Greetings, friends! Our next monthly meeting is fast approaching, on Thursday, February 9, 7:00β9:00pm. Last month we had a blast kicking off our 13th year of monthly meetings. We’re nearly as excited to have our first in-person February meeting since 2020, so get ready for great energy and fun! We’ll meet, as usual, at the Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 6100 Berkman Drive, Austin, TX, 78723.

Since our February meeting occurs near (and occasionally on!) Valentine’s Day, we always choose a love song for our featured song. In past February meetings, we’ve covered many great love/romance tunes from a variety of genres and time periods including themes of heartbreak, romantic love, and love/compassion for all. This year is no different, and we know you’ll love learning to sing and strum a romantic song that’s remained very popular for 55+ years now: “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” This song was a huge hit for Frankie Valli in 1967 and has been recorded and/or sampled by many artists over the decades. Andy Williams and Lauryn Hill are among those with chart-topping versions. It’s also a very popular song in film, on tv shows and in commercials; if you don’t already know it well, we think you’ll be singing along in no time!
Frankie Valli’s 1967 original recording is in the key of E with a couple of key modulations, but Bob’s arrangement is in C throughout, as is Andy Williams’ recording. (You can use the song sheet to strum and sing along with Andy.) Bob includes Valli’s introduction in his arrangement, which is included in the song sheet; he’ll go over it at the in-person meeting.
To practice, you can preview or download the lyrics and chords for “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Β Play along with Andy Williams’ recording using our song chart! π
Here are some details about the song sheet:
- Pages 1 – 3 have the chords and lyrics.
- Page 3 also has a description of the main strum pattern, along with a simplified alternative.
- Page 4 has tab for a picking part that can be played during the Intro.
- Page 5 has tab for a picking part that can be played with the last line of each verse.
- Page 6 has a note about the Dm7 chord and a description of the strum pattern we’ll play with the last line of the Chorus and at the end of the song.
- Pages 7 and 8 have vocal harmony options for the Verses.
As always, we recommend practicing the song using the chart and diagrams, Frankie Valli’s recording, and Andy Williams’ recording before the 9th, if possible. π
At the meeting, Bob will perform “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” to demonstrate the arrangement, and then take us through some helpful exercises to get us comfortable with the chords and chord progressions, strum styles, vocal and harmonizing options, before we put it all together to play it through.
Our meeting format, as usual, will begin with introductions and some local ukulele news/events. We’ll also include some open mic time for those of you who’d like to showcase one tune you’ve been working on. A sign-up sheet will be available at 6:30. As open mic time is limited to four participants, please sign up when you arrive and understand that preference will be given to those who have not participated recently or ever before.
Ukulele Society T-shirts!
We’ll have Austin Ukulele Society t-shirts available for purchase before and after our meeting, including our brand-new “Classic Ukulele,” design, hot off the presses! All of our shirts are thoughtfully designed by the talented Lyda Guz!
The shirts are silk screened here in Austin at a fantastic locally-owned print shop and are available for purchase at our meeting. The new “Classic Ukulele” design, “Ukulele Around the World,” “10th Anniversary,” Mermaid, Cowboy,” “Austin Lasso” and other shirts are $20. We also have vinyl decals with the AUS logo for $1 each. We can accept cash or a check made out to Austin Ukulele Society; you can also make payment via Venmo or PayPal.
Location
Memorial United Methodist Church, 6100 Berkman Drive, Austin, TX 78723. We meet in the school located behind the church, in the gym.
![]() Map it |
![]() Where to park and find the gym |
For those attending for the first time, the church is easy to find – but it is big. You’ll enter from Berkman Dr. using a ‘one way’ entrance and you can park anywhere alongside or behind the church. Past the canopied main entrance, on the same side of the building, there is another entrance on the right. Walk in there and you’ll be in the gym. From there simply follow the sounds of ukuleles tuning up. π
Newcomers and beginners are ALWAYS welcome! Even if you’re a complete novice, we encourage you to come out. Many beginners come to the meetings, and it’s so great to see their skills grow over time! There are almost always easier ways to play the songs, even if you can play only a few of the chords. Or just sing along!
For the monthly meetings, our friend Lori brings loaner ukuleles, donated by the TUG (Tuesday Ukulele Group)! They are Makala concert and soprano ukes, and you can borrow one to play during the meeting. You’ll find them at the front of the room; so if you don’t have a uke yet, or you forget your uke at home, or your uke is in disrepair, please join us and borrow a TUG loaner uke. π
Feel free to get familiar with the chord charts for any of the songs in our repertoire, all available on the “Music Library” page. We always play “Three Little Birds” and “On the Road Again” as our opening and closing songs, so if you’re new to the group and want to get familiar with them, you can play along using the presentations and our videos.
Stay tuned and keep strumming! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, February 9, at 7:00pm!
Contact Us if you have any questions, need more information, or would like to be added to our mailing list.
With regard to COVID-19, we need your help in mitigating the risk of spreading the virus in the following ways:
- Attend only if you’re feeling well.
- If you have recently had close contact with someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19 and you yourself have tested negative, please wear a mask.
- While Travis County remains in the low risk of transmission category, wearing a mask at MUMC is optional.
- You are always encouraged to wear a mask if you feel more comfortable doing so.
- If you would like additional information about COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website.
The Austin Ukulele Society team will do our part to mitigate risk by:
- Making disposable masks and hand sanitizer available
- Spreading seating out as needed
- Opening a couple of doors to improve air flow, if the temperatures allow