Will Strum for Smiles

Petoskey Ukulele Players are a local hit

Maybe it’s the maritime climate and close proximity to Beaver and Mackinac islands that make the ukulele—Hawaii’s iconic instrument—so popular in northern Michigan.

But, it could be the ukulele’s compact size, nylon strings, and user-friendly reputation that draw so many would-be musicians looking to let loose their own little lullabies.

Whatever the cause, the ukulele, a member of the lute or ancient guitar family, has enjoyed a major resurgence in the last few decades. Both Petoskey and Charlevoix have their own groups of musicians who regularly gather to strum, sing, smile, and laugh. And they have a funny habit of causing others to do the same.

How It Started

Retired Petoskey nurse Kathy Brady caught the bug after her friend, Mary Clinton, encouraged her to try out her ukulele. As she was departing for vacation one day, Clinton dropped it off at Brady’s house, insisting she give it a whirl.

She did, teaching herself a few chords in the process. Having a professional musician for a father as well as a background in piano, Brady already had a head start on most ukulele players, many of whom are complete novices.

“I found out how easy it is to play the ukulele,” Brady tells Northern Express. “And once I learned, I wanted others to learn, and I wanted to have others to play with.”

It was 2018, and Brady was eager to form a group. She put a notice in a local senior citizens publication, and quickly found other interested people. Her efforts were boosted by a professionally-taught ukulele class at Petoskey’s Crooked Tree Art Center, which saw a few members migrate to Brady’s newborn Petoskey Ukulele Players (PUPs) group.

Today, PUPs has about 25 active members, with 15 of them regular participants. They practice weekly, perform publicly, and smile regularly. It’s really all Brady had hoped for.

“The ukulele has really changed my life,” Brady says, gratitude spilling through her voice. “I’ve met so many great people and had so much fun.”

How It’s Going

Not long after it formed, COVID muted PUPs’ in-person rehearsals and performances. But they emerged from the pandemic as enthusiastic as ever, strumming and singing away—and in a new home.

The group had been meeting at Petoskey’s Friendship Center. But when scheduling got dicey, they had to find new digs. Petoskey District Library opened its doors to PUPs, giving them dedicated space and even some new technology to help them learn.

At a recent rehearsal, about a dozen players, in a spectacular range of ages (14-79), showed up for a two-hour practice session. Situated in a u-shaped configuration of tables, the PUPs, each with their own unique instrument, focused on their electronic tablets and paper tablature, as well as a large central screen on which they can all follow the songs’ chords and lyrics.

They start off with a Beatles selection, a PUPs favorite, rolling through the number with ease. Next up are “A Horse with No Name,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “Blue Suede Shoes”—all 20th century classics, which Brady says seem to resonate with the nursing home crowds for whom PUPs mostly perform.

“We only know two songs from this century,” Brady laughs. “We were trying to learn some current kids’ songs, but we realized our audiences don’t know any of them.”

What they do know, she says, are songs they heard throughout their lives, whether they’re country or pop or patriotic songs, or even holiday tunes. PUPs try to make room for a little bit of everything.

How to Hear Them Play

That works well for residents at Independence Village of Petoskey, a retirement home where the PUPs have rocked. According to Independence Village Life Enrichment Director Judy Eccker, the ukulele show is among the most popular of the village’s entertainment offerings.

“They’ve performed here two or three times, and our residents are very enthusiastic about it,” Eccker explains. “I think they feel it is really a creative and enjoyable experience to watch and listen to this group, who are basically lay people who have picked up and learned the ukulele. These aren’t professionals. They’re just people who want to put their time forward and put together a very lovely show. Our residents really appreciate them volunteering their time to do so.”

Eccker says the PUPs’ last performance was just before St. Patrick’s Day, so the group assembled a repertoire of Irish standards. The music coincided with Independence Village’s weekly happy hour, which featured Irish hors d’ouvres and beverages.

“We’d love to have them back,” Eccker notes. “They’re always welcome. Our residents just enjoy it. There’s so much energy and camaraderie. It’s almost like a kitchen band, because some of them play different instruments. It’s really homey and fun for everyone.”

Brady said the group often polls retirement community residents to better understand their musical tastes. But, she says they often don’t get many responses.

“That leaves us guessing at what to play, but we make educated guesses,” Brady explains.

PUPs must be doing something right. They have upcoming gigs and they’re always working on new material. They meet each Thursday from 12:30-3pm in the Petoskey District Library basement classroom. Participation is completely free and open to all ages and experience levels. 

Hawaiian by Reputation, Portuguese by Birth

Though the ukulele is firmly rooted in Hawaiian culture, its early 1800s origins are actually Portuguese, having originated as the “machete,” a small four-stringed guitar, among sugar cane farmers on Portugal’s Madeira archipelago.

In the 1870s, faced with a collapsing economy, some of those farmers migrated to Hawaii, then the Sandwich Islands, known for their vast sugar plantations. There, those same farmers shared their love of the instrument with the natives, who soon adopted it as their own.

The small guitar’s popularity grew among Hawaiians, and their musical skills grew. Some of the best pickers reportedly had agile fingers that hopped over the strings like a bug. So they started calling their beloved new instrument a ukulele, which is Hawaiian for “jumping flea.”

After its 1898 American annexation and eventual statehood, Hawaii became a tourist destination, and the island’s customs began permeating North American culture. The ukulele was particularly popular after World War I, as Americans embraced the fun, easy-to-play, and low-cost instrument. Indeed, flappers, much like the PUPs, used the ukulele to inject a lot of fun and singing into the already Roaring Twenties.

But the ukulele’s pleasing island sound faded as the Great Depression took hold. It wasn’t until the 1950s and the advent of cheap plastics when it enjoyed a rousing, but short-lived resurgence. Though manufacturers sold hundreds of thousands of plastic ukes, the fad was fading by decade’s end. The six-string guitar had drowned out its smaller cousin, all but muting its sound until a few decades later.

It was 1993 when native Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole burst onto the global music scene with his iconic, soothing, and inspiring medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World”. Set to his own excellent ukulele playing, Kamakawiwo’ole’s velvet voice sails high over the bed of soft, four-string strums, and it is quite touching.

His rendition was an instant hit, and it inspired millions to seek out this gentle, user-friendly instrument—the Hawaiian jumping flea, the bite of which leaves its victims itching for island melodies, easy smiles, and the friends that go along with them.

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