I can’t take credit for the word. There’s actually a group of raucous, delicious-looking women here in Portland who all play the ukulele. I’m dying to see the Ukuladies in concert one of these days!
I can claim to be a ukulele player, albeit a mere beginner. This little red number with the sexy lines caught my eye when I was in Hawaii not too long ago. I walked past the store window where she was on display several times during my visit to Kauai, and just before I headed back to the mainland, I decided to bring her home with me.
Back in elementary school I suffered through piano lessons (it’s probably more accurate to say my teachersuffered through them). Eventually I convinced my parents to let me try the cello. Those results were even worse. Like most people my age who abandoned their music lessons early on, I so wish I’d stuck with them.
My lovely little ukulele is extremely user friendly. It didn’t take long for me to learn a handful of chords, and before I knew it, old standards like “You are my Sunshine” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” were part of my repertoire. With the help of YouTube lessons, I’m now able to play some songs that actually provide me a sense of peace, well-being, and joy.
It’s meditative to strum, and I can play some of my favorite songs like “Hallelujah” and “Imagine.” I find it so comforting, during these days of chaos and constant stress, to set everything aside, pick up my sweet new friend, and go to a completely different place.
There are endless ways to express ourselves artistically and feel restored while doing so. The list of those possibilities is absolutely what we make it.
I’m really glad to add music-making to mine.
