Where To Play My Uke Now That Mom Is Gone...

Have you thought about making a youtube channel? You'd be surprised how many people would want to hear your tunes. I made a handful of lesson videos for fun and to help people out just like I was helped out when I first started and come to find out, a lot of the lesson videos are getting between 3,000 and 15,000 views. Good way to spread your uke skills!
 
From The OP:

Hey! I'm still here! I've just been busy with Christmas and the traveling that went along with it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just to let you know, I am not wallowing in grief over my Mom's passing, and I DO pick up the uke occasionally, but only for a few minutes at a time. The instrument doesn't bring back debilitating memories or anything like that. I just don't really have many "excuses" to pick it up and play for people these days. Even my five grandchildren have reached the age where they won't sit and listen, but will keep tugging the danged thing out of my hands and pretend to play it!

There is a local ukulele club that meets once a month, but based on the videos I've seen of their jam sessions, most of the members are rank beginners. I'm no virtuoso, but having played for about ten years, I am a little more advanced than that.

I like the idea of children's hospitals and will probably look into that one to see if I can do it while I am still working 8-4 every day.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions and support. Happy New Year to all!

Thanks for coming back to the thread, posters do appreciate it.

As your playing is a lot better than that in the local Uke group had you considered that they might welcome you as a leader/helper? Once you had been along a few times other playing opportunities will appear as you network with the other players. Well that’s the case here in my semi-rural part of the U.K., if I was a better player then I’d have opportunities to use those skills - to get there I’d have to drive for say up to 45 mims, but most of my opportunities are much nearer.

It’s hard to juggle and fit everything in whilst you’re working. Some happiness is usually found by not seeking perfection and not making a regular commitment but by (actively) just doing what you can when and where you can, your local groups would be a good point to start that .....
 
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I have always liked the intimacy of a single uke and a single voice performing for a small group of people. Frankly, to me, listening to a room filled with 50 uke players is not pleasant or enjoyable, but sounds more like a factory with a whole bunch of machines grinding away.

What I'm looking for are situations to play for one or two people at a time. These opportunities are rare when you don't have family around all that often. My wife loves the uke, but it's weird just to play for her. And, as I said in the original post, with Mom gone, the family doesn't get together very much any more.
 
I have always liked the intimacy of a single uke and a single voice performing for a small group of people. Frankly, to me, listening to a room filled with 50 uke players is not pleasant or enjoyable, but sounds more like a factory with a whole bunch of machines grinding away.

What I'm looking for are situations to play for one or two people at a time. These opportunities are rare when you don't have family around all that often. My wife loves the uke, but it's weird just to play for her. And, as I said in the original post, with Mom gone, the family doesn't get together very much any more.

I brought up the busking earlier, and it is probably pretty cold for that right now in New York, but I play at a coffee shop close by. Saturday evenings sometimes, seven to closing. Usually there isn't very many people there, and the ones there are engaged with their computers and tablets. I might get one or two to actually come to listen. They set me up in the back corner and I don't even amp. Mostly I'm just background music. The owners are happy to have someone there. Anyway, that's how I got started playing in public. It is actually very low key and putting together a playlist and practicing is what keeps me motivated. I do it once a month. Another coffee shop downtown has open mic on Sunday evenings. Again, it gives me something to shoot for all week. I try out songs that I might want to use at the other coffee shop. The group at the open mic is small. Some people do poetry instead of music. Anyway it gives you a reason to practice. Something to think about.
 
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Thanks for coming back to the thread, posters do appreciate it...

Yes Papa Tom - thanks for letting us know you are still alive and ok.

I was worried that you had gone and joined the Circus or something, but in the grand scheme of things, maybe that would not be so bad after all?

Unless you are bothered by clowns of course... :)
 
I play for myself mostly. I enjoy it, and enjoy playing songs I like.

It was also a bit of a thing when I started dating my current girlfriend. She played uke, was a member of the local ukulele group, and one of our first dates was at a ukulele get together. It was after that I bought a nicer uke because I heard how awful my cheapie was.

Anyhow, she barely plays anymore and I play a lot more than I did, but the group jams can be fun. Great way to meet other people with the interest and maybe have smaller jams where you can hear yourself above the crowd.
 
Papa Tom, your comment about multiple ukes sounding like a factory with machines grinding away just cracked me up!! I feel like that sometimes when playing with a bigger group.

Like Sabantien mentions above, you could meet folks that would be interested in getting together as a smaller group. I currently play with some smaller sub-groups.
 
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