Ukulele Club members enjoy jamming together on the patio of Irene Manalili and Bart Alford’s home. (Photo by Bart Alford)
Members, spouses, partners, and friends of PebbleCreek (PC) Ukulele Club gathered in April to celebrate another great year of jamming, singing, performing, and having fun together. Member Irene Manalili and her husband, Bart Alford, graciously offered their home and patio for the party. The weather was kind, and members enjoyed an outdoor jam of Hawaiian and Caribbean songs. This was followed by delicious potluck food with Hawaiian and summer dishes.
The PC Ukulele Club goes from strength to strength as more and more people want to learn to play this happy instrument whose name means “jumping flea.” The club welcomes both newcomers and seasoned players and offers beginner classes during the season. The ukulele is a fun instrument to learn and play and is enjoyed by people of all ages. We aim to be as welcoming and helpful as we can to newcomers and encourage them to “stick with it.” Mastering just a few chords makes a player able to play hundreds of songs, both oldies and modern.
We enjoy finding songs that we haven’t played before by exploring free online music libraries on our iPads and laptops. Musical experience or the ability to read music are not required to learn the ukulele. You just need enthusiasm, a sense of humor, and a little bit of patience!
During the past season, the performing section of the club, Island Style, has done several performances including a third turn at the Glendale Folk Festival. More performances are planned for the 2023-24 season. We thank our new member Jim Mitchell who has provided his expertise and audio equipment so that we can be amplified and therefore, easier to listen to. We are enjoying learning to use the equipment and becoming more confident in front of an audience.
You are welcome to join us, whether it is to play or just to listen and sing along, any Thursday at 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Palm Room at the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse. Although there will be fewer of us over the summer months, we will continue to meet during June, July, August, and September when we start to welcome back our returning members.
For more information, call Gillian Driscoll at 303-548-2108 or email Club President Ross Hart at [email protected].