1920s Supertone Rebuild

Well, the old Supertone has been hanging on the wall for a couple years now, and I though I'd better do something with it - so it would stop looking at me. It does have a few problems to overcome before it will be playable.

1. Remove and re-glue bridge into proper position so it can be tuned
2. Fix four cracks in the top 
3. Fix one small crack in back
4. Fix broken brace
5. Reposition neck because it is 1/16" lower than top
6. Remove polyurethane
7. French polish to replace finish

I'll post a recording of how it sounds after I get it all done.

Video Christmas song with chords and music

I've been trying to think of a way to get a song with the old "bouncing ball" video so kids could play along and not loose their place. I think I came close by capturing multiple images of a Word document with chords and words. I used the free software of Chordette to create the chords, and some screen capture software to take pictures of the document. Then I dumped them in the correct order into Movie Maker. An hour later... or was it two hours...? Well, here is the song, I Wanna Go To Hawai'i:

Easy to play along :)

Lesson One: Brother John

Starting back with the Cal-Mum Ukulele Club this last week and decided I needed a practice book with companion videos. I'm not getting as much contact time with the club members, so I'm putting up the videos and searching for those self-starters to help get the uke tunes rolling.

Life is busy, and I have to capture these videos in one take - as you can see.
Oh, also, I switched the blog format back to the original - much easier to edit.

Toyama Celebrates

Link to Toyama's Channel:

As a band and instrument instructor he has brought music to countless students at Cal-Mum Elementary School. Now, T. Toyama captures the pure joy of the birth of his grand-dauaghter "Grace" in a musical piece for ukulele that he has aptly entitled "Celebrate".

Toyama recorded the beautiful number on his Kamaka tenor ukulele that was purchased last summer on a trip home to Hawaii. The tenor was added to his Kamaka collection that he started while in 6th grade when his parents purchased a brand new Kamaka soprano for him for $25...

You can follow him on his new YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/tmuse2010

Carol Anne McGowan's "The Humming Song"

Well, for my taste she has done it again. Carol Anne has created a dreamy uke song that is in the same realm as her earlier song "I'll be Seeing You". This one is called "The Humming Song". I know it wouldn't be a song for everyone, but I watch the video transfixed on the visual imagery as the song lulls me into the past - a nostalgia for a time I never knew and people I've never met.
More of her music is available at: http://carolannemcgowan.bandcamp.com/ 

Link to McGowan's Channel

Buzzo Music - Geneseo, NY

Buzzo (Al Bruno) at Buzzo Music, 106 Main St. Geneseo, NY, is the main supplier for ukuleles for the Cal-Mum Uke Club. He attended SUNY Geneseo from 1967-70 and has operated his music store for over forty years. local people know that Al had a near-death experience on a motorcycle that left him in a coma for nearly two weeks, and that probably changed the course of his life. Prior to this accident he was the greatest wrestler that SUNY Geneseo had ever had and to this day he still holds this honor. (see video of Al below receiving wrestling honor)

Al has put together a great price on a package that includes a Savannah ukulele, Aquila strings, and a Snark clip on tuner, all for the low price of $50.00 if paying with cash or check (add $4.00 if paying by card)

Ukulele Spring Concert

Fun final song for the end of elementary school for these wonderful 5th grade uke club kids. These song that have an infectious appeal for students really make practice an easy and enjoyable experience.

Grunge Grows Up - Finds a Uke

Ukulele Songs isn't a novelty record; it's a statement of truth. Made calm and open by the ukulele's intimacy, Vedder sounds like someone getting out of his own way and discovering what really matters within his art. Vedder has taken up one of the most useful creative tools available: limitation. It's embodied in a little finger-strummed thing that the Pearl Jam singer picked up during a beer run in Hawaii nearly 15 years ago, an instrument whose limits he never pushes...
by Ann Powers of NPR Music


Full article and song files at NPR Music:
Link to music at NPR Music 

Martin at Kure Beach, NC

Finally made it to Easter break at Kure Beach. The weather is beautiful after driving through some of the sadness that was caused by the recent storm. I'm taking a break to think about my teaching assignment for next year - third grade. I'll keep teaching ukulele, it just will be to a younger crowd. I put my Martin in the dune for this shot; then a bit of iPhone photo magic. Looks pretty cool there.

Decemberists "January Hymn" Video

I had to go one step further and make the video of the Decemberists' song. This band has very vivid, poetic, and intellectual lyrics in their songs that take the listener on a journey. Whenever a song is copied by someone (me in this instance) it is almost always degraded from its original by any number of degrees. I know that I have, in no possible way added to the beauty of this song, but it is like reciting poetry - it begs to be done. And, so...

Decemberists "January Hymn" Cover

 

It is still cold here. As I walked out of the school it was late and I captured the sunlight that was no longer offering any amount of warmth. The Decemberist capture the mood in this cover of their song January Hymn that I recorded on my Martin "0".

Mr. Sandman

This is a beautifully made tutorial of the timeless classic "Mr. Sandman". After the kids go to bed I'm going to give it a try...

Such a Nice Guy

The Cal-Mum Ukulele Club was Invited to Penfield High School near Rochester, NY, to watch Jake practice with the orchestra prior to the 41st Jazz Fundraiser. The music was sensational. I had no idea that the orchestra would perform as beautifully as they did. Jake was fantastic to watch and listen to, and the uke club kids stayed back and had their t-shirts signed by one amazingly nice guy...

A review of the performance by a viewer I happen to know is posted here at Ukulele Underground.

Fun at UkuZoo

The UkuZoo site has been around for a while and has not been advertised very much as far as I have noticed, but a lot gets by me with so much ukulele stuff going on. I just posted my two vintage ukuleles to Terry's web site because I want them to be part of the ukulele record. I think this site has the potential to become the place to research and enjoy the beauty of the vintage ukulele.

Another cool thing that Terry does is to send out a tweet for every uke that is added to the site. I dropped out of Twitter a while back but just might sign up again to see what happens over at UkuZoo...

On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/UkuZooKeeper
Web Site: http://ukuzoo.com/

Terry's bio from his web pages:

The Keeper of UkuZoo is Terry Tucker. No chops as a musician, no money as a collector, he keeps his hand in the ukulele game by writing about it. UkuZoo is the only ukulele database on the internet! Brought to you by Terry Tucker, in beautiful SouthBay, San Jose.

Blue Valentine

I'm trying to get out and see this movie, but life has a way of getting in the way...

You always hurt the ones you love...

Big Muffin Serious Band - pdf music

 

http://www.muffin.net.nz/muffin/Printable_Ukulele_Music.html 

Great Site with links to a lot of pdf sheet music. 

Xtranormal: Just to See if I Could

Well, I thought this might be an interesting way to teach kids how their written dialog might sound when spoken. But, I got suckered into it, and had to make one myself. The only problem comes when you want the xtranormal characters to say odd words like ukulele. I had to play around with the spelling and finally found that "yewkah laylee" sounded pretty good when the electronic voices reproduced the sounds. This is not really all that interesting a video unless you are a kid in my Cal-Mum Uke Club. If you happen to make a xtranormal ukulele video please share it with me - I would love to see it.

This is called: I Need a Ukulele

Neil Armstrong the Ukulele Player

Without the amazing photographs by journalist Don Blair, the world may never have known that a ukulele was present at the moment these brave men, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin returned to Earth. As a kid growing up in the mid-70s I was part of the generation that had the beauty and fun of the ukulele stolen from us. Had I known of these pictures, I would have had a much different feeling about the little instrument. I am happy to be able to play and enjoy my ukulele today, but I'm a bit saddened to think of the fun I could have had as a kid pretending to be an astronaut with a uke.

Panic

Well the new year has come and I find that I'm still in a bit of a panic trying to get New York State curriculum covered while also having time to work with students on their ukulele skills. My skills have fallen by the wayside as the year has progressed and that is a shame.
So, anyway, the song de jure is Hey Soul Sister. It's the kind of song you either love or hate - thank goodness I love this tune or i would be in a bad way. Here are a couple of my students having a go at recording this during their lunch break:

In Between Days

I remember spending nights out dancing to this song - black sport coat, black jeans, and penny loafers. Those times are not anywhere as near as good as life today. Now the song tells me to cherish the moments with my family and children...
In Between Days by The Cure cover:

Lullaby for my daughter.

Hanging Out With Jim D'Ville

Link to Jim D'Ville's website

Jim stopped by the Rochester area last week and I was able to spend some time just listening to him talk about his passion for ukulele and the water; they seem to go together so naturally. I think Jim would agree they both bring a sense of calm and serenity. I listened to him talk about the fish he had made from driftwood and then saw his video that made it all so much clearer; and below you can witness Jim D'Ville's other artistic abilities.

Link to Jim's art.



As Jim's visit to our ukulele club at Cal-Mum got closer and closer I was filled with trepidation about my lack of real playing skills on the ukulele. I have to admit to being rather star-struck when meeting Jim for the first time. I don't have many music heroes in my life; I guess I'm most impressed by someone like Jim who can play a thoughtful melody that makes me feel… something. His playing caries with it the passion that he has for the ukulele, paralleled by his ability to nurture and encourage others to do and feel the same.

I was able hear how Jim came to compose and his "Columbia Galop"  tune in the video below. I was also able to watch him play it about four times while he was here. I can't seem to get this fantastic sound out of my head. Getting it into my hands is a bit harder.



One memorable moment from Jim's workshop at Bernunzio Uptown Music in Rochester was his advice for us to forget all the other failed musical attempts we may have made in our lives. His advice was to stop listening to negative voice in our head and to start listening to the music. He went on to show us all how much we could do if we just became aware of the connectiveness of music.

Photo of Jim from his website playukulelebyear.blogspot.com

Jim ended his stay in the Rochester, N.Y. area by giving the Cal-Mum Ukulele Club a few lessons on how to just strum and enjoy music. He held the attention of more than forty fifth-graders during that hour, which is no small feat. We all walked away better for having the opportunity to meet him and play along.

From my family, the kids in the uke club, and me,
Thank you Jim D'ville.

The Hole Thing

Tom came into school today and shared his experience touring the
Kamaka factory with Fred Kamaka. His tenor uke is beautiful and sounds
wonderful.
He didn't forget his uke buddy. He gave me a genuine Kamaka koa sound
hole disc! My own cool-little piece of Hawaii.

Signature

Tom just sent me a picture of his uke signed by Fred Kamaka. I hope I
get to touch it when he brings it to school in September.

Emulous

So...
I receive an email from our band instructor Tom, who happens to be
vacationing in Hawaii. Tom also happens to be from Hawaii but has been
living in Upstate New York for more than a quarter century. Tom has
mentioned on several occasions that he would like to get a koa Kamaka
tenor ukulele some day... Today seems to be the day, and he sent me a
picture from his Blackberry to prove it.

He already has a Kamaka soprano that he bought in sixth grade for $25.
That was a few years ago.

Congratulations Tom!

Sailing and Ukulele 85 Years Ago

This is a combination of my two favorite activities. At first glance I
thought that the girl was playing a ukulele, on closer inspection I
see that it is a banjolele or banjo uke. They must have been very
popular and appear in a lot of photographs from this era. I've never
had a chance to try one.
Next week I will be sending out letters to all incoming fifth graders
to see how many are interested in joining the Cal-Mum Uke Club. I'm
not really ready to give up on summer vacation yet...

Gearing Up

Summer is here and time for me to start thinking about how to manage
next year's uke club. I was stretched a bit thin last year and felt
like I hadn't been able to give 100% to the kids in the club.

We are in a very small town with a pretty active downtown - two
antique shops, cafe, library, and a coffee shop. I'm hoping that the
coffee shop could play a role in getting kids to have fun playing
their ukuleles. I'm going to see if we can set one night a month aside
for an open mic. It would be great for the kids and the coffee shop.

I also received an email from Jim D'Ville telling me that he was
coming to see our club in October. That is really a special event.
It's great timing for the kids because they will have only had their
ukes for a couple weeks prior to Jim's visit. Their minds will be open
to the great information Jim can share. I am so excited about this
that it has really motivated me to start preparing early for next
year's group.

I'm thinking that we have to get t-shirts with our club logo like we
have had in the past - nothing like a shirt to make one feel they are
part of something special (I always feel special in a club t-shirt).
I'm trying to come up with a slogan for our club. If you happen to
read this post and know of a good one that you could share, please let
me know. Right now I'm thinking I might use a play-on-words like
"Where Uke Can Be You" maybe. That one may be used already, I'll have
to Google it to see.

I'm off to read playukulelebyear.blogspot.com

Photo by allanimitchell flickr
Awarded Nikon Flickr Best Photo 5/1310

End of the School Year Song

Thanks J for suggesting I create an end of the year song. One day I'll have to see what kind of music I could produce if I wasn't strapped for time. My classroom is torn apart with boxes and books everywhere, but I was able to clean a spot of on my desk to record this quickly written song.

Image by rcvernors "Ghosts os Schoolyears Past" Flickr

Falling Fast

The end of the school year is fast approaching. Not really the best
time to reflect on the year because it will be an emotional time. As
in the past, I have witnessed young ukulele players' fledgling
attempts blossom into real musical abilities. I have also watched the
day-to-day learning of math and language arts taking place. But, these
practices require much effort from teacher and student. It is really
the natural attraction we all seem to have, to greater and lesser
degrees, to and for art, that reveals a clear self motivation in
people. When I see kids working on anything without a constant
prodding by me, I know that magic is taking place - the perpetual
thinking machine - the mind - is aggregating information and making
conections without the restriction of my lens. The world opens up. If
there is said to be "an art" to anything, it implies a measure of
mystery and magic. I'm not sure I can teach that, just as a farmer
doesn't teach the wheat to grow. As in teaching, farming is the art of
keeping fertile ground where the stage is set for growth. I'll think
some more on this as I go play my uke.

Poem for the Class of 2017

Class of 2017

Our classroom at the top of the stairs
messy desks and busy minds
with questions to answer
ukuleles to play
lessons to recall in future times.

We made our history together
although the records won't tell
of the small moments
and quiet triumphs
that in our minds will dwell.

With warming of days has brought a sign
our parting is ever near
the closing of books
and saying goodbye
bringing an ending to our year.

In the spanning of eternity
this time we will call our own
however far
or ever near
to Caledonia, our home.

By Kyle Leonard
Grade 5 teacher

I was inspired by my students to try and capture the bittersweet emotion that takes place every spring in the hearts of all teachers and students at Caledonia-Mumford Elementary School.

Image by kawasu29 Flickr

The Brown Ukulele

This poem was handed to me neatly folded just before lunch on Friday
without a word spoken - a gift. Working on poetry that
describes a place or thing, one student took the time to make
everything in school feel all the more special. I'm as flattered by these
words as anyone would be, but more than my flattery is my awe in the
deeper concepts of life that can be expressed in the words of one who
is only ten years old. The power of music and thought.

Poetry and Ukulele

In the waning days of the school year I have been invited to have my class work on a project that will combine student poetry with the accompaniment of ukulele music. If you are a teacher you may know what the end of a school year is like. I think of it as a runaway train heading down a steep mountain. There will be a wreck at the end, but the pieces will all be picked up and put in a box. When I open the box in September I will be mad at the "me" that threw it all in there in June.

Info about the poetry/ukulele project: http://buylocalbuildafuture.com/amylv/

The ukulele club will be playing the blues along with the band for our Spring Concert. I hope to have a decent recording to post here.

The Night Owls

All of Me

The Boswell Sisters


Old songs are alive and well in my classroom as can be heard in this recording of "All of Me" by a couple of my students. The recording was made during snack time, in between math and reading.

Columbia Chainless

Columbia Chainless

The steps take us happy
And We breath
Antibelum heart, warm summer night
We climb under palmetto banner

Dreams of great generations
Be mine lovely
We will make all the right choices
And feel the tug of our destiny

Need we find the stars bolted down
Memories of hard times
The rockets have long gone quiet
The lights now of traffic in our time

You a perfect rose and tea
Me cordovan tips of wings and free
And all is mixed with clove
With no idea what it would be
© 2010 KL

The Columbia Chainless:
My grandfather's 1898 Columbia shaft drive bicycle was given to me by my mom when my grandfather passed away in 1980. The name is forever etched in my mind. Years later my yet-to-be wife and I would spend chainless nights in downtown Columbia, SC; also forever etched in my mind.

Poetry From the Soul

Two of my students put this video together for a video festival during National Poetry Writing Month; the melding of ukulele with poetry has produced a really beautiful effect.

If interested, you can read the entire interview with these students at:
http://poemfarm.blogspot.com/2010/04/poetry-friday-poetry-from-soul-16.html

Practice in the Gym

We ran out of places at school to practice with thirty-five students

due to schedule changes during the year. So, the gym seems like a big
enough place to spread out and work on some tunes.
I'm still looking foreward to making some changes next year using
ideas from Jim D'Ville.
With the days getting warmer, it's starting to feel more like ukulele
weather.

Uke Evangelist

Evangelist is kind of a strong word, but it beats "ukulele pusher"
because of its more reverent tone. So, uke evangelist seems fitting
when it comes to getting others to love the ukulele because one thinks
their life would be richer and more meaningful if only they would find
their way to "the uke".
I'm sure my friend Seth will find some humor in the idea of
enlightenment through ukulele, but in a small way it does bring a
measure of joy to anyone who finds it to be something worth pursuing.
I think I may now add my friend Seth to the growing number of ukulele
players in the world. My family and I were able to spend the weekend
at his house while heading down to Carolina Beach for vacation. The
nights were warm, and our kids were happily playing as the backyard
fire glowed. A perfect opportunity to strum and catch up on life. Seth
was a "quick study" on the C Am F and G7. He really picked up the
strumming patterns quickly, and in no time was playing very well. I
hope the new uke will prove to be a fun and fulfilling diversion.

Mail Call

I just got my "Play Ukulele By Ear" DVD from Jim D'Ville in the mail
this afternoon. I've really been looking foreward to watching what Jim
has to offer so I can start passing this information along to my 5th
grade uke club kids.
I kept thinking about ordering Jim's lessons, but kept putting it off.
After following all his success in Australia I knew it was time to
order. However, after being contacted by Jim in regards to his fall
tour of the North-East, Jim sent me a complimentary DVD to get the
ball rolling - what a great guy.
I'll be posting more about my attempts to use Jim's method with my 5th
graders.

You in Shadows (ukulele song)

Just another song I wrote and recorded at the end of the school day.

Conquest of 50 (a uke Odyssey)

About five days ago Terry Hardy signed up on Twitter as 50StateUke, and I thought that is seemed like an interesting moniker. So, I followed his tweets and told him I thought the idea of playing ukulele in all 50 states was an ambitious one; because I was having trouble just playing my ukulele at home. He contacted me to clarify and share the broader scope of, what already seemed to be a monumental task.

Terry Hardy:

My plan is actually a little more complicated than I can state in 140 characters.  I am planning on learning every state song (or at least one - some states have more than one) and play them on ukulele at each state capitol. I researched the songs, and have transcribed them for uke.  I have played so far in Phoenix and Honolulu...only 48 more to go :)  I am going to do it in pieces, with multiple road trips.  Some trips will be this year here in the west (I live in Denver). I have pictures to document it, and have some video from Hawaii (I plan to video each one).  A web site will be forthcoming with me playing these songs once I learn them, and documentation as it comes along. I hope to play on my Pono concert uke (for work I take my Risa travel uke).
Anyway, that is the crazy plan.

Whoa! The word ambitious just doesn't seem to apply well to Terry's monumental plan. If you're on Twitter, I would suggest signing up to follow 50StatesUke, and become part of the Corps of Discovery in state songs on the uke.

Good luck and Godspeed Terry!

Doing wonderful things for people.
Check out: http://terryhardymusic.com/

StarGirl

So, I did it. I wrote one song for FAWM. I had high hopes that I would come up with fourteen songs, but like so many things, life got in the way. The best part is that life is good, and I really wouldn't want to change a thing. And this diversion of blogging about the coolest little instrument - one that brings happiness to anyone  - is helping me keep track of some of the nicest people...

Liner Notes to StarGirl:

I am running out of time and I feel it…
I tried to write some lyrics a couple weeks back thinking I was smart to get the poetic lines down first. But little did I know, I don't make songs that way. All the other songs I have written were created simultaneously with the chords that gave rise to the words. Nothing seemed to mesh.

So, I wrote "StarGirl" in a big rush this afternoon because I was getting frantic about seeing February slip by with nothing to show for it.

• At about 2:10 today I thought to myself – I have to get one song together.
• I stopped and talked with some other teachers, nervously waiting until the end of the school day at 3:00.

Then... the start:

• 3:00 - I sit at my desk and make sure my uke is tuned - I start strumming some chords and realize I have to wait.
• At 3:15 every day the blowers on the heater in my classroom turn off automatically, so I know I the recording will be really bad if I don't wait.
• So, at this point I know I want to write a song about my wife, and I know it's going to be called "StarGirl" – that's all I got.
• The blowers shut down and the quiet sounds strange: I record a couple takes with Audacity and my Samson mic and feel a sinking feeling as nothing worthwhile is being created – sadness.
• It's now 3:30 and I know I have to pick up my son at the sitter by 4:00.
• A fellow teacher stops in and talks to me for ten minutes.

Now it is 3:40.

• Frantic, I try and remember the song I was working on before the interruption.
• 3:50 - something seems to be working, probably hoping more than believing – I try again.
• 3:55 - I have a song that I might want my wife to hear.
• 4:00 - convert to mp3 and upload to box.net and run for the door.

I'm 15 minutes late to the sitter, but have one song.

Amass

It is very hard to not collect ukuleles; I have only three - one was a

gift from a student, the other I traded for a dinghy, and another was

a gift from my wonderful wife. But, I guess in furthering my

collection it might come down to disposable income; something I never

had the pleasure to worry about. And then looking at the line-up of

ukuleles in the picture above it just makes me want to take them all

home, but then... I don't get to practice that much. so for now I'll dream of

conspicuous consumption and more hours in a day.

Photo by Elisabethp Flickr

L.M.'s Koa

My sister-in-law is having a replica of the Martin 3K made for her by a
friend who builds guitars - for the most part. This is a picture of
the uke in the process of having the finish applied. I'll have more
pictures soon, I hope.
I started this ukulele blog as a way of watching my children play
while I type out uke stuff on my iPhone. I'm replacing my ukulele
playing with just writing about the ukulele. Maybe people out there
can kind-of understand how hard it is to play the ukulele when your
kids don't really want to hear it. They're too young to have any
interest in it yet. So, in these in-between-days I'll just surf around
and live vicariously through other people's ukulele exploits. The live-
feed of ukulele blogs on the left side of this blog is a testiment, I
think, to the growth of the uke; I'll just keep adding my "two cents"
because it is a wonderful diversion - a way to practice writing and
stay in touch.
I wish all the best to anyone who takes an interest in the ukulele
because, really it just adds joy to the world.

My Vote

Every time I visit Jim's web page I can't seem to get over the
fantastic banner art. This really sets the tone for the page - just a
timeless classic image for the ukulele instructor of today. And, all
the best to Jim while in Australia.

In Art

 
Shelley Rickey chose one of the most famous ships in the history of music to adorn this Bruko Archback Ukulele No.4 made in Germany. She, along with artist Quin de Vrede, Marc Kolle, Rene Verberne, Guido de Groot, Johan Xtra, Daniel van Nes, have created a new on-line shop The Jumping Flea Market to bring their unique brand of "outsider art" to the public.

Shelley comments on her art:

Artist?...I don't know. People that call themselves an 'Artist' usually give me the creeps. But, I am a graphic designer & I create stuff, all kinds of stuff. I'm crazy about taking something 'worthless' and turning it into something 'priceless'. I'm also crazy about the Ukulele and try to introduce as many people as possible to this wonderful instrument. Turn off your TV and play Ukulele!

Shelley's response to how she started playing ukulele:

My mom played. Still does, once in a Blue Moon. She was a singer in Biloxi, Mississippi during the 60's. "Miss Tonda Kae". It was during the folk revival, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez....

She played a Favilla Baritone (still has two of them) and there were always a couple of Harmony ukes at home.

I'm guessing mom was teaching me chords as soon as i could hold it. But growing up i was mostly interested in using it to accompanying my singing. Didn't give the uke much thought in particular. 

I continued with music in school, sang in a choir with 72 voices, madrigal group with 16, and a girls barbershop quartet (bass!) Also played the flute for 7 years. Had many musical adventures in between - and then about 6 years ago...i picked the uke back up.

It has brought so much joy to my life.
Through the uke i've met so many incredible people, traveled to amazing places... It's been incredibly inspiring.

Shelley's always captivating ukulele blog: Selley Rickey 

Shelley and her team of artist reside in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

No Coincidence

So, I've gone through most of my life being mildly interested, amused,
and sometimes astonished by things that seem coincidental. Although,
lately I have been entertaining the thought that nothing is
coincidence. To me, this is starting to seem like a much more
interesting way to look at life - a lens that makes everything seem
meaningful and special. I've always listened to people who say that
everything happens for a reason, and in the past I've smiled and
quietly dismissed this saying as being just words to help get us
through one moment and on to the next. Now I'm thinking everything,
every-single-thing has a purposeful meaning; every word, every breath,
every thought. While trying to conceive of how this might all work I
also must take into consideration that not everyone has an equal lot
in life - for me a truly confounding part of the equation.
(Photo: Art Deco Lamp w/ Ukulele)

Silence

For me the beauty of the ukulele is not completely held in its
liltings, but part of the allure comes from the perfection of its
design. I find myself starring at the lines of my ukulele like I do
with those of a six-meter sailboat; an example of the height of beauty
in the sailboat world. There is something inexplicable about the
aethetics of perfection. With so many contemporary designs around us
that seem to find use in the awkward trapazoid, I believe it is the
beauty born of the French curve that we truly desire.
(Photo by Morburg Flickr)

Skype

 

We had a lot of fun in fifth grade today - I have Skype unblocked on my
classroom computer so I can videoconference with one of my students
who is out of school for a long-term medical reasons. She watches the
math lessons from her bed at home (not quite as bad as it might
sound). We can all see her and talk, ask questions and make her feel
like she is part of the classroom again.

I had a teacher gift card I won from Walmart so I ordered a HP webcam
a couple of weeks ago, and now we are connected to the world.
We went ahead and Skyped a school down in Alabama who wanted to
partner read a book. We found out that kids in New York are just like
kids in Alabama. They have a unicycle club and we have a ukulele club,
so one of my uke kids went home and got a unicycle on eBay. School is
cool again.

Penumbra

Songwriter: a lyricist and composer, and then possibly a musician and singer all rolled up in one. I understand why the great ones only come along once in a while. This takes a lot of processing power. Then, of course, there is the life experiences that drive the direction of the song and music - and the style. Fourteen songs in twenty-eight days is feeling a bit illusive. 

I have to admit that this challenge has been tremendously fun already. I fill all the empty moments with thoughts of shadowy memories that could be worked into some lyrics and then possibly a song. And, while the ukulele has a bright sound for the most part, it can be played as a back drop to some sad lyrics, but I'm not sure I want to go in that direction. 

And what rhymes with shadow?

Just Because

And even if everyone in the world is better at it than you.
Make your mark.
Just because.

Inspiration Club

So, February is going by fast as I try and write some lyrics to fourteen song. This really makes February much more exciting up here in the cold North. Maybe like this pictured uke I should have my T.V. Pal with me while relaxing with my daughter watching Dora the Explorer.

The first uke song I listened to was a wonderful song entitled Emotions of the Snow by artist Whispered Candles. She was kind enough to give us all a glimpse into her late-night song writing process:

Liner Notes:12:05 AM, February 1st:
Whispered Candles picks up her ukulele and decides to write a song that mentions the cold weather. She begins to strum around with some different chords and makes up some lyrics to go along with it.

12:30 AM, February 1st:
She picks up a piece of paper, and begins to write down the lyrics she has been singing with her new chords and rhythm in mind. Then she practices the song a couple more times, becoming familiar with her newly written down lyrics.

Shortly before 1 AM, February 1st:
She opens garageband, and tests levels of the computer mic and their ability to pick up the ukulele.

Around 1 AM, February 1st:
She begins recording, scrutinizing, nervously messing up, re-recording, etc.


Shortly before 1:30 AM:
She has a complete demo recorded.
Then she decides to see if she can record a second vocal track in one take so the lyrics are more easily understood.

1:30 AM:
Vocal take was successful, and she watches with pleasure as it converts her first demo of FAWM 2010 convert to an mp3 format.

2:00 AM:
Whispered Candles had fallen asleep by this point, and likely dreamed of all the other songs she has yet to write for FAWM 2010.

Lyrics:

I looked outside and saw the cloud
I hoped it'd be warm enough to rain
But then I called you on the phone
And you assured me that it would snow

It is so cold today
And I can't tell if it's the weather or your mood
But the chill in here is almost unbearable

We sit by the fire sipping hot chocolates and teas
I beg you not to leave
But you tell me you have work
Even though the offices are closed

It has gotten so cold here
And by now I'm sure I'm more affected by that you don't care
Well maybe I'll just disappear I can become one with the snow

A month's gone by and you are knocking at my door
But I've moved on and I don't need you anymore
You ask if you can step inside
Warm your fingers by the fire
Before you go home

Oh, and now you are so cold
But I'm happy and warm and I'll have you know
You missed your chance it's time to go I'm going outside to enjoy the snow

http://fawm.org/