Monthly Archives: June 2011

June 14 meeting was lots of fun… but aren’t they all?

Bob sent along this message about the June 14 meeting at Central Market North’s Community Room, attended by (we think) 23 people:

Thanks to everyone who came to our June meeting Tuesday night and made it so much fun. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the room! A special welcome to the first-timers who joined us — hope to see you again!

Hats off to those who played and sang (and low-yodeled) a solo number, and to Walter for his dizzying kazoo solo break on “Runaway.” Thanks for sharing!

Mark the date and spread the word: our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, July 12th, at 7:00pm. We’ll be sending out a reminder and posting on our blog and FB page. And please send in suggestions for our sing-along — we’re building a great repertoire.

As always, it’s a pleasure to play with you all.

If you missed this one, will we see you at the July 12 meeting? We hope!

World’s smallest playable uke?

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If you like the idea of a teeny-weeny but playable ukulele, take a gander at this YouTube video. Will Grove-White, of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, plays a wonderful piece of old-fashioned jazz on a tiny uke called a tangi. It makes a soprano look huge.

Are ukuleles too popular?

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Steven Sproat, a uke player who’s well-known in the UK, says that, um, maybe the uke’s become too popular for its own good. Nobody likes to be part of a fad, right? Let’s quote him from this June 3 BBC story:

“On about one in every seven TV adverts there will be a ukulele part. It’s on documentary programmes. It’s been taken up in education – it’s a rival now to the recorder [as a first instrument to be taught in schools] – it’s being used by celebrities. There are ukulele clubs springing up in every town.”

Hey, things could be way worse. We remember the ’90s, when almost no one played the uke at all, and if you said you played the ukulele, folks would look aside and roll their eyes.

Join us Tuesday night, June 14, at Central Market

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Yes, it’s time on Tuesday evening, June 14, for our monthly meeting at Central Market North, 40th & Lamar, between 7 and 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room, which is located to the right as soon as you enter through the Produce Dept door. We have some new songs for you this time: the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” Del Shannon’s “Runaway,” and the Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon.” Oh, and about this last number–if you get a chance, download it and take a look at (and try out) the wonderful descending intro chord progression that Bob has developed. If you’re familiar with the song, we think you’ll agree that it’ll be lots of fun to play as a group.

Remember that all the songs we perform at meetings will be posted permanently (or as permanently as things are ever posted on a blog) in our Ukulele Music Library. We plan to have the projector on the premises, but just in case, it never hurts to bring along the songs on paper.

See you Tuesday!

“Striking a chord” on the Boston Herald site

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Here’s a quick story on the Boston Herald site about the most recent phase of the uke resurgence, prompted (it appears) by the new Eddie Vedder ukulele album. It includes a video interview with MA ukulele player Michael J. Epstein, who plays in a couple of Boston-area uke groups, including Neutral Uke Hotel.

Take a look. Plus we’re not sure how long it’ll be up, but here’s a chance to listen to Vedder’s “Ukulele Songs” in its entirety at the NPR Music site.

Oops, oops… one more. Here’s a guy who built a working ukulele out of Lego bricks. For some reason, he tuned it a deeper and slightly flabbier C-F-A-D instead of G-C-E-A (listen to the bit of Puff the Magic Dragon he shares), but hey, it’s still pretty impressive.