Midwest Ukulele & Harmonica Camp 2023
Another fabulous weekend of musical learning and fun! This year was a change from the past in both the location and format. Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana was the venue and instead of the 48 hours starting on Friday, it began on Saturday and ran until 1:00 on Monday. About 125 students and an all-star faculty gathered for 7 workshops, 2 special events, 2 concerts, strum-a-longs and open mic opportunities. And this year there was a Fingerstyle track added to the listings, for a total of 44 separate classes in 8 tracks. Tracks were offered in four skill levels plus Harmonica, Bass/Baritone, Fingerpicking, and Other. The biggest rivalry of the camp was who had the better hair, Grace or Neal! Here’s a snap shot of this year’s instructors along with links to their web sites or YouTube presence: Andy Wilson I believe that Andy is the only instructor that…
My Bushman Ukulele
Many, many years ago, about 14 or so, YouTube recommended a video of a cute blonde playing the ukulele and having a lot of fun with her friends. I completely blame my ukulele addiction on Julia Nunes. That video triggered something in my creative side and I was off to find myself an ukulele and learn how to play. Julia had won the first Bushman ukulele contest and I watched the excitement in her unboxing video. And then I saw a couple of the members of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain were playing Bushman ukuleles. Within a few months I had seen both Julia and the UOGB live in concert. And set my heart on getting my own Bushman ukulele. I entered the Bushman contest, hoping to win a gift certificate toward one of these beauties. And did okay with my original song, I Learned to Play…
UKEtopia! Adventures in the Ukulele World
There are many, myself included, that put a great deal of the credit on Jim and Liz Beloff for the current wave of ukulele popularity in the United States and the rest of the world. Chances are pretty high that if you play ukulele you have a number of Jumpin’ Jim’s song books in your collection. Many uke clubs use the big yellow The Daily Ukulele for their jam sessions. Regulars at ukulele festivals and workshops all over the world; Jim and Liz add a touch of familiarity and family to the gathering. Their welcoming personalities are a big part of their success! Flea Market Music has been teasing a new Beloff book for several months. I was tempted to pre-order on Amazon, but The Magic Fluke Company sent out a message a few weeks back that they had autographed copies available, so I sent my order off to Phyllis and…
Murder Plays a Ukulele
At some point or another, most of us in the ukulele community have seen this picture: It is the illustration that accompanied the article Murder Plays A Ukulele by M.K. Arnold, published in the July 1941 issue of Master Detective Magazine. Subtitled, “A ukulele – an abandoned car – and a bicycle on the beach . . . smart detective work linked them together and nabbed the killer.” The picture itself is more than a bit off, as the two main characters were only a couple years different in age, both in their early 20’s, and both played the ukulele. This isn’t a work of fiction, it is a true story! But it took my librarian sister, Sarah Howard, almost a year to unearth a copy of the article in the Library of Congress and get it to me. Frederick David Galloway was born in New York in 1902 and lived…
Making Friends on the Internet
The internet has provided connections for people that would not otherwise exist. Whether it is due to physical limitations, vast distances or the pandemic, the world wide web has brought together people across the globe. And allowed us access to family, old friends and acquaintances. The ukulele community, already connected through YouTube and numerous web sites quickly adapted to the no travel and quarantines set up around the world. Events became virtual and instructors learned to deal with time lag and the foibles of internet video connections. It has brought us opportunities to learn from instructors on the other side of the world through live online events and videos stored for review at any time of the day or night. One of the things I’ve done during the pandemic is to expand my artistic pursuits, specifically pen and ink drawing. I found a drawing course online by an artist that…
Eleven Years Ago
Eleven years ago, a package arrived. It came from an eBay purchase and contained a beat up ukulele with three gut string on it. I put new strings on it and had my very first ukulele. It has opened the door to music, new friends, and many adventures. I can easily say it was a life changing event that has made its stamp on my life. From major events and festivals, workshops with dozens of skilled musicians and hundreds of friends, open mics, featured performer and camp, it has been an amazing ride! I’ve written a book and done presentations and lectures, not to mention other opportunities to advocate for this wonderful instrument! I always thought it was probably a Harmony from about the 1950’s. It was actually made by Harmony, but was purchased by the Richter Company in the 1940’s. Fred Richter was an artist and would decorate them…
A Visit in the Berkshires – The Magic Fluke Company
Driving through the Berkshires on Highway 7, you will encounter beautiful scenery and picturesque views. And if you know what you are looking for you may spot a small building as you enter Sheffield, Massachusetts, just north of the Connecticut border. Nestled in the shrubbery is a colorful sign for The Magic Fluke Company. This is the home of the company where all the Flukes and Fleas are assembled, where customization is done and the final inspections are completed. I had mentioned in a Facebook ukulele group that I was taking my Fluke with me to avoid any issues regarding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as my wife and I crossed the Canadian border on our ten-day road trip through Canada and New England. Another member suggested we stop by The Magic Fluke Company. Dale and Phyllis Webb started in the company in 1999, with encouragement…
My New Talsma Pineapple!
A bit more than a week ago, my favorite ukulele luthier put a post on Facebook: Soprano Pineapple Ukulele, 13.625″ scale. I built this for fun and to sell during my lock down. Quilt Mahogany top, back and sides. African Mahogany 5 piece neck with koa center. Curly koa bindings. Emerald green tint head plate, fretboard and bridge. Grover Champion tuning pegs. This is built nice and light with a very thin satin lacquer finish, sounds great. It could be yours – PM me if interested. Well, I was interested, so I sent the PM. I had been thinking about another Talsma for about a year. And I was debating about size and shape and how much I wanted to spend and what features. Another friend was considering selling one of his and was giving me first refusal. I was thinking hard about it and he decided to keep it…
My New Wallet
Yeah, it maybe strange, and I’m sure you are wondering about why I have a post about a wallet. But one look at the wallet and you know why I had to get it! I’ve been looking for a new way ever since my trip to Okinawa last year and realizing how crazy it was for me to actually be carrying two wallets around with me, one for ID and credit cards and one for cash. Ran across a video the other day about The Ridge Wallet. And went through about a dozen review videos comparing the various versions and styles. There are cheaper ones out there, but the reviews for this one were good. When a YouTube channel I follow showed one and provided a discount code, I had to go and look at them. And one of the choices was this one. I almost scrolled by it,…
Photographing Your Ukulele for Identification
I get lots of requests from readers that would like me to tell them how old their Martin ukulele is and what style it is. I love getting these requests! Most of the senders think to include a picture or two, but they are often not very helpful in allowing me to answer their questions. So I thought I would provide some examples of what information and what types of photos can help with identification. The first piece of information is going to be the overall length of the ukulele and/or the length between the saddle and the nut. For those unfamiliar with the instruments, the saddle and nut are the two ‘bars’, usually ebony, that the strings go over at each end of their run. For an ukulele you are going to get 13 inches, 15 inches or 17 inches. There are larger ones as well, but these are…