Hi, All.
Just got back from a week in Madison, WI - my wife and I went to WisCon, a Feminist Science Fiction Convention at the Madison Concourse, and as usual had a lovely time.
This year, instead of flying into Madison and staying in the Dells for a couple of nights, we flew in through Milwaukee, and stayed in Oshkosh. Some great side trips, lots of shopping, got great yarn and roving for spinning, and of course I brought my Fluke with me.
While at the convention, I had a great time playing the uke along with Elise Matthesen, a Twin Cities Jewelry maker/writer/singer/all-around wonderful person (LionessElise, when she is here on line...). Elise is still new at uke - when I brought mine last year, she decided she had to learn how to play better - "all" that she was able to play was Amanda Palmer's "Ukulele Anthem" . (She's a Friend of Amanda's, but Emma Bull - an incredible writer/musician/singer - taught her the song.)
So this year, Elise brought a uke, and we spent a couple of hours on Saturday night playing, and again Monday night, when the magic arrived.
We were sitting in the lobby on the concierge floor playing - Elise has been teaching me an incredible song she helped write - when one of the hotel Bell Captains came through the door from the stairs, and stopped dead. I was afraid we were going to be told we were too loud, but he just stood there, and his smile kept getting bigger and bigger. When we finished, he said, "Hey, I t'ought I heard 'ukulele when I was walking thru halls, but who be playing an 'uke in Madison?"
We invited him over to sit and talk, and and he asked us to play more for him. He said it was great to hear people playing 'uke, and obviously getting joy from the instruments, without trying to copy anyone else's style. He told us he was from Maui, and was a Uke teacher/performer, but he followed his girlfriend (a neurosurgeon) here, and put his own career as a wildlife biologist on hold to be with her. He says he flies out every 4-6 weeks to join the Hawaiian group he is part of for tours, teaches a little uke in Madison, but as he is getting into his 40s, doesn't miss the 1000 students he had in Maui.
He said that he tours occasionally with Lei'ohu Ryder, and has been doing so for the past 7 years.
Then he played a lovely song that I couldn't emulate for the life of me - although I found myself strumming along with parts of it.
That's when I realized I'd never asked his name - he told us it was Kawika (W pronounced as "V", for those of us who are linguistically challenged).
I also realized later that I didn't know his last name, so finding him again is going to take a lot of work...
But we had a blast.
I really wish some of you could have been there - and for those of you who could have been there, but weren't - I wish you HAD been there!
Just got back from a week in Madison, WI - my wife and I went to WisCon, a Feminist Science Fiction Convention at the Madison Concourse, and as usual had a lovely time.
This year, instead of flying into Madison and staying in the Dells for a couple of nights, we flew in through Milwaukee, and stayed in Oshkosh. Some great side trips, lots of shopping, got great yarn and roving for spinning, and of course I brought my Fluke with me.
While at the convention, I had a great time playing the uke along with Elise Matthesen, a Twin Cities Jewelry maker/writer/singer/all-around wonderful person (LionessElise, when she is here on line...). Elise is still new at uke - when I brought mine last year, she decided she had to learn how to play better - "all" that she was able to play was Amanda Palmer's "Ukulele Anthem" . (She's a Friend of Amanda's, but Emma Bull - an incredible writer/musician/singer - taught her the song.)
So this year, Elise brought a uke, and we spent a couple of hours on Saturday night playing, and again Monday night, when the magic arrived.
We were sitting in the lobby on the concierge floor playing - Elise has been teaching me an incredible song she helped write - when one of the hotel Bell Captains came through the door from the stairs, and stopped dead. I was afraid we were going to be told we were too loud, but he just stood there, and his smile kept getting bigger and bigger. When we finished, he said, "Hey, I t'ought I heard 'ukulele when I was walking thru halls, but who be playing an 'uke in Madison?"
We invited him over to sit and talk, and and he asked us to play more for him. He said it was great to hear people playing 'uke, and obviously getting joy from the instruments, without trying to copy anyone else's style. He told us he was from Maui, and was a Uke teacher/performer, but he followed his girlfriend (a neurosurgeon) here, and put his own career as a wildlife biologist on hold to be with her. He says he flies out every 4-6 weeks to join the Hawaiian group he is part of for tours, teaches a little uke in Madison, but as he is getting into his 40s, doesn't miss the 1000 students he had in Maui.
He said that he tours occasionally with Lei'ohu Ryder, and has been doing so for the past 7 years.
Then he played a lovely song that I couldn't emulate for the life of me - although I found myself strumming along with parts of it.
That's when I realized I'd never asked his name - he told us it was Kawika (W pronounced as "V", for those of us who are linguistically challenged).
I also realized later that I didn't know his last name, so finding him again is going to take a lot of work...
But we had a blast.
I really wish some of you could have been there - and for those of you who could have been there, but weren't - I wish you HAD been there!
-Kurt
