Ukulele and...animals
 

As he fed three exotic looking chickens, Brent told me how his ukulele playing once saved him from a charging pig. “The only thing I had to save me was my ukulele,” he told me. “It was huge.
A tonne-and-a-half pig. And I started playing a tune and it was like, ‘Oh, woah, hey!’ and it just took off!”

 
Fearlessly curious New Zealand-born investigative journalist David Farrier seems to veer into the path of stories – whether serious or light-hearted – which highlight the very odd behaviours of some people. In this case, Farrier was walking along a beach with a friend when he noticed a man, the abovementioned Brent, playing ukulele to a pair of mating dogs. Read about it here (language and maybe vision warning!).

Bridging the Clinic to Community: Music Performance as Social Transformation for Military Service Members

This discussion and case reports, published in Frontiers in Psychology in February this year, looks at the value of performance in music therapy.

Although the case reports are of military personnel, the discussion is broadly driven by the experiences of therapists who have made use of community music therapy models which connect a wide range of clients with their audiences and help recovery by building beneficial social relationships.

The case reports are particularly moving and a comment in the conclusion sums up the findings:

Musical performance benefits our society as a whole, supporting personal, collective, and societal transformation. This shapes the performer as well the perception of audiences and builds stronger, healthier communities in which individuals thrive.

SNIPPETS

Ukulele is intrinsic to Hawaiian music
The Na Hoku Hanohano Awards is a huge annual event which recognises Hawaii's top musicians. This year (25 May) the award for Favorite Entertainer Of The Year went to ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner. Taimane was actually nominated for three other awards and after this interview plays a piece which starts with Bolero from Carmen. Most Promising Artist of the Year was quartet Na Wai Eha, also ukulele players. Here they are playing an original. The harmonies are beautiful but have to say I've never before heard yodelling in Hawaiian.  

60 notes per minute
Next time you feel like complaining about computers, have a little look at this 1949 musical typewriter and thank your lucky stars. (ref Loud Mouth June)
 
Uke Comedy makes it to Edinburgh
After British actress Amy-Booth Steel got cancer and her mother bought her ukulele, she wrote a bunch of songs and posted them on twitter. More than a million hits later, her songs and experience have become a show – #HonestAmy a Ukulele Comedy – which will premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. It is being directed by Kathy Burke, actress, comedian, writer, producer and director known well-known for her appearances on Absolutely Fabulous and French & Saunders. Here's one of Amy's songs. Don't know the title, but the reprise is (relatable for a lot of females) Remember when we all spent our whole life hating our bodies.

Ukulele Central update
Last issue I confidently announced a paid membership site would soon be in the offing. Hmmm...proprietary systems have since thrown up a few barriers to that enterprise, so in the meantime I've added 'tip jar' options for the freebies. I know that like me, when people gain value from something and they have the means, they're happy to contribute.
 
I'm almost finished production of a completely online course based on a previous eBook but which is now more focused and relevant to a particular audience. Getting Started with Ukulele is an introductory journey through the logistics like tuning, holding, strumming, playing chords, playing with a group and how to tackle a song from a chord and lyric sheet.
 
It's designed for people who have maybe just purchased or been given a uke, are moving from another instrument or are thinking about joining a group. It's both practical backup and reassuring familiarisation for those uncertain about the jump into ukulele music playing and group participation.

It will definitely be ready by next Resonate, but keep an eye on the site if you're interested or know someone else who might be. It will have a free preview section.