Tag: Lifestyle

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A small blip of encouragement

by Monica Raye

When I was eight years old, I was standing on a raft tied to a tree on the side of a lake. My step father was driving a boat and pulling a water skier. As he approached the shore to allow the skier off, he missed the raft by a foot. The loose ski rope somehow grabbed my arm and the next thing I knew, I was in the water yelling can’t move my arm!

I spent three weeks in the hospital with a broken collar bone and broken arm with nerve damage. To this day, part of my left arm is still numb and two fingers do not always cooperate when needed- my pinky and ring finger.

In my twenties, I really wanted to play guitar, so at age 24, my hubby bought me a guitar. I tried it but it was impossible! At age 50, it was suggested that I try the ukulele as it only had four strings. I got one from my son as a gift and I fell in love with it.

I started taking lessons on YouTube (Thanks Bernadette!) during the Covid lockdown and I found I could do most of the chords which made many songs easy. C G D F were easy chords but there was that dreaded E. My fingers would not cooperate.

It felt great to play and I was hooked…hooked really bad! Bernadette’s YouTube class was LIVE!! You could ask questions!!! It was absolutely perfect. I felt like I had won the ukulele lottery!! It blew me away when my comments were read out and my questions were answered.

Some songs I couldn’t finish because of that dreaded E. We started learning chord melodies. A turning point for me was when we practiced Pink Panther. It was then I noticed my E problem and the nerve damage in my hand was improving. I truly believe that placing my fingers in the position repeatedly and switching from chord to chord, stretched my tendons and developed muscles in my hand. There were days it hurt and I was uncomfortable but persistent practice provided improvement. My pinky still needs a bit more work. I keep hearing Bernadette saying pinky power… I must persist. I encourage everyone to push through and not to give up.

I really wish I was given ukulele lessons as a teenager. Learning the ukulele has definitely been a game changer for me.

If you have finger pain issues, try picking up the ukulele during commercials and strum a few chords. Get online and take Bernadette’s challenges and see if it works for you.

The best decision I have ever made was to join the ukulele community, Ukelandia.

Guitar lessons are a possibility now. Right Bernadette? I’m currently

looking for a smaller guitar.

You got to love the healing power of music!

Uku can do it!!

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Play the Ukulele

by The Cow and the Frog

My story started with a bad, lingering tummy ache in the summer of 2021. I went to my doctor who told me it was constipation. It wasn’t.

Two days later, I collapsed at work and I was rushed to the hospital where I had a severe internal haemorrhage. After a week in the hospital, receiving blood transfusions and being examined, I was sent back home. I feel like an idiot as I was so wobbly and weak, nevertheless I tried to go back to work. I collapsed again, was taken to the hospital and my boss told me to stay home until they found the source of the problem. My brain was mush, and my body was not functioning correctly. Noone seemed to know what was wrong with me.

I was praying during this time, and was told “play the ukulele”. It seemed like an odd thing to do, but I followed through.
I ordered an Enya Nova. This purchase was based purely on the Amazon reviews, and the fact that it was turquoise! It arrived, and we looked at each other in bemusement!
I started searching the Internet for instruction, and came across a lovely young lady named Bernadette. I devoured her courses, challenges and joined her Facebook group, Ukelandia.

I lurked for a while, gawping at all the accomplished people there. I finally plucked up the courage to post something of my own. That was it… I was hooked! I’ve played several instruments in the past, but never one as satisfying and addictive as this.

Then came the news that changed my life. The examinations that I’d been going through showed an aggressive rare cancer that had also invaded the lymph nodes.
I opened my heart on Ukelandia, and received an incredible outpouring of love. I wept as messages of support came in from around the world. The Ukelandia family has stayed with me every step of this journey, and I can’t ever thank them enough for their prayers, positivity and uplifting messages.

You are incredible Ukelandia, I love you.

Play It Forward

by Madeleine Roy

My ukulele journey seems very similar to many of yours in that the 2020 lockdowns pushed me to a dark lonely place and I was searching for a focus. I had just retired from my career in February and I was lost!

One day in May 2020, I noticed a small inexpensive soprano ukulele (Diamond Head) that my sons had purchased for me a number of years earlier when I was living in Ottawa, Canada. It was completely neglected as I just kept moving it with me wherever I relocated and I never even tried to play it.

There it sat, just staring back at me, like it was saying…”If not now, when?”

I have never played a stringed instrument so this was going to be a challenge. Just what I needed!

Like so many of you, I combed YouTube looking for tutorials to learn this tiny little “guitar.” I learned bits and pieces from many artists, but it wasn’t until I discovered Bernadette, did my journey really begin and my love for this 4-string wonder evolved.

It was a matter of weeks and I started my UAS journey. I moved from a soprano to a tenor with a low g. Clearly I really didn’t know what I was doing.

I truly learned to play on the tenor as it took almost a year before I got Bernadette’s Signature Enya concert, which is my go-to most of the time. Shortly thereafter, I purchased 2 more concert ukuleles. I now have 7 ukuleles, a guitar and a guitarelele. (Small collection compared to some of you—Peg!)

I’m always looking for something new to add to my collection. Trouble is, the ones I want are so very expensive!

I joined Bernadette’s Patreon classes in late August 2020. This is when my sister came to visit me. She picked up the soprano and just started playing “Cucaracha” by ear! What? She’s never played a stringed instrument either but here she was shaming me in an instant.

Obviously, I encouraged her and “played it forward” by giving her the Diamond Head soprano on her birthday in October. Last count, she now owns 3 ukuleles and

jams, with her husband when he plays the guitar. For Christmas, she and her husband played and sang me a Christmas carol as a recognition gift of starting their music journey together!

She has since bought her 6-year granddaughter a pink ukulele for her birthday. She’s “playing it forward” too!

I recently bought my 4-year old grandson (who lives with me) a soprano ukulele. He has shown an interest especially when I’m playing. He tells me I need to practice and so he can show me how to play. He then plucks at the strings to demonstrate. It’s adorable!

As I consider what I’ve shared so far, I realize I’ve been playing for 2 years now and still consider myself a beginner! It’s funny as both my son, Chad (a musician) and Bernadette always say, “Don’t compare yourself to others” and that is what I usually do and then want to quit or hide in the shadows.

Chad said to me, “Mom why are you doing this? Aren’t you having fun?”

I realized I love it, and yes I’m having fun! Most of all, I’m doing it for me and that’s what really matters. The very best part of all of this is my Ukelandia family!

I am blessed as I have friends from all over the world and I love you all!

You are my family!

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How ‘’My Battle’’ saved my life

by Pauline van de Haar

Once upon a time… I was depressed. It took me several years (I think more than 15 years) to recover from my chronic depression. Yes, I understand the confusion: ‘’chronic means not curable’’, right? You could say that, but luckily, I was able to recover with a lot of help from the mental health care services, my parents, my friends, and… myself.

What does this intro have to do with ukuleles, or music in general?
First of all, music is kind of a therapy on its own. We all know that, don’t we? Second of all, it’s amazing that there are people on this planet trained to use music in a therapeutic way for clients or patients who are having a hard time and dealing with all kinds of problems.

Let’s talk about musical therapy and how it was a life-saver for me.

The first time I got into musical therapy was in 2008. I was admitted to a psychiatric clinic for adolescents and every week we made music. We talked about the music we played, whether it sounded okay or less okay. At that time, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing: ‘’I play the recorder, guitar and I sing, why make music with people who don’t know anything about music?’’, is what I thought. Well, the whole point of musical therapy is that you don’t have to be ‘’good’’ with music. Music, or making sounds is a way to deal with your emotions etc. In 2008, my experience with musical therapy wasn’t so great. All I wanted, was to be happy again and be able to take my lessons at the music school.

It took me quite some time to make a giant climb in recovery. I will not ‘’bore you’’ with details in my recover-story. Some people talk a lot about stuff, for some people this helps and is enough to recover. Some people need a different kind of treatment, besides talking therapy. They need to do something with their hands or body. Making sounds and using your voice to make something that speaks for you is so beautiful.

In 2019, I was treated with musical therapy again. But this time not in a group; Just myself, my therapist and all these instruments. It was like a candy shop! I was allowed to try out every instrument in the room, feel what the vibrations and sounds did to me. The first session, I cried. I knew music meant everything to me, but the thing that changed is that I finally got the hope I could live again.

With my therapist, whom I saw once a week, I tried out several things and instruments. After a few sessions she thought that it could be nice for me to write music myself. At that time, I was already playing ukulele for about 6 years, but only songs written by other people. She helped me write my thoughts on paper, where I would want to go with my recovery journey. She gave me homework: play some chords and feel what’s good for your song. Two weeks later, I went to the session with a song. Not just chords, but also lyrics. ‘’My Battle’’ was born.

We worked on the song, recorded it with ukulele (me), voice (me) and piano (therapist). I kept listening to my own words over and over again. Later that year, I said farewell to my therapist, finally I lived again! I learned to use music to cope with the demons in my head.

A whole bunch of songs were written in the last two years. Most of them about self-compassion. Recently I started writing about other stuff as well. Grief, love, and being good enough.

This is my story, this is my battle. But now I can say: ‘’This was my battle’’.

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Destination Aloha: in Search of the Perfect Uke

by Melinda Palacio

Would you plan the perfect vacation only to leave your uke behind (cue sad music in any minor key)? I guessed right; you would not. Last May, I took a girls’ trip to Maui. It was my friend’s birthday and she had planned the whole trip. All I had to do was show up. How could I resist such a fabulous invitation?

Before I left, I made sure my budget included a new uke. I’ve been devoting all my free time to studying the little instrument that brings me so much joy. When I realized I would be traveling to the birthplace of ukulele music, I knew I would be bringing one back. Although I knew I had every intention of finding a ukulele store in Maui, I didn’t take any chances of being without one and packed my black soprano Enya Nova. In the case, it fit snuggly at the bottom of my duffel bag with wheels, which I planned to stow overhead, having measured my bag back in California. On the plane, I fantasized that someone would see my Ukelandia t-shirt and whisk me away to the best ukulele shop on the island or that I would find a Hawaiian luthier under a shady palm tree, who would tell me they had the perfect uke for me. True, when I daydream, I don’t hold back.

Back to reality. My flight on Hawaiian Airlines landed on time and my friend had no trouble securing a rental car. I didn’t have to worry about my carry-on luggage or the soprano Enya Nova stuffed in my duffel bag. The Enya Nova is a great travel companion because it is made of carbon fiber so you don’t have to worry about heat or water, which made for fun photo opportunities by the pool and beach. In hindsight, it was smart of me to travel with my Enya, even though I would be bringing back a second ukulele. There’s only one drawback of the travel Enya and I bet you can’t guess what that is?

The one drawback is that it’s so great you may not return with it because you might give it away. When a friend asked me how many ukuleles I owned and I had a hard time counting them in my head, I realized I had a problem with UAS (ukulele acquisition syndrome). Let’s not get started on my guitar collection, a story for another time. I thought giving away a ukulele would be the best thing to do because I’d return with one instrument, instead of two. Not to mention the blue Enya Nova concert ukulele that waited for me in my car back in California. Although I miss the black Enya Nova soprano I named Johnny Cash, I brought home a souvenir from Hawaii and a locally made ukulele.

After choosing our rental car, we stopped at the first ukulele shop we spotted, Mele Ukulele, a modest building not far from the airport in Kihei. I chose my first pineapple mango: a pineapple shaped spalted mango concert ukulele. The matte finish shows off the natural beauty of the mango wood and the back is a little curly (a wave that is part of the design of the mango’s natural grain). Some ukulele experts argue that a matte finish allows for a better tone than a glossy finish. It’s a personal choice. While I love anything sparkly and shiny, the natural finish and rope binding of the Mele Ukulele spoke to me. The handmade uke has a tone that makes me return to it again and again. I also purchased a backpack style gig bag because I was sure there was no way I would check the uke on the plane. Also, my new mango pineapple ukulele was a tad bigger being a concert size, rather than the soprano Enya Nova that fit inside my duffel bag. I wasn’t about to stuff my new mango-pineapple into a bag or suitcase. If worse came to worse, I would check my duffel bag and purse and stuff important items such as my wallet and ticket into the pineapple gig bag.

Luckily, I didn’t have to check any baggage and everyone on Hawaiian Airlines respected my ukulele. The stewardess even had an overhead bin she reserved for travelers taking home a uke; there were three of us, which was surprising. I thought there would be more travelers taking home a new uke. After all, what better souvenir of the islands and the spirit of aloha than a handmade ukulele from Hawaii?

Follow my ukulele travel journeys on IG at ukenmermaid.