PC Ukulele Club Musical Director Jim Miller teaches ukulele to visitors at the club’s second annual Open House. (Photo by Jim Mitchell)
Gillian Driscoll
The PebbleCreek Ukulele Club held their second annual Open House on Jan. 18. Twelve visitors joined regular club members for an introduction to the little instrument whose name means the “Jumping Flea.”
Club members provided ukes for the newcomers to try. Jim Miller, the club’s musical director, taught a beginner lesson to the group. They learned three chords and simple strumming and then were able to play along with the members for a few songs. They were informed that with three or four chords they could play hundreds of songs. This simple instrument, with only four strings, is learned quickly and provides many years of enjoyment, not to mention the great friends you will make. Altogether it was an enjoyable and fun afternoon.
Ukuleles come in several sizes and can be purchased at music stores and online. Prices range from around $60 to the sky’s limit if you want top-quality craftsmanship and/or exotic woods and decorations. Most of us are happier with the lower end of the price range!
If you think you might like to try the ukulele but missed the Open House, don’t despair. You are welcome anytime at our weekly jams, and we can provide you with a uke and a quick lesson so you can see if it is for you. We are a very welcoming and friendly group, and we were all beginners once.
As we mentioned last month, some members of the PebbleCreek Ukulele Club will perform at the Glendale Folk Festival this month. This will be our fourth performance at the festival. It is a wonderful, free day out in a lovely setting. Our group will be performing at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Maintenance Shed. There will be many performances going on all weekend of different genres of music, storytellers and all things folk.
The Glendale Folk Festival runs from Saturday, March 2 through Sunday, March 3 at the Historic Sahuaro Ranch, 5904 W Glendale Ave, .Glendale, AZ 85301. The Ranch itself is worth the visit and … there are peacocks!
The PebbleCreek Ukulele Club meets every Thursday in the Palm Room at the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and you are welcome to join in, sing along, or just visit anytime. For more information contact Gillian Driscoll at 303-548-2108 or Ross Hart at 541-554-2679.