Poll: Do you Play with a Group

The pandemic aside, do you - or did you - regularly meet and play your uke with a group? Meeting on Zoom counts as a group.

Jerryc41 said:

The pandemic aside, do you - or did you - regularly meet and play your uke with a group? Meeting on Zoom counts as a group.

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All of the above;
Pre-pandemic I would do 1. "Meet in person with a group. Meeting in person before the pandemic counts."
During the pandemic I did 2. "Meeting only on Zoom, or similar, but not in person regularly with a group." but stopped because of Internet delay issues.
And after that I did number 3. "Strictly solo, or with partner, at home." until recently when my local groups started meeting in person again.

I've been playing with the Third Sunday Band for the last 10 years. We slowed down during the pandemic, but social distanced for some recorded gigs. I'm the one with the white hat...

Yes, the Raleigh Uke Jam meets the first and third Thursdays of each month for a regular jam. Months with fifth Thursdays have open mics. We also jam the last Tuesday of each month at Pelagic, a beer and wine shop downtown. And we play at senior centers. We kept things going with Zoom during the pandemic, but it was merely to maintain continuity. We also played some outdoor weekend James as weather permitted. Back in person is fantastic!

I have played with my local group (Central PA Ukulele Club) but not regularly. Since COVID, I haven't at all, other than one Zoom call that was totally unsatisfying. I'm more of a solo instrumental player anyway, so missing out on sing-and-strum sessions is no big deal.

Always on my own - I don't think anyone else would want to associate with my playing...... :music:

:smileybounce:

Croaky Keith said:

Always on my own - I don't think anyone else would want to associate with my playing...... :music:

:smileybounce:

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Same here.
But I sure enjoy it.

Pre-pandemic - up to 5x/week with groups.

Presently - 3x/week with groups in Hawaii, zoom 2x/week w/ Seattle groups.

We've never missed a beat, rehearsed every Saturday in person since COVID hit so we'd stay sharp and learn new songs, and techniques. We even added a fourth member. Now things are opening up and we're a lot more active.

transit issues, so getting to a live group has always been difficult. Have found a couple I like during COVID--Tiki Dave for fun, and PopUpUke to learn more ear training and the like. I do most of my picking solo anyway that way no one is scared off by my singing lol.

On my own or with my wife who plays guitar and is much better than me.

With a group, but not a ukulele group. It’s a bluegrass/old time music (okay, and lots of old country) group. I’m the only uke player, besides the occasional guest appearance by my 10 year old. My husband and daughter have played guitar with the group for years, or I might not have ever had the nerve to show up with a ukulele. but they’re pretty accepting of anyone trying to make music. . . And with me, sometimes “trying” is the operative word.

Not Zoom - the resolution and sound quality at my house sucks rocks, regardless of what equipment I use.

Used to play with 2-3 groups, and performed gigs solo/with a partner.

But since the survey only allows one choice, I'm not marking either of the two.

My group of about 50 met every Monday afternoon and Thursday morning in a large Veteran Center multipurpose room, under the auspices of a senior center from which the group originated. Within a week of the pandemic, our leader setup Zoom and we continued to meet at those times (I find it perfectly acceptable under the circumstances). I play bass uke, but to keep up with ukulele, I met every Sunday with a group of acoustic players in a park. That ended with covid.

In the last 2 months we've slowly been getting together again. One member of the uke group has about 10-12 of us play in her backyard every other Wednesday, and other members have about 20 of us meeting on the large patio of a sandwich shop every other Sunday. I play bass on the Wednesday sessions and uke on the Sunday sessions, our other bass player plays bass there and uke on Wednesdays. The park acoustic group is also getting together again, though for me it's now every other week.

The leader also severed our ties with the senior center, realizing during the Zoom sessions that the group is open to any person no matter their age. A number of our members include their grandkids now. That eliminated the Veteran Center, so we're actively seeking another venue for the full group, the leader wants to conduct sessions once a month for 3 hours. When that happens, both of us will play bass like we used to do.

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This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
8 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 36)

Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
Member The CC Strummers: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

"The leader also severed our ties with the senior center, realizing during the Zoom sessions that the group is open to any person no matter their age. A number of our members include their grandkids now. "

That's fantastic. Something good came out of the pandemic! What a delight to think of members including their grandkids in the ukulele sessions.

-Before COVID, I gigged with the Maple Leaf Champions Jug Band.
MLC Jug Band
-I would also play duos and trios with friends in bluegrass/blues/swing genres (eclectic acoustic).
-I would play each Sunday afternoon with 3 friends where we'd play around a circle, taking turns picking and leading songs with guitars, bass, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. This was not a rehearsal, but playing for the pure enjoyment of playing. We have recently started doing this again, outside, all fully vaxed.
-Another friend, Reg and I played guitar/Dobro duets for decades, but have recently (2 years) started meeting Tuesday afternoons to play ukulele duets. We have done unpaid gigs at old folks homes, but that's it. We have re-started after a COVID shut down as well.
Jim & Reg circa late eighties
-I have been playing with my wife since before we became a couple in 1981. We didn't stop for COVID.
Jim & Maggie at Waterfront Festival in the eighties.

Jim Yates said:

-Before COVID, I gigged with the Maple Leaf Champions Jug Band.
View attachment 134354MLC Jug Band
-I would also play duos and trios with friends in bluegrass/blues/swing genres (eclectic acoustic).
-I would play each Sunday afternoon with 3 friends where we'd play around a circle, taking turns picking and leading songs with guitars, bass, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. This was not a rehearsal, but playing for the pure enjoyment of playing. We have recently started doing this again, outside, all fully vaxed.
-Another friend, Reg and I played guitar/Dobro duets for decades, but have recently (2 years) started meeting Tuesday afternoons to play ukulele duets. We have done unpaid gigs at old folks homes, but that's it. We have re-started after a COVID shut down as well.
View attachment 134355Jim & Reg circa late eighties
-I have been playing with my wife since before we became a couple in 1981. We didn't stop for COVID.
View attachment 134356Jim & Maggie at Waterfront Festival in the eighties.

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That's a nice-looking group.

I can't wait to attend uke group meets. Although having an audience is even better than playing with a group, I suppose I can pretend the group is my audience in a way. This the is one thing that I miss so much when I quit guitar some years ago: playing with friends and in front of an audience.

Leading songs with zoom sessions was like singing/playing solo (at first, wasn't too thrilled with that). It's sooooo much better when we can play with actual people again.

I’m a little spoiled and have several local groups that I play with. Some are general mixed acoustic jams, a couple are bluegrass, one is a gospel jam and one is a ukulele group. Most are outdoor jams.It seems that the ukulele groups were the most reluctant to come back. There were several uke groups pre-Covid, but now just one has resumed (and that’s surprisingly an indoor group). I’m heading to Cali for 4 mo. Hope stuff is going on out there soon.