Holiday Songs at the North Raleigh Uke Jam - 121913-Holiday Uke

We had some new jammers attend the Holiday Uke Jam in December.  One of our guests submitted this blog-post for me to share with you all. 

AND ----- Here is a video of us doing the Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton

A Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton (Performed by The North Raleigh Uke Jam)

Merry Christmas

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I first heard about the North Raleigh Uke Jam, I was fascinated by the idea. If one ukulele is cheerful, and two ukuleles are conducive to being an internet sensation, then surely a whole roomful of them would be brilliant fun – if not overwhelmingly hilarious. So Thursday, December 19^th, I postponed my trip home to Charlotte and joined more than 20 of Raleigh’s finest ukulele enthusiasts for an evening of Christmas carols with a decidedly Hawaiian twist.

I’m no ukulele virtuoso, as evidenced by the tiny soprano uke I brought with me - which is really just a toy that cost me about as much as a fancy Starbucks coffee - but the combination of so many different sized ukuleles, banjoleles, bassguitarleles, and percussion instruments makes personal skill level almost irrelevant since it’s the group’s sound and not the individual’s that ultimately shines through. That’s what I found to be so great about the Uke Jam, you don’t have to be an expert or need a high-end instrument, you just have to bring your enthusiasm; the music and fun develop organically from there.

Despite it being my first Uke Jam exposure, I immediately felt the sense of community and camaraderie within the age-varied group. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, the people were friendly and high-spirited, and the music was utterly fantastic. After playing a handful of warm up songs, I took advantage of regular Uke Jam attendee Mr. Rick’s generosity (or marketing ploy) and borrowed one of his fancy, thin-body Kala ukuleles—a quarter the size yet double the cost of my most prized guitar. The Kala was a joy to play and I cannot thank Mr. Rick enough for bringing such quality instruments for myself and others to try out for free.

The provided sheet music showed each chord shape and made every song very approachable, and I dare say, the experience was actually educational for me as I attempted unfamiliar finger positions and strum patterns. The end of each song was always met with smiles and laughter, even the more difficult ones that did not go so well. As we all strummed and sang Christmas carol after Christmas carol, 2 hours passed in the blink of an eye. As the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun!” 

My experience at the North Raleigh Uke Jam was an immensely enjoyable one that I will never forget and I want to extend my thanks to all of the wonderful people I met for making that night so memorable with their holiday—and ukulele—cheer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks again for having me over and for introducing me to the awesomeness that is the North Raleigh Uke Jam.

Best Regards,

Nolen

Video of Ukulele backed Proposal - City of Oaks Marathon

Back on November 3rd, 2013, at the Raleigh Marathon, some members of the North Raleigh Ukulele Jam were asked to perform a special song.  The song was the backdrop to a wedding proposal, one racer to another, in the grass next to the NC State Bell Tower just after they finished the race.  The song was "Longing to Belong" by Eddie Vedder.  He is famous for other musical adventures but now has apparently gotten very interested in the Ukulele.

The first Uke Jam for December was another big success.  We ran into a small technical problem, locked out of our usual room, but then Jason from the choir (they also practice on Thursday) came to our rescue and we played in the big meeting room,  We had one new Uke Jammer who had just purchased a new Uke that day.  We tried some new songs that we had not tried before, and introduced a new feature, the seventh inning stretch, where we played several songs standing. 

For the Jam on the 19th of December, we have posted two sets of Holiday songs here on the Blog.  Everyone should practice these songs and then at the next Jam we will do at least 30 minutes of holiday songs.   Print out and bring copies of these songs for the next Jam.  We are expecting some special surprise guests at this next Jam, so don't miss it.