KPK givaway Deadline July 31st

Well hello Valerie.

You see, I am on a majestic conquest in search of the illustrious furry sac of stuffing you call "stuffed whale". When searching for said whale it is important to soothe the furry being's heart with sweet music. Clearly seen in the image, the white whale is attracted to your all solid acacia Koa Pili Koko ukulele with case, humidifier and tuner. I'm not sure whether or not the whale of my journeys is attracted to the ukulele itself or just the cuteness of the name Pili Koko for it is quite appealing. I wish to attain this ukulele of yours to capture one of these white furry whales of my own and raise it to be a fully grown ukuwhalele (the most musical whale of whales) and ride it into the sunset, spreading music and joy all around.

Valerie, whether you know it or not, you are UU. People like you draw folks to UU, and keep folks coming back.

I don't "need" your KPK; I have three ukes of my own (man, that was tough to admit!). I just wanted to tell you that this is a great opportunity you are offering. I hope the lucky winner truly appreciates the generous gift they receive....

I have two truly great ukuleles. Every time I show up with them my grandson says "WOW". I'd love to give it to him!

Hello there!

I've been considering picking up a new instrument for a few months now, today I decided to search the internet for information about Ukleles, I stumbled upon this website. I've looked at some other instruments, but I don't think any of them have quite the awesome and creative community that the ukulele has.

I would love to join the community if I were chosen!

Take care,
Johnny

Hi there!!!



I currently have an Alegre Ukulele (a local product from Cebu) I was really proud when I bought it because alegre is a good guitar brand here and Im very new to ukes and not very much famillar with what good uke is, My bubble was burst by my Boss (Japanese who also play the uke) who told me that my uke is just a souvenir item from that area more of a toy, I just remove some of the stickers to make it proffesional looking , I still use it until now. But that was my second uke, my first uke is an un branded one that I got from a mall here in manila, but now its already dead, it happen when i was tuning it suddenly the bridge snapped and hit my head. As they say life is short

I'm not yet a pro uke player In-fact I just started last year but I want to be a pro someday. I'm Proud to say that I can only play 8 songs till the end but I'm still not stopping to learn a new song. I love music and the uke is the first and the only musical instrument that I learned how to play and fell in love with it.

Its really difficult to get a good uke here in the Philippines ( because its not popular) and I will value that uke a lot if I will win. It will really help me play better.

Ill try to show the photos of my uke as soon as I get home



my dead and deadly uke


my current uke

Great contest and I hope you find someone who will love and cherish that uke as much as I love my two. I also hope the next owner names it 'Noah' after 'Noah and the Whale'

Sparky

Thank you for doing this! What a lovely thing to pass on to someone.

I bought a uke for one of my boys, my older son, Inteus, for his birthday last year. The dealer totally jacked me on this uke. He told me he had to order it from their other location and that it would be there just in time for me to pick it up before his party but assured me that what I was getting was good quality. My son said it was the only thing he wanted. When I got it, the inlay markers on the neck were so cheap that they were falling out, and I've never been able to get the sucker to stay in tune. He'd love to play, and bless him, still tries to play that one but it's a total bust.

I know he'd really love a good uke.

Thank you for considering him.

Dear Valerie, I am just begining my journey as a fellow UUer. I'm still looking for a beginer ukulele and having just moved halfway into the country my parents have a lot of bills on thier hands. Getting this ukulele would be just the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. In whatever decision you make, I hope the person that wins this is really happy.

Hi there Valerie,

I have been playing my little Mahalo for right about a month or so now, and i find that it is nothing more than just a toy. (Reviews have proven this bitter fact )
As an international student, i do not have much cash to splash around other things but studies and daily basic needs.
My interest in ukes have brought me travelling around Melbourne city, to find a proper Uke that i can afford, but alot of them are way out of my budget.

Abit about my studies:
Foundation in Property Construction and management in RMIT, studying to be a property valuer (Dad pressed hard on this course)
Doing well so far, nothing too tough. (Yes the workload is relatively less, compared to where i was born,[Malaysia] )

In my free time:
I play squash as both a sport, and a passion. I've been playing for right about 3 years now.
I play the ukulele quite often as well, but the sound produced from the Mahalo sometimes discourages me to play, leaving it down for days.

Valerie, you have got to be one of the most generous people anyone has ever met(I think fellow UUers would back this up), giving away the KPK to any of new ukulele players, possibly to encourage them to play more and enter deeper in the ukulele world, as well as excel in the world of ukuleles.
Getting this would be a real boost for me, (i promise i would post vids next time ) and I'd be really grateful if I really do get it. (I'd pay the shipping fee for sure)
In any decision you make, may the winner be blessed with Valerie's kind heart.

Alex.

Tiger said:

Well hello Valerie.

You see, I am on a majestic conquest in search of the illustrious furry sac of stuffing you call "stuffed whale". When searching for said whale it is important to soothe the furry being's heart with sweet music. Clearly seen in the image, the white whale is attracted to your all solid acacia Koa Pili Koko ukulele with case, humidifier and tuner. I'm not sure whether or not the whale of my journeys is attracted to the ukulele itself or just the cuteness of the name Pili Koko for it is quite appealing. I wish to attain this ukulele of yours to capture one of these white furry whales of my own and raise it to be a fully grown ukuwhalele (the most musical whale of whales) and ride it into the sunset, spreading music and joy all around.

Click to expand...

I giggled madly at 'Ukuwhalele'

I've persuaded my daughter to join UU for the express priviledge of sharing the Aloha & begging to be considered as the recipient of this fine ukulele. So, I will tell you why she should be considered for this gifting.

My baby, Aimee, has a beautiful voice & even more beautiful spirit. Her bright eyes & smile are purely magical when she stands on a stage or among the poor children of the Dominican Republic where her heart has been since her first mission trip 5 years ago. She will be returning to the DR soon to marry the love of her life & share their future together in this beautiful, but mostly depressingly poor country. There she hopes to teach english & love on the many children she's come to know in the 5+ years she's been going back to the DR & the too few trips down.

She bought her little uke at a pawn shop for about $30 & I think they overcharged her dramatically! But she has made it her own w/a vengeance. She's addicted me to the instrument as well as several of her friends. I did buy her a Lanikai LU-21 as it stays in tune better for our nightly jams (she's teaching me her repetoire).

So before she goes off to the DR where ukulele's are a bit harder to find, I'd love to see her get a wonderful instrument like the KPK. She will be playing it proudly to light up the faces as she teaches the english language w/a musical twist. I don't yet know the name she may choose when she joins, but will "vote" for her once she does.

Uke givaway.

This is a beautiful instrument that your giving away.

For me I cant promise that it would be taken care of, I have been playing music most of my life, all on inexpensive instruments, and every thing I have I appreciate and take care of as if its the only one on the planet. If you can make a jackson guitar sound good, you can play anything. Thats what I tell myself when I go to music stores and see beautiful expensive Instruments on the walls.
I got my first Ukulele when I was about 12, a $20 Uke my uncle Bought me to get me into music. I glued that Uke together for about 10 years until It finally Broke down and I finally broke down and got myself a Kala for $40. I love it. It stays in tune a bit better, ha.
I always fantasize about what Ukulele I would get If I could, I spend an hour every week in Mandolin Bro. Guitar shop Playing there ukuleles up side down, (Im a Lefty) Pretending that some day I can afford $1200.00 for a uke. Some day, I keep telling myself that.
I love playing my ukulele for kids at the hockey rink that I work at, they get a real kick out of how small it is, they love when I let them try and play it, I even got one kid to go get a ukulele himself, and his is nicer than mine, ha go figure. When I worked at Cradle Beach Camp, a camp for the disabled, mentally challenged, and under privileged, I would play for the kids before lunch or after dinner. I noticed Kids love the song Crazy G, because they get to scream faster!

Im not sure what else to say, wherever this Ukulele goes, Im sure it will be the right person for the right reasons. Its so nice of you to do this. Thanks for the chance.

-Matt

So my roomate has a uke and it drives me crazy that i cant play it because he's lefty. Right now I cant even afford a toy one, so this would come in handy for us to start our uke band. Thanks for the awesome give aways.

I can't stand an out-of-tune uke. No matter how hard I try to tune my Lanikai Pineapple, my ears continue to cringe! I've been learning two years on this cheap plywood Lanikai and would very much like to progress to a higher quality instrument. Usually a bad sounding instrument deters people from learning the art, but I'm still working hard at it and will be for the rest of my life. I just graduated from college and am searching for a job and hope to soon be making money to purchase quality instruments. Thanks for hosting a contest to help those who want to progress on the ukulele!

Lexxy said:

I giggled madly at 'Ukuwhalele'

Click to expand...

I'm glad I could make someone smile

before I read anybody's posts, and get idea's and start stealing them, I'll just say it how it is.

I've never played a concert ukulele before, I've always wanted one, but I have to buy an ukulele before hearing what it sounds like.... I would have bought one buy now, but everytime I go to, I say "I could just get a tenor, I'm comfortable with it". In the end, I don't buy one at all. Aldrine inspired me with the kpk, my only reason would be that it's a concert, would be a good opportunity to own a concert, especially when it isn't a $40 mahalo

nice and generous ;|P

Keiki Koa's Story

Dear Valerie and Ukulele Underground,

Mahalo nui loa for allowing me the opportunity to share my ukulele story with you guys.

I first picked-up a ukulele when I was a little girl many years ago. The ukulele is like the hula in Hawaii, almost all the keiki (Hawaii children) were taught ukulele, hula and how to pronounce the state fish humuhumunukunukuapuaa.

My grandfather Kawika used to be a beachboy, fisherman and paniola back in the 1920s. I remember my grandfather talking story to my younger sister and I about the old days while he mended his nets with his bare hands. Grandfather Kawika used to plant Koa deep in the Waiahole Valley forest to grow the sweetest woods for wa'a and hoe (canoe and paddles). Grandfather would make trips in the forest to harvest the woods and trees he had planted as a little boy with the help of his childhood friends the Elepaio birds.

Flash forward 40 years to 2010. I now live in Memphis, Tennessee. My twenty year old son is named after his grandfather Kawika. I recently sold my little acacia soprano ukulele to get enough money to buy my son a contemporary ukulele, an Ibanez Iceman Ukulele.

My son is a bright, gifted young man who has high functioning autism. Kawika struggled with autism throughout childhood. Science and music always fascinated him. Music helped him overcome much of his autistic language difficulties and physical clumsiness.

At the end of 2009, my son was on the Dean's List but needed to leave college. Kawika developed a neurological disorder on top of his autism. This combination crippled his ability to communicate.

Now I am back to square one again getting medical help for my son and teaching him how to find his voice once more.

My son was happiest when he was a little guy and loved the ukulele. Here he is 19 years ago when he was just learning how to play and find his voice and smile for the first time.
I tried teaching my Kawika how to use the ukulele again, but my old soprano was just too small for his huge hands to accurately make chords. My son now towers over me by 12 inches.

We were watching Youtube a few weeks ago while I was teaching him how to plant banyan and acacia seeds. We were admiring electric guitars and guitarists like Orianthi, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana together since my son leans more toward rock. When guitarist Scott Grove brought out his sweet new Ibanez Iceman Ukulele my son got all excited. It's the first time I have seen that boy smile like that in a long time. I had to get it for him so I sold my old acacia soprano.

I figure I could always buy the materials to make another ukulele for me when I had more money. Money is tight this year because of all the out of pocket medical bills for my son.

I am almost embarrassed to ask for Valerie's wonderful ukulele gift, because I know I will eventually save enough to perhaps buy some sweet acacia wood and make tools to build another one for me to play. Maybe I can find a broken koa ukulele on Craigslist and breathe new life to it. One day, I will save enough to bring Kawika to Hawaii to show him where his great grandfather used to swim with the Hui Nalu beachboys (Duke's old club) and where his ancestors hid the sweetest woods. Where his voice lives in the little forest birds...

While the ukulele is a Hawaiian adaptation of a small Portuguese travel guitar, the Koa is uniquely Hawaiian. The sound of the sweetest koa is the sound of my grandfather Kawika's forest. The sweetest koa ukulele is the song of hardwood and heartwood, heartland and heart. It is the breath of the rich ahupua'a valley where the tiny Elepaio birds call to their mates:

Aloha Hualani, Mahalo for your touching story. Small kid daze my Dad (rest in peace) used to keep his little boat at He'eia Kea and we would motor over off Waiahole in Kane'ohe Bay to pick limu for my mom. We used to also catch 'opae and 'o'opu in Waiahole stream, and later on in my teenage years used to hunt for wild boar in the back of Waiahole Valley, it's a very special place. Used to have the old poi factory on the corner of Waiahole Valley Road, and Kamehameha Hwy for buy the freshest made poi made from kalo grown in the valley. Too bad closed now. Your son would LOVE hiking in the valley and swimming in the stream, hope he gets to see it soon.
What has you living so far away in Tennessee now if you don't mind me asking?

Wow! This is very cool of you Val!

I am writing for my new wife. See her pictured below. You can verify the purchase of the Gypsy Rose that I bought her this Sunday. Send me a pm and I'll give you the contact data for the store we bought the gypsy rose at here in Thailand.

My wife speaks very little english. I've tried to get her to learn harmonica and piano with me with no success.

I still told her just last Sunday that my dream is that we can make music together. SHe doesn't have to be gifted. Just know enough so we can play songs and sing together.

THat is the reason I bought her that Gypsy Rose which turns out to be a very toyish model made for a young girl. I bought her a clip on tuner and even with that tuner, its difficult to keep tuned. I told her if she established that she liked uke, we could buy her a better uke in the near future.

Today, I just saw this contest and called my wife in to my office.

I asked her. "Do you want this?" SHe said, "how much?"

I said "free". SHe asked "HOw much will you pay for it?"

I said, "Its free". "SOmebody will get this free. They just have to ask for it" "Do you want to ask for it?"

SHe paused and did not answer. SHe said she already had a ukulele (the Gypsy Rose which by the way she has tried to learn the birthday song for the last 2 days).

I asked, "Do you want a better one?" "This one looks to be a real good ukulele" "SOmething you could really love having"

She looked at me not understanding how she could get a free "pang" (pang means expensive in Thai language) ukulele.

FInal questions. Do you want to ask for this? WIll you play it if you get it? WHat will you do with your Gypsy Rose?

Yes, she said. SHe wanted to try. She didn't know what to do with her Gypsy Rose. I said. If you win the ukulele, you can give that Gypsy Rose (with box and all included) back to Val for her to give away or she could donate it to a school here in Thailand. SHe said ok to either.

off we went to snap the picture.



That's her in her ready for nighttime sleep wear. THe picture is of our wedding this last July 15th. Even though I only played uke for 3 weeks prior, I tried to sing I"m Yours by Jason Mraz after the exchange of vows. So the uke holds something for us in our new life.

Do I believe she will play it? Yes, I do. If not, I can ask her to give it back or give it away in a similar fashion that you are doing. I can give her 4 months with proof on video that she can learn to play or else give the uke up to another winner.