near term schedule

I have heard some rumblings that the club meeting lull for the next week or so needs correction.

Well, you can go to north OKC this coming Saturday evening and be with the uke workshop meeting there at 6 PM.  Jeff started the group two years ago and this will be the starting evening of year three.

Or, if someone wants something local, make a recommendation and we will see if there is any other interest.  Cap'n has offered another open mike night, or it could just be a jam.  Or maybe someone wants to so something this coming weekend.  

If not, let's gather at the pizza shop on August 8

Ralph

Open Mike Night

Well, I think about 10 folks showed up for this open mike night, and thanks to Cap'n for setting this up again.  A variety of music genre's and music styles but, risking offending someone by omission, the highlights for me were with Rex showing what a good banjo uke could do, Robert's good voice, and the duet of Mark and Tom.   And Cap'n is correct -- the group is getting better and more confident as the days go by.

Thanks for the nice evening.

Club activities this week

The club has two activities planned for this coming week. 

The first is the regular meeting at the WCD.  As usual, it is helpful if folks preplan some songs they want to play, or to introduce to the others.

Then on Thursday is another Open Mike night with Cap'n hosting this at the pizza shop.  Come to play or come and be part of the audience, but come if you are free that evening.

Kimo Hussey video series

Anyone interested in ukes will find this upcoming video series interesting.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Kimo a couple times at the Dallas uke festival a few years ago and he is a great player and teacher.  These videos should be quite informative.

http://kimohussey.com/kimo-hussey-ukulele-video-series-aloha-and-welcome/

Great meeting last night

We had a really good turnout last night and more importantly, the group is getting much better, more confident, willing to really sing along with the music.  The open mike nights seem to have improved the confidence and the All Girl Orchestra extra evenings has really helped them too.

It was a really nice evening.

Sound comparison -- from very inexpensive to quite expensive

I just found this comparison of a number of ukes made by a fellow in the UK.  I think that everyone will be able to hear the sound differences between the very inexpensive and the most expensive, an all koa tenor.  Some differences will be the body size, the larger bodies having a fuller sound, but even the small koa soprano has a great sound.  Within the same price range, there are differences (such as the Dolphin sounding pretty good compared to the others).  The Flea and Fluke are made in Massachusetts,  the two koa ukes are made in Hawaii, the rest are made in Asia.

Most folks will prefer the sound of the ukes having a solid top.  For having a laminate top, I think the Flea and Fluke are nice sounding ukes, but some of this is probably related to the rounded shape of the body.

Calendar update

Check out the updated club activities calendar at the bottom of the opening page.  I've updated the months of July and August and included the five beginner uke classes being conducted at Saied Music.

Don't forget that OKC has two meetings a month, both of which are in northern OKC and easy to get to from here.  And during the summer months, you will be driving home in daylight too.

Another nice open mike evening

Last night we had the second open mike night at the NYC Pizza shop and it was a good one.  As before, Cap'n did all the work to get the place setup for the session, bringing his electronics and sound system with him and then organizing the session.  We all owe him a Thank You for the effort and all the time  it takes to do the setup and tear down.  This setup does not come free of time and effort.

I did not log the names of those who elected to give is a song or two but we pretty well filled an hour and a half.  Thanks to all who went to the microphone.

I also think the club members are properly responding to the open mike theme.  It is not to show off one's skills per se,  but to gain confidence in being in front of the public, and for putting in the energy and time to work on a couple songs to get better at performing that song, in your individual style.  None of us will perform a particular piece in the style of a recording artist -- it should be our take on that song and how we relate to it.

I am also pleased that the shop is gradually improving the appearance of the room.  From when we started, the current appearance is very much improved, with all the sheet-rock and basic painting competed.  The mural theme is a good one, given the name of the shop.  It is becoming a much nicer venue for our club than a few months ago.

Ralph

Napa Valley in September

If anyone is interested in a trip to Napa Valley this September, you should definitely plan on attending the ukulele festival there September 6-8.  Here is the link:

http://winecountryukefest.com/

They have a great array of excellent instructors, workshops for all skill levels and the many concerts are world renown.  Some of the performances, both small in the garden, and on the main stage, are recorded in YouTube.

And if you go, leave your current uke at home and get that special one there.

You will not regret this trip.