Stories

Their First Instrument! 7 Greats Who Began On Ukulele

By Jim D’Ville Give a kid a ukulele and who knows; that kid may turn out to be the next Jimi Hendrix. I guess you could call the ukulele a gateway instrument as many legendary musicians began their musical journey…

Peter Luongo is Taking Ukulele to the MAX

BY JIM D’VILLE | FROM THE FALL 2019 ISSUE OF UKULELE You never know what will happen when you give a five-year-old an accordion. For Vancouver, British Columbia–native Peter Luongo, it set him on a musical journey that would eventually…

Taimane Offers Tips on Stage Fright & Talks Upcoming Tour

BY LAURENCE VITTES After a busy concert season, playing music in all genres including her own compositions in brilliant, innovative ways on the ukulele, winning new fans for her and her instrument wherever she goes, Taimane returned home to Honolulu…

Meet ‘The Shenanigans’: Not Your Average Ukulele Band

By Stephanie Powell Earlier this month, the Atlantic‘s weekly Friendship Files column featured a quartet of women who channel the spirit of the ukulele on a regular basis. Fate led them each to an Illinois-based, 20-piece strumalong group the Hummers…

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Uke Events: September, October, November, and December 2019

By Kelsey Holt Submission Information Listings are free for ukulele events, though we may not have space to include every submission. Deadlines for the next four issues are: August 5, 2019 (Winter 2019); November 4, 2019 (Spring 2020); February 3,…

Grace VanderWaal Donates Signed Ukulele for Scholarship Fund

By Stephanie Powell A $5 donation could land you with America’s Got Talent alum Grace VanderWaal‘s autographed Fender ukulele. The singer-ukulele player offered up her instrument to the Rockland County Day School Scholarship Fund as a way to raise money…

New and Notable Ukuleles at Summer NAMM

By Nicolas Grizzle It was 95 degrees with 100 percent humidity in mid-July this year, but it was 72 and breezy in the cool confines of the Summer NAMM convention center downtown. And that’s where we tried to spend most…

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An Empire of Ukuleles

By Jim D’Ville About 300 miles due east of Seattle, Washington, lies the vast Inland Empire. Known mostly for its agricultural contributions—they grow more lentils than anywhere else in the USA—you’ll also find a bumper crop of ukulele players. From…