Maybe it was Jason Mraz. Or, the “Hey Soul Sister” song by Train. Or perhaps Jake Shimabukuro (pronounced she-ma-boo-koo-row), the ukulele sensation from Hawaii.
When it comes to the latest ukulele craze, Cameron Underhill, a sales associate at Wright Music, credits these artists – and the fact that the “uke” is “easy to pick up” for anyone with a background in playing a fretted instrument, he said.
And another thing – ukuleles can be played virtually anywhere. “You can play it in the car if you’re a passenger,” Underhill pointed out.
Underhill is in the process of putting together U.K.E., a new ukulele group that will begin meeting on Thursday, May 30, from 3:30-4:15 p.m. at Wright Music. The group is open to everyone – from those interested in playing the ukulele to those who've written a song for the instrument. Meetings will likely be held bi-monthly. And for at least the first couple of times the group meets, you can participate without even owning a ukulele, as there will be some available to borrow.
Ultimately Underhill, who performed as one half of the Wright Bros. at PortFest on Saturday, aims to land the group gigs at local coffee shops and other venues.
Interested in purchasing a ukulele? You’ll find them at Wright in an array of colors – shades of reds, greens, blues, pink. Depending on your preference, you can buy soprano, concert or tenor ukuleles. Also available, a u-bass for a sound that “fills in the bass register,” Underhill said. Prices range from $45-$75, and the u-bass starts in the $300 range, he said.
For information on U.K.E, follow @wrightmusicuke on Twitter, or visit www.wrightmusic.biz.
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