Try To Remember

Most people pick up a ukulele and go "plunka plunka plunka" while they are singing a song.  Lots of fun, but why stop there?  (What?  You mean you can do more with a ukulele?)   Lil Rev of Wisconsin spent an afternoon teaching the Yesterukes new things to do with our ukuleles.  New strums and tricks of the trade.  So many new things to try, so much to practice, so much to remember.  

Everyone worked hard to get the basics.  Rev lead us through the drills over and over, like the school teacher he once was.  "Repetition, repetition," he kept saying. "You can do it but it just takes time."   It's going to take lots more work at home to be able to do this.

But IF we can master even a couple of the things he taught us, our future shows are going to be so much fun!  We will try not to sling a ukulele across the room as we attempt swinging them and flipping them.  Who knew you could do that with a ukulele?  No, we are not juggling ukuleles--yet.

There was plenty of instructional material to help us work at home.  And we thought at our age, we were done with homework.  At least this is fun homework.  

Then everything moved to the Laurens County Library for an evening concert.  Lil Rev played ukuleles, guitar and surprised us by being one of the best harmonica players anywhere around.  We learned little music history, heard great stories and got to sing along with Lil Rev.  And those of us who attended the workshop got to see his 'strums and tricks' in real songs in a performance setting.

Laurens folks were well entertained for the night with traditional music and original songs.  If they were not ukulele fans when they arrived, they surely were when they left.  Or, there is no hope for them.  The question that was asked over and over as people left was, "When is he coming back?"  We hope he'll be back again next fall, but you don't have to wait that long to hear him.  You can listen right here, on his YouTube channel.

Lil Rev ended the evening by inviting Hunter Holmes, local musician and a fellow lover of old music to join him for the final song.   It's amazing to see two fine musicians play together for the first time...and never miss a note.  

Then the traveling ukulele player left to continue his East Coast tour, leaving new fans and new friends behind.  Lil Rev is a master ukulele player and a master teacher, traveling across this country and to other parts of the globe to share his knowledge and encourage others.  Glad he stopped here!

Try To Remember, from the musical, The Fantasticks, 1965

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