Midwest Ukulele & Harmonica Camp – 2024
Another MUC is in the history books! And a wonderful time was had by all! This year the venue was the University of Toledo. The campus was pretty nice and the facilities well suited for learning the ukulele and harmonica. The format was pretty similar to previous years, the biggest notable difference was the slightly shorter class sizes. Capped right at an hour, many instructors were a bit frustrated at the shorter time frame. Starting off at noon on Friday and going until 2 on Sunday afternoon, it included eight workshops, two concerts, two strums and open mic opportunities Saturday at lunch and dinner. And room and board in the dorm next door was available, making for a convenient commute! For videos of some of the concert acts, visit Midwest Ukulele & Harmonica Camp’s Youtube Channel. After the concerts, there were strum alongs and impromptu jam sessions. Andy Wilson,…
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,…