Meet The Yesterukes - Bob

A chance encounter at a music store jam was where Bob was "discovered". He was a voice looking for a place to use it. And the Yesterukes were a perfect fit. Here is his story:

Music is the thread that kept and still keeps my family together. My greatest thrill was singing with my brothers at my daughter’s, niece and nephew’s weddings. I started out in the 3rd grade loving when the music teacher came around a couple of times a month.  I did not know at the time if I loved music that much or just liked getting out of regular studies.  Santa Claus brought me a plastic uke that year, and I learned to play it. I learned to play it good enough to get a wooden one the next year. I played that one for several years and then I got a baritone uke.   But this fellow named “Elvis” came along not too long after that and I switched to guitar because that was where the girls were.

I earned my way through college playing in a Rock and Roll band.  When I became an accountant, my only music was singing in the church choir.  When I retired, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I decided to learn to really play guitar by reading music as well as by ear.  At a local jam session, I ran into the Yesterukes leader. She had just formed a group of uke players and asked if I would come and visit with them.  The rest is history as they say.  To enhance my “career” with the Yesterukes, I now take guitar, piano, and drum lessons in addition to playing the ukulele.  I would not want to get “fired” from the Yesterukes!!

And here is a project Bob just completed with help from some of his Yesteruke friends:

Poetry In Motion

Sometimes you find ukulele players in the strangest ways. Walking through a shopping district in Atlanta, we encountered a couple of gentlemen offering free poems. After passing them by, the thought occurred that it might be fun to see if they could write a poem about a ukulele--thinking this might be a challenge.  So we turned back and asked for one. 

Who knew the poet was also a ukulele player? After composing our poem, he pulled out his ukulele and played us a tune. We told him about the Yesterukes.  He was equally surprised to come across another ukulele player--especially one who is part of a 20-piece band!

Here is his poem...

Jumping flea, hop off me

onto nylon strings under

waving palms.  A song comes

over waves as sunshine plays

between the bright wood, koa

and rose, tiny bubbles or

tim.  Flying strum or slim

notes, mele or hapa hoale,

sweet small music always 

at hand, bare feet and 

sand.  I love thee, ukulele,

reminder and mind of place.

We Yesterukes often think of ourselves as the only ukulele players around, and at many locations, we truly are. But it's even nicer to think of ourselves as part of a ukulele community that exists around the globe.

Poetry In Motion, by Johnny Tillotson, 1961

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

There was no doubt that this senior group--the YAHs-- was glad to have us come and play for them.  The first thing we saw was this delicious cake, waiting to be cut after lunch. It was one of the warmest welcomes we've ever received. (YAH stands for Young At Heart.)

Getting set up and settled in is just a part of our regular routine. Visiting with each other is always fun.

But meeting new people everywhere we go is even more fun. John Knox Presbyterian Church was so friendly. They were interested in us and what we do and it was so good to have time to meet these folks and get to know them. They had such good stories to share with us.

We thought the cake was dessert but the desserts just kept coming. So many choices! Decisions, decisions.

And the meal before we even got to the desserts was wonderful, too. Everyone brought food to add to the table. Thanks to these lovely people for making a dreary rainy day special for us. We hope we brought some fun to the program! We added a few Irish songs to our regular set list since St. Patrick's Day was nearly here.  But it was our old standards that folks enjoyed the most. One comment heard more than once was, "These songs brought back so many memories." That's what we do best.


When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Olcott & Graff, 1912

Celebrate

He comes sometimes just to sit and listen to the Yesterukes practice and usually stays until the end. He told his daughter about our band and how much he enjoyed listening.  "They sure would be good to have for a party. If anyone was planning a party," he said just a few weeks before his birthday. We were glad someone was listening.

And so the Yesterukes were invited to entertain. It was the best kind of party. Lots of friends and family and cake. Lots of cake. We were honored to be part of this 85th birthday celebration. Happy birthday, Joel!

Celebrate, Three Dog Night, 1969

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

When the doors opened promptly at six o'clock, over a hundred people flowed into the beautifully decorated room. Red jackets and red sweaters were the fashion choice for many of these silvered haired folks. They were gathering for the annual Sweetheart Banquet at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church. The Yesterukes in their blue shirts were easily identifiable as visitors here. Visitors and entertainers. After a delicious meal, we played old love songs, older love songs and a couple that might be classified as ancient. And there were a few songs that had nothing to do with love but we just enjoy playing them.  

But the best part of the program was after we finished. People came to the front to say how much they enjoyed it. And we hearing that. We heard, "We've just spent an evening walking down memory lane. Thank you!" (The Yesterukes have a permanent address on Memory Lane!) "Well, I didn't believe there was such a thing as a ukulele band. I was wrong."  And, "This was the most fun I've had in a long time." There were many other similar comments. But sometimes people come  up to tell you stories. And that's even better. The people with the stories will wait a little longer until the first wave has moved on.  

There was a man who was excited to tell about a business trip to Hawaii many years ago. Ukuleles were hanging on the wall at a restaurant where he had a business dinner and customers and staff would take one off the wall and sing and play when the mood struck them. He left smiling. Made us smile, too. And there was a lady who came to tell us she used to play ukulele but had not touched one in 40 years. Then she borrowed one of ours and proceeded to play Twenty Six Miles for us! And a man who was one of the older guests there waited a long time to ask, "Can you show me how to play that thing?"

As we were packing the last instruments in the car, one of the ladies who had helped serve the meal came out of the church doors whistling one of the songs we had played. We knew it had been a good night.


Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Friedman & Whitson, 1910

I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)

If a little music is a good thing, then more must be better!  As a personal project, one of the Yesterukes decided to record a CD on his own.  He found back-up singers among the group.  They had several sessions in the studio, laying down tracks.


The rest of us have enjoyed hearing about their adventure.  And now we're waiting anxiously to hear the final product.  Maybe we'll see them one day on America's Got Talent.  


It's nice to think that the Yesterukes have generated more musical fun.  It's like that pebble tossed into the water that just continues to create ripples.  Wonder what's coming next?


I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band), The Moody Blues, 1973

In The Land Of Beginning Again

A longer than usual Christmas break, crazy winter weather rarely seen in the South, the loss of a member's spouse---this feels like a never-ending winter.  But the Yesterukes are ready to play. After a few practices to brush away the cobwebs, we are ready to take the show on the road next week.  


There was chatter at yesterday's practice about the definition of "senior adult."  You can join AARP at age 50. An online dictionary defined senior citizen as "elderly persons, usually more than sixty or sixty-five years of age." (Elderly at 60?  We don't think so!!!)  


This topic came up because most of our programs are for senior adult groups.  We try to choose music that our audiences will recognize and enjoy.  But our audiences can range from mid-50s to 100!  (The oldest audience member we can remember was 102.)  There is a nearly 30-year age range among the Yesterukes.


So what does all this mean?  All in our group have to learn songs we don't always know or like.  It's always fun to add a new song to our list and then wait for the moans and groans.  Those who finished high school in the 1940s might not love a song from the late 60s or early 70s.  There was a huge musical shift during those years.  And some of our younger members might think a song from the 1930s borders on dull.


But we all will give the song a try, argue its merits, study it on YouTube, and play it different ways.  After lots of joking around and lots of laughter, the song just might be someone's new favorite.  Or at least they will tolerate it! 


What's the one type of comment we hear after every program?  "I love your selection of music."  "You choose the best songs."  "How do you choose such a good list of songs?"  We work at it.

In The Land Of Beginning Again, Bing Crosby, 1945