Ukulele Tonya

I always say ukulele people are great folks and this story bears that out: A member of our ukulele group, Ukuleles of Paradise wanted badly to play her Dad’s 1916 koa ukulele, but her arthritis in her left (“chording”) hand didn’t permit her to shape the chords. After posting on the Flea Market Music Board for ideas, we settled on the idea of using one of the 1950s-era devices popularized by Arthur Godfrey which strap on the fretboard and allow the player to simply push one “button” to create a chord. I posted a request on the Flea Market Music Marketplace for one of the plastic devices and received an almost immediate reply from Ernie that he had one, in mint condition, that he’d give to Carol if it would help. (Read on …)

Steven Espaniola will share selections from his new CD “Ho’Omaka,” during a free Aug. 12 presentation at Borders Books in Sacramento. The 7 p.m. “mini-concert” will feature Steven’s superb ukulele skills. Plus, this Borders Books is renowned for having the largest selection of Hawaiian/Pacific music on the West Coast of the Mainland (there’s even a separate ukulele section). Don’t miss this evening of great sounds.

Join other ridge residents at the Ukuleles of Paradise meeting on Thursday night. For more information, see the upcoming meeting flyer.