performed this Sunday, just before this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony aired, at the James Turrell Skyspace, “The Color Inside,” an art installation on campus. As the ceiling in the Skyspace changed color over the course of an hour, the Ukestra performed original arrangements by Carroll.

“Performing in a space like this today … you don’t know when the lights (are going to) change (and) how it’s going to change,” Carroll said. “To be in that intimate and sonically rich, cavernous space was bordering on supernatural and spiritual.”

Carroll started the Ukestra after teaching ukulele lessons. When his students got through all the classroom books, he decided to put an ensemble together. Carroll’s former student and long-time member, Jackie Chuter, performed at the Skyspace on Sunday. She said the Ukestra gave her a platform to learn and perform the music she likes to listen to.

“I started out because I liked Hawaiian music,” Chuter said. “My husband gave me a ukulele for a fifth-anniversary gift, but I didn’t get very far on my own, trying to teach myself. Then I saw Kevin’s flyer at my children’s elementary school. … My kids weren’t interested, but I kept it.”

The Ukestra performed original compositions by Carroll on Sunday, including “Skyspace Theme,” which Carroll said he composed specifically for this occasion.

“(I’ve) done over 10 million measures of arranged music,” Carroll said. “I might need to step away from the ukulele, but it’s been an amazing journey to get into all of this music, whether it’s classical, rock, pop (or) funk songs. The ukulele is a really good instrument for it.”

Aaron Lewis, who grew up playing the euphonium and tuba, plays in the Ukestra with his dad. He said playing with the Ukestra reminds him of his years in his middle and high school band.

“Everything (comes) together to create something greater than the individual parts,” Lewis said. “When you think of people who play ukulele together, it’s not what the expectation would be. And getting to play publicly, I don’t think I’ve ever played inside of an art installation before.”

Carroll moved from Idaho to Austin in 1991 for the music scene. Carroll will perform in July at the Viva Big Bend Festival in West Texas and with the Ukestra at the Texas Community Music Festival in Austin in April. 

“(Austin) is full of talented musicians,” Carroll said. “The landscape has shifted a lot in the 21st century, but there’s still a lot of talent here.”