Injection of uke skills from across North Island

TARANAKI UKESTRA: Bev Tatham (left), Jenny Sulzberger (front) Fiona Holland, Carolyn Treeby, Deidre Rogers and Tony Hansen of The Taranaki Ukestra will visit Gisborne this month to help the Gisborne Ukulele Underground celebrate its second birthday. Hansen will also run a ukulele workshop. Picture supplied

GISBORNE Ukulele Underground turns two this month and to celebrate, the ensemble has invited Taranaki’s Tony Hansen back to Gisborne to help develop players’ ukulele skills.

Hansen last visited Gisborne in 2015 to run a weekend of beginner ukulele and skill-development workshops in Gisborne.

The Taranaki Ukestra will perform two brackets of songs and lead a strumalong. The following day, Hansen will run a six-hour workshop for about 30 people.

The Taranaki ukulele maestro said it was not hard to convince some of his group to travel to Gisborne to perform.

“It was their enthusiasm to share their music and meet other uke players that makes the long drive over to Gisborne worthwhile,” he said.

“The ukulele makes learning and being musical doable for anyone who’s keen. When we play and sing at the same time it’s good for the mind and the spirit, whatever your age.”

Gisborne Ukulele Underground (GUU) formed two years ago when Gisborne ukulele aficionados Scott Casley, Mike Eriksen, Sheridan Gundry and Keren Rickard built into their application for Creative Communities funding for the 2015 workshops, a monthly event of ukulele-based performances and strum/singalongs.

Beginners become performersGUU now regularly attracts 80 or more people to Gisborne Bowling Club on the last Friday of each month. Keren Rickard provides tuition. Beginners have become performers.

Westie uke trio The Nukes performed in Gisborne last year and ran ukulele workshops.

A special Youth Ukers night in June attracted a large crowd of young performers.

Gisborne artist Brian Campbell created artwork for the GUU T-shirt.

GUU has been fortunate to have the support of Gisborne’s Drew Kirk and The Music Room, which provides music vouchers and a ukulele as spot prizes each month, Gundry said.

“Ukulele Underground is definitely not just for ukulele players. People can strum, sing, perform or just sit back and watch. A ukulele is an optional extra. The audience is always supportive.”

Wairoa performers regularly come to Gisborne each month and this year ukulele players from Opotiki are making the trip.

GUU will be held on August 25 at the Gisborne Bowling Club at 7.30pm.

A few spaces remain for Tony Hansen’s Gisborne workshop on August 26. For further information, email Sheridan at write@gems.co.nz.