Yes, it HAS been a long time since a new blog post. We ended our 2013 season just before Christmas and then took a long, much needed break. But the Yesterukes are back together with a couple of practices under our belt. It's been fun to dust off the old songs and try some new ones.
You could tell by just looking at the band members that everyone had really missed being together. The music is the reason this group was formed, but the friendships that have developed might be the reason we've stayed together for so long. I often hear them say "my ukulele family" as they talk about each other.
One of the best comments about the comraderie of this group came from first-time visitor to our band. She said she was worried about being a newcomer in a long-established group. (If you've ever been that newcomer, often you feel very much like "the outsider" and it's difficult to break into the social circle.) But after her first visit with us, she told me that she was happy to find that she was greeted warmly by many and that our band was a very accepting group. We hope she stays!
Our first program for the year was for an almost all-wheelchair bound audience. It took nearly a half-hour to get everyone rolled into place. They were ready just about the same time as we got our sound system set up. We played our old favorites and a few songs that were new to our list. As we played and sang, we could watched these residents singing along with us, fingers tapping out the rhythm.
When we ended, they had to wait for staff to come roll them back to their room, so we had to chance to visit a little as we packed up our equipment. One lady told our bass player she hoped that we could come back soon. He replied, "Just ask us and we'll come." She immediately shouted back to him, "Well, I would--but I don't own this place!!!"
Another lady told us, "I've been bugging them to get a rock band in here...but ya'll were just as good!"
It's good to be back.
It's Been A Long, Long Time, Harry James, 1945
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