Ukuleles for Everyone!

The ukulele’s reputation is a strange one.

The tiny, four-stringed instrument looks like a miniature guitar, sounds like Hawaii and is used in music ranging from folk to jazz to indie-pop.

Three ukulele performances in particular have entered recent popular culture: the quirky singer Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” in the ‘60s, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s 1993 version of “What a Wonderful World” and Jake Shimabukuro’s 2006 YouTube version of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

However, the uke, as it’s often nicknamed, had plenty of earlier history. Its Hawaiian roots were planted in the 19th century and the instrument took on many different genres of music throughout the years, from Jazz Age tunes to early country music to ‘50s jazz. After the ‘60s, its popularity diminished until the ‘90s, when it inexplicably started popping up again.

Today, ukuleles are actually something of a trend, with uke clubs popping up everywhere as more and more people become fans of this surprisingly easy-to-learn instrument. There are two such clubs right in northern Michigan.

STRUMMING IN TC

STRUM is the Society of Traverse Region Ukulele Musicians, founded by local musician Rachel Jones. She came up with the idea after busking in Canada and decided to get local ukulele aficionados together.

“It grew from a group of a half-dozen people to 32 on the organization’s first anniversary,” explained STRUM member Jody Brown.

“Now there are over 100 people in STRUM.”

STRUM gathers the third Wednesday of every month and welcomes uke players of all levels — even those who can’t play yet. A free will donation of $1 per meeting is suggested and the group occasionally throws potluck dinners.

“People are always available to teach you the basics,” Brown said. “You can show up without knowing a single tune on the uke and you’ll likely leave knowing how to play at least one.”

Brown’s own ukulele fandom has increased greatly. Further inspired by the 2010 ukulele documentary film Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of a Musical Underdog, he founded Traverse City’s own Mighty Uke Fest, with proceeds benefitting diabetes research charities.

“The film’s director Tony Coleman and writer Margaret Meagher actually attended our first festival in 2014,” Brown said. “We held it at the State Theater and we were anticipating maybe 25–50 people — we got 287!” The fest, Brown added, is “continuously evolving.” They screened the Mighty Uke film at the first event.

“Marshal Music and Grand Traverse Guitar are our sponsors,” Brown said, “and after the fest, they couldn’t keep ukuleles on the shelves!” Considering the new attention on local ukuleles, Brown and crew added more musical performances for the fest’s second happening at the InsideOut Gallery last spring.

“This year, we were up against Joshua Davis’ big post-Voice show at the State, so attendance was a little slower,” Brown said. “But, we’ll be back at InsideOut next year and we’re aiming at bringing in a national ukulele performer.”

YOUR PETOSKEY UKES

Ukes For You is a Petoskey ukulele group, founded in tandem by Blissfest guru Jim Gillespie and Red Sky Stage this past March. It meets twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

“The goal of our club is to bring together people who are interested in learning the ukulele and want to play and sing songs with others,” said Red Sky Stage’s Marty Scott.

“Our group includes some experienced players and some rookies, but all levels are encouraged to join us.”

Scott agrees the ukulele is a great beginner instrument.

“It’s much easier to learn to play than it is to spell,” he laughed. “And once you learn to play it, those skills translate directly to guitar, banjo, mandolin and many other stringed instruments.”

Ukes For You is free to attend and Blissfest has also contributed a number of baritone ukuleles for group members to use. This makes it even easier for beginners to join the group and start playing.

Several Ukes For You participants even got the opportunity to show off their new skills by playing on stage at last summer’s Blissfest.

“Jim [Gillespie] regularly attends and leads our Ukes For You sessions and brings the group the benefit of his years of experience as an accomplished player,” Scott said. “He knows a wide variety of stringed instruments and he also brings a real strong, joyful spirit to the group.”

Scott said the main point is for people to have fun and to experience crafting music from a first-person perspective.

“We hope the role of the club will grow as the experience levels of its members increase, but we’ll still continue to welcome new players, just for the excitement of learning to play the ukulele,” he said.

WHY UKULELE?

You might be wondering why these groups have chosen the ukulele instead of, say, the guitar, an instrument that seems to be a much more common, popular sight. Well, Brown and Scott have ready answers for that question.

“The ukulele is a real instrument, played by many fine musicians,” Scott said. “Actually, quite a few people have played a uke as part of their performance at one of our Red Sky Stage concerts, and we hope that many of our group members will play on our stage at some point!” Brown added that buying one ukulele is often not enough for people. “There are so many different tones and styles and shapes that you just keep buying them,” he said. “Some people have dozens. They’re so little it’s not that difficult to find yourself collecting them.”

Plus, the instrument has developed a unique cachet that’s all its own.

“It’s easy to play and it just sounds cool,” he continued. “It’s not just ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips,’ people are doing amazing musical things on the ukulele. Once people get to know it, they just go, ‘wow, this little, tiny fourstringed instrument — I had no idea.’”

STRUM meets at The Circuit Community Center on 14th Street in Traverse City. For more information on STRUM or the Mighty Uke Fest, contact Jody Brown at (231) 218-0277. Ukes For You meets at Red Sky Stage on Mitchell Street, in downtown Petoskey. For more information, call Marty Scott at (231) 487-0000.

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE UKULELE

- It’s available in four common sizes: baritone, tenor, concert and soprano.

- The most popular wood for making ukuleles is from the acacia koa tree, but they can also be made from other hardwoods, laminates or even plastic.

- The name ukulele in Hawaiian is said to translate to either “the gift that came here” or “jumping flea.”

- The ukulele and its music was championed by KalaKaua, the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

- In the ‘60s, Canadians used it to help foster musical literacy in the classroom.

- The Beatles’ George Harrison was an avid ukulele fan.

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