by Yuta Hsu
If you’ve been a Ukelandia member for any amount of time, you’ve probably seen this person’s posts. A little “ or “ a little wave, followed by a cover that would bring a smile to your face. Or maybe a small collaboration ( of a handful of members. Or maybe even a large collab put together with lots of love. Either way, I had the distinct honor to sit with the lovely Marisa Levy.
Born in Korea, she was adopted as a baby by her very loving selfless parents. Her father, her biggest hero, was a decorated Vietnam veteran. Her mother is also pretty amazing. Her parents had two sons, and then decided to adopt wanting to help children after remembering how life was in Vietnam. They ended up adopting four children: one child from Vietnam (older sis), two children from Korea (Marisa a boy), and one from Hong Kong (younger sis). Growing up where there weren’t a lot of A sians, she would sometimes feel out of place, but her parents always made everyone feel equal and as much a part of the family as her brothers. She has done 23 and Me and found a close cousin, but she hasn’t reached out to her… yet. She now has her own family consisting of her husband of 20 years and two teenage boys. The boys have taken to their Asian side and are bringing her along on a journey learning more about her heritage.
A retired hair stylist and make up artist, she’s currently a stay at home mom When not playing an instrument of some kind, she enjoys fishing, nature photography, paddle boarding, kayaking, painting, and cooking. She admits she can get bored easily, so she’s seemingly always looking for a new challenge. Like many of us, a main mo tivator of her uke journey was the COVID lockdowns of 2020. Just before the lockdowns, she was actually picking up an electric piano to learn to play, and saw a little pineapple uke that was too cute to pass up. “I taught myself basic piano via YouTube vid eos. I then decided to pick up the uke I bought and give it a go watching YouTube. That s how I found Bernie and Ukelandia. It kept my mind busy and gave me a community to share my hobby! Things are getting back to normalish, but it still calms me to play and Ukelandia lets me see everyone s journey and progress.” She has since expanded to baritone uke, U bass, guitar, guitalele, and violin. And if you look hard enough, you may see her play a saxophone or percussion, too!
Known by some as “The Collab Queen,” I asked her about the collabs and what inspired her to organize them. “The collab idea came from me wanting to cover a song I really like (I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons), but I knew it would sound better with more members adding their talents. I made a post and received way more volunteers than I ever thought I would! It turned out so great and we just kept on going every few months with a new song!” That first post asking for volunteers resulted in a video of 12+ Ukelandia members (some recording t hemselves for the first time!) doing a wonderful cover of Mumford Sons complete with kick drum. That first collab was so well received, another one happened a few months later where 25+ members (including Bernadette!) joined in for “I Need Never Get Old” by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Then came “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. After that, “With a Little Help from My Friends” by The Beatles. And while she was organizing these large collabs, she was still posting her own videos, doing smaller coll abs, and encouraging other members on their uke journey.
As life slowly returns to some sort of normalcy, the ukulele is still a part of her life. When her father passed away last year, she found solace in the ukulele, finding chord melodies more comforti ng and therapeutic. The positive influence of the ukulele cannot be denied. I asked her what she’s learned on her uke journey so far, and she said “I learned that collabs bring us closer together and encourage some that feel more comfortable in a group pro duction. ThatThat’s my favorite part of it! Some have only recorded themselves to share for the collabs. Safety in numbers, as they say. I met so many great people doing them! ItIt’s time for another one, by the way.”
I’m inclined to agree with her!
And as is my tradition, I ended our interview with a questionnaire based on one Bernard Pivot used on his talk show. Here are Marisa’s answers…
- What is your favorite word?
Journey or Progress. I like the idea of going somewhere better or more positive, or attaining a goal/skill… the process of bettering oneself. - What is your least favorite word?
Perfect. - What turns you on?
Someone that cooks for me and plays me some music. - What turns you off?
When someone is cocky, justified or otherwise. Confidence is good, cockiness is bad. - What sound or noise do you love?
A major chord followed by a minor chord. - What sound or noise do you hate?
Loud chewing or drinking. - What’s your favorite curse word?
Well, it depends on the situation, but the one that starts with the letter “F” - What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Animal rescue/rehab. - What profession would you not like to do?
An office job. - If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Would you like to organize a collab with all of the musicians up here? And my answer would be “Hell yes! I mean, Heck yes!