Griffis
Well-known member
I was reading through some other threads and came upon a few really nice stories people posted of how playing the ukulele helped them through a difficult period, or brought joy to someone who was suffering. I thought it would be cool to have a thread where people could just talk about these sorts of things and share. Apologies if this has been done before.
I'll kick it off...mine isn't a life-changing story by any stretch, but it has always stayed with me.
Back in 2003 my family I and I went to Central Europe. In case this makes me sound like a rich person, let me just say we sold essentially everything we owned (including computers, vehicles, etc.) and saved for more than a year in order to do this.
We stayed in the Czech Republic and Hungary but ended up spending most of our time in Romania. I really fell in love with Romania. In that country there are a few very modern, Westernized cities, but you don't have to go very far to really be in the sticks. Literally you can get 5 miles outside of one of these towns and come across gypsy / Roma families in horse drawn carriages and such. It gets very rural and "Old World" very quick.
So, at one point we were traveling from Brasov to a town called Sibiu. In between was real, real country. Beautiful, lush mountains and forests...the occasional old castle ruins in the distance. It was getting near dusk and we passed by a small inn which doubled as the equivalent of a gas station and convenience store. We stopped for gas and drinks and to let our kids stretch their legs and so on.
At some tables outside the place were three older Romanian men, two of whom were playing music. One had what looked like an oud and the other was playing a gypsy jazz-style guitar which looked to be at least partially homemade.
I listened to them for a while and finally pulled out the only instrument we had with us on that trip which was a Johnson resonator concert ukulele.
I pulled it out of its case and held it up, pointing at it with a questioning look on my face. The men smiled and waved me over.
For the next 45 minutes or so, as the sun fell and it got darker, we swapped music. They spoke little to no English and I spoke little to no Romanian, but I would listen to them play for a bit, then join in on the uke. Then one of them would motion to me as if to say "your turn" and I would start in to something (some ragtime improv sort of thing for instance)--they would listen for a bit then jump in.
I was so engrossed in the wonderful feeling of this that it took me a bit before I realized--my entire family and everyone from inside the inn had gathered around the bench/table we were seated at. Once noticed, people began clapping and dancing.
I very much hated for it to end. It was such an incredible feeling. Perhaps the most beautiful music-related thing in my life. I have played in many bands, even opened up for some fairly big name bands, I have done a lot of jamming and recording with others and had so many great gigs and great times, but this was something special. It took me out of all time and place and just wrapped me in the human communication through the universal language of music.
I will never forget that.
You?
I'll kick it off...mine isn't a life-changing story by any stretch, but it has always stayed with me.
Back in 2003 my family I and I went to Central Europe. In case this makes me sound like a rich person, let me just say we sold essentially everything we owned (including computers, vehicles, etc.) and saved for more than a year in order to do this.
We stayed in the Czech Republic and Hungary but ended up spending most of our time in Romania. I really fell in love with Romania. In that country there are a few very modern, Westernized cities, but you don't have to go very far to really be in the sticks. Literally you can get 5 miles outside of one of these towns and come across gypsy / Roma families in horse drawn carriages and such. It gets very rural and "Old World" very quick.
So, at one point we were traveling from Brasov to a town called Sibiu. In between was real, real country. Beautiful, lush mountains and forests...the occasional old castle ruins in the distance. It was getting near dusk and we passed by a small inn which doubled as the equivalent of a gas station and convenience store. We stopped for gas and drinks and to let our kids stretch their legs and so on.
At some tables outside the place were three older Romanian men, two of whom were playing music. One had what looked like an oud and the other was playing a gypsy jazz-style guitar which looked to be at least partially homemade.
I listened to them for a while and finally pulled out the only instrument we had with us on that trip which was a Johnson resonator concert ukulele.
I pulled it out of its case and held it up, pointing at it with a questioning look on my face. The men smiled and waved me over.
For the next 45 minutes or so, as the sun fell and it got darker, we swapped music. They spoke little to no English and I spoke little to no Romanian, but I would listen to them play for a bit, then join in on the uke. Then one of them would motion to me as if to say "your turn" and I would start in to something (some ragtime improv sort of thing for instance)--they would listen for a bit then jump in.
I was so engrossed in the wonderful feeling of this that it took me a bit before I realized--my entire family and everyone from inside the inn had gathered around the bench/table we were seated at. Once noticed, people began clapping and dancing.
I very much hated for it to end. It was such an incredible feeling. Perhaps the most beautiful music-related thing in my life. I have played in many bands, even opened up for some fairly big name bands, I have done a lot of jamming and recording with others and had so many great gigs and great times, but this was something special. It took me out of all time and place and just wrapped me in the human communication through the universal language of music.
I will never forget that.
You?
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