Season 391: Sowing Seeds of Joy

Harmony Smurf

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2019
Messages
212
Reaction score
2
Location
Houghton Lake, Michigan USA
Hello all, this is the "artist" formerly known as Ohmless with a new season!

As many of you know I am very open about my disability from my chronic depression(everything is fine for me right now so don't worry). Not to be a downer, but inspiration came partly from recently reading a headline that said there has been a spike in the suicide rate. Though it is a small gesture, I would like us all to reach out a hand of support and of care for those that are affected by a mood disorder. It also goes without saying that anyone that needs help should reach out to a professional for it. Another inspiration for this week is Bhutan's philosophy of promoting their "Gross National Happiness". I want us to have a week of bolstering UU's level of happiness in the same way.

Entries this week should be songs that have the intent of elevating someone's mood if even for a few minutes or are about supporting each other in a caring way. I am not looking for depressing music here but songs that have the opposite effect. Humorous songs are welcome as well.

The goal this week(and the prize) is having a loving UU community that fosters the building of relationships. I think that sentiment is more valuable than a physical trophy. As usual for my seasons I will share my commendations after the week is over.

There are no song limits and the contributions should wait to be shared until the start of the day on Sunday the eleventh at 00:00 Hawaiian time and continue until the end of the day on Sunday the eighteenth. The only other rules I can think of are for participants to use a uke as one of the instruments and to give constructive feedback/encouragement on as many other entries as you can.

Here is a short bit from the seasons sign up post that is also relevant:

A quote from former Seasons volunteer coordinator and ukulele hero, ukuloonie:
I think that we have a good group here who participate each week. I was thinking if you don’t see somebody for a while on the Seasons, it might make somebody’s day if they were just contacted to see how they were doing, not to find out why that they are not participating, just to say hello, thinking of you and hope all is well.


Have fun!
Kelly

Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMaZgt105GF7cH8oQAkjbyPe_NG_glbvh
 
Last edited:
lovely sentiment and inspiring theme!

I agree! And it will give me a chance to finish a song I can’t get ready for the current season...

I appreciate your transparency Kelly. I have never had any formal diagnosis but have had struggles over the years for sure, partly due to being an undiagnosed celiac for the better part of my life. And music often lifts and heals my down cast spirit.

thanks for hosting!
 
Indeed, a very lovely sentiment, and a well timed theme.

I have struggled with similar issues Kelly. Hopefully your courage in sharing with others has a healing effect!

Let there be Joyous playing and singing ~
 
Cool. I’m in. I play music at two cancer hospitals in town and a few nursing homes. I try to play only positive or uplifting music for them. They need distracted from their worries. One song at a time. We all need distracted from our worries one song at a time. IMHO
 
That is a lovely theme, Kelly ... let us all be kind and supportive to one another! (I'm sorry to learn of your struggles with depression. I have had problems with anxiety over the years, rather than depression, but my experiences help me to appreciate how profound the impact of these "unseen" handicaps can be on daily life.) The strange thing is that, having thought about it for all of five minutes, all the "positive" songs that come to mind seem to hark back to a period in the last century which ends by about 1960 ... I'm sure that there must be more recent examples of positivity out there!
 
Cool. I’m in. I play music at two cancer hospitals in town and a few nursing homes. I try to play only positive or uplifting music for them. They need distracted from their worries. One song at a time. We all need distracted from our worries one song at a time. IMHO

Doing your volunteer activities for cancer patients and nursing home patients is vital and I applaud your efforts. Back when I was in training to be a physician, nearly nobody knew what they were going through. No monitoring or treatment given for it despite it being so incredibly common for both cancer patients and cancer survivors to have depression. Since having to give up my profession to go on disability I have learned that asking about depression is now considered a vital sign in those medical situations so my hope is that they act on that questioning and treat those affected.
 
Well done Kelly.I'm pleased you are making me find some happy tunes.Here's a 60's Small Faces happy hippy one. Uke with a bit of guitar.And a cartoon from the 30's with some somewhat erotic trees!?!
 
i first heard this song in the film 'Nina Forever' and have been meaning to learn it since … i'm sure the chords aren't quite right, but it sounds ok and I think it fits in with the theme of the week …
 
Great theme Kelly. Anybody needing a collection of uplifting songs need look no further than Jeremy Messersmith's "11 Obscenely Optimistic Songs For Ukulele" - you can hear them and get the chords for them all on his website, free of charge. Here's one of them.

 
Hello Kelly! I bring you balloons and a funny hat ... what could be more uplifting? This song appeared regularly on a children's radio request programme in my youth and is not really one of Sinatra's finest ... but it IS optimistic! I love you all!!!

 
I just got back from a three-day family reunion at a place where there's no phone signal and no internet. This is a new recording of a song I did last week for a Facebook group.



Cantor and Penner.
 
Last edited:

I find this uplifting. A young woman is going through a difficult time and dealing with it in a humorous way.
 
The strange thing is that, having thought about it for all of five minutes, all the "positive" songs that come to mind seem to hark back to a period in the last century which ends by about 1960 ... I'm sure that there must be more recent examples of positivity out there!
there is an ocean of trance, (mostly 90s) dance music specifically designed to make you feel good - i don't quite know if it translates fully to uke! but here's trying, with one of my faves, "sky" by sonique

 
For Season of the Ukulele 391, we’re “Sowing Seeds of Joy”. Kelly’s theme is particularly close to my heart this week as over the past ten months I’ve been going through a very severe case of depression, from which I’m struggling to emerge.
Here’s “You’ve Got A Friend” by Carole King, for tenor ukulele with singing, and overdubs of Ubass and secondary vocal.
In the video I thank the many friends who have helped me through my trying times.

 
Last edited:
Top Bottom