Old People with Ukes

sequoia · Nov 28, 2016

Interesting article in the San Francisco Chronicle Business Section about senior citizens taking up the ukulele in droves. Business is booming with this age group. Below a quote with a link:

By Wendy Lee

The ukulele’s rising popularity has boosted sales for local manufacturers and music instructors. Petaluma’s Kala Brand Music Co. said it is selling more than 600,000 ukuleles a year, up 30 percent from five or six years ago. Most of its instruments, primarily imported from China, are priced from $49 to $499. Custom ukuleles made at its headquarters sell for several thousand dollars.

Mike DaSilva, who makes custom ukuleles that range from $1,000 to $5,000, said his eponymous business in Berkeley is also going strong. “All the high end builders are not lacking for business,” he said.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Ukuleles-strike-a-chord-with-seniors-10636655.php

Michael N. · Nov 28, 2016

1.2 million sold in 2015. I assume that's just in the US? Astonishing if that's the case.

KohanMike · Nov 28, 2016

I'm a member of The CC Strummers headed by Cali Rose out of the Culver City Senior Center near Los Angeles. We have about 110 registered seniors from their late fifties to late eighties, with from 30-50 regulars who meet twice a week, and every couple of weeks more people join. Cali often brings in articles about how valuable and healthy it is for seniors to play and sing in a group setting. I'm 67 and for me its certainly a great way to fend off the stresses of daily life.

pritch · Nov 29, 2016

When I was contemplating retirement in my late 60s I planned a physical exercise programme (sort of) and bought a bicycle to go wiith my walking boots.

In an effort keep the brain active I decided to either learn a language or an instrument. I bought a guitar, and working alone from CDs that was stuttering along, but then I read in the local paper about a guy who was starting an ukulele group. I bought an ukulele. Six ukulele and a couple of years later...

Some in the group are retirement age, others are younger. Some had previous experience as a guitarist, violinist or a pianist, some not so much. When young people have appeared briefly, they have been related to somebody in the group. I can understand why a late teen or twenty-something person wouldn't be drawn to join the group.

Nothing here to disprove the theory that it's older people doing it. Other than that there are several schools in the area that now have ukulele classes.

phil hague · Nov 29, 2016

Why is this a surprise?
We are not dead yet and we have loads of knowlege and abilities gained over a lifetime.
I wish we could be around in fifty years time to hear what the surprised young people are saying about it then.

Croaky Keith · Nov 29, 2016

As you get older you tend to down size everything, & I've noticed a lot of guitar players turning to the uke.

But really, why wouldn't the older generation start playing the uke, it's small, light, & fun to learn.

I had a couple of things in mind for my retirement.
To cycle a lot more, but life got in the way & I lost my fitness, so I started to walk a bit for enjoyment & regain some fitness.
Learn to play an instrument, I'd attempted various throughout my life, but never really got far with any of them, & so I turned to the uke.

Rrgramps · Nov 29, 2016

Overused and old joints have crippled my hands with arthritis, and stopped me from playing guitar professionally. Ukulele though, is easier to fret, although my thumb can no longer press against the back of the neck and free floats due to the pain.

Also, the ukulele is much more portable than a dread naught and doesn't require an amp or cans like an electric. This small and portable instrument can be played watching TV in your easy chair or recliner. I keep mine beside me a lot of the time.

My most remarkable discovery this last year, is that the ukulele can play chords so well on four strings, that I don't miss the six-sting guitar. I used to think of ukulele's as kids toys, and not for those of us with "real" guitars. Not anymore.

KohanMike · Nov 30, 2016

Rrgramps said:
Overused and old joints have crippled my hands with arthritis...

I heard that potatoes and tomatoes aggravate arthritis. They're in the nightshade family and people sensitive to it tend to have more arthritic problems.

SoloRule · Nov 30, 2016

uke1950 said:
As you get older you tend to down size everything, & I've noticed a lot of guitar players turning to the uke.

I like this theory the best - downsizing!
We down size from desktop computer to tablet then a phone.
Everything is about mobility nowadays!
My friends still can't get over how a four strings instrument can create so many tune!

kkimura · Nov 30, 2016

I never thought about this until now. And, at 67 I guess I am one of those "Old People with Ukes". Now where are the "Senior Discounts"?

Larry U · Nov 30, 2016

kkimura said:
I never thought about this until now. And, at 67 I guess I am one of those "Old People with Ukes". Now where are the "Senior Discounts"?

I think the ukulele manufacturers would go broke if they started issuing Senior Discounts!

TjW · Nov 30, 2016

What I find interesting is that I'm seeing ukuleles in popular culture and commercials. Not as the butt of a joke, simply as another musical instrument.

Rrgramps · Nov 30, 2016

SoloRule said:
My friends still can't get over how a four strings instrument can create so many tune!

That's what surprised me.

TjW said:
What I find interesting is that I'm seeing ukuleles in popular culture and commercials. Not as the butt of a joke, simply as another musical instrument.

Yep, I remember Tiny Tim, and maybe I am one of the few who was turned off by him from thinking of ukulele's as a serious instrument.

Michael Smith · Nov 30, 2016

Snargle said:
I think the ukulele manufacturers would go broke if they started issuing Senior Discounts!

Mostly seniors that can afford a custom instrument it seems.

lfoo6952 · Nov 30, 2016

Rrgramps said:
That's what surprised me.

Yep, I remember Tiny Tim, and maybe I am one of the few who was turned off by him from thinking of ukulele's as a serious instrument.

Rrgramps

I don't believe you are one of the few turned off by Tiny Tim. There were many turned off by him, including me. Because of him I never considered the ukulele as a serious instrument until recently. It was due to George Harrison who influenced me to explore the ukulele.

pritch · Nov 30, 2016

kohanmike said:
I heard that potatoes and tomatoes aggravate arthritis. They're in the nightshade family and people sensitive to it tend to have more arthritic problems.

Not sure about the potatoes or the nighshade thing, but tomatoes can be a problem because of their acid. I was having a moan about arthritis one day and someone asked if I grew tomatoes. I did, and that tends to mean you eat a lot of tomatoes when they are in season. I no longer grow them but so far I haven't felt the need to buy the low acid variety.

KohanMike · Nov 30, 2016

I hope you guys don't mind this tangent. From what I'm reading, it might actually be the nightshade element, not necessarily the acid. Included in the nightshade family; Tomatoes. Tomatillos. Eggplant, Potatoes (not sweet potatoes or yams), Goji Berries, Tobacco, Peppers (bell peppers, chili peppers, paprika, tamales, tomatillos, pimentos, cayenne, etc.). I know my arthritis acts up depending on what I've been eating. So far it hasn't hampered my uke or bass uke playing.

Larry U · Nov 30, 2016

lfoo6952 said:
I don't believe you are one of the few turned off by Tiny Tim. There were many turned off by him, including me. Because of him I never considered the ukulele as a serious instrument until recently. It was due to George Harrison who influenced me to explore the ukulele.

Same here, but it was hearing Jake Shimabukuro for the first time at the Philadelphia Folk Festival (maybe 2008?) that changed my mind about the ukulele as a serious musical instrument.

Rrgramps · Dec 1, 2016

kohanmike said:
So far it hasn't hampered my uke or bass uke playing.

Osteoarthritis Arthritis affected my playing, and I totally lost the cartridge of my right thumb joint in 2010. Sharp bone fragments and shards were piercing into my nerve endings.

The empty joint socket was repaired by filling it with one of my forearm tendons after the bone endings were repaired. Dr said I won't wear this one out.

Rrgramps · Dec 1, 2016

lfoo6952 said:
Rrgramps
It was due to George Harrison who influenced me to explore the ukulele.

i didn't know about his ukulele playing until just recently. Don't know where I was to miss that

Snargle said:
Same here, but it was hearing Jake Shimabukuro for the first time at the Philadelphia Folk Festival (maybe 2008?) that changed my mind about the ukulele as a serious musical instrument.

Love listening to and watching Jake Shimabukuro. I didn't start playing ukulele until earlier this year, and joined this forum right after. It was after joining that I started searching out and listening to ukulele musicians.

So we discover these things later in life. LOL

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