Marianne Brogan grew up in a musical family and played flute, piano, guitar and drums. In middle age she found her instrument – the ukulele – and that was that.

She founded the Portland (Oregon) Ukulele Association in 2001, and has been happily teaching ukulele, and organizing events for well over a decade. Her own desire for high quality music instruction from top notch teachers led her to create the former Portland Uke Fest, Ukulele Band Camp in the Columbia Gorge, approaching its eighth year, and most recently, the Port Townsend Ukulele Festival, now in its sixth iteration.

Marianne graduated from Reed College where she majored in Psychology. She spent many years as a project manager in the high tech industry and higher education, experience she draws on as a teacher and event organizer.

Marianne was the Artistic Director of Centrum’s Port Townsend Ukulele Festival from 2017-2023.