Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — For those who are looking to pick up a new instrument, there’s a new club in Somerville that can help you achieve that goal.
“It’s really hard to take yourself too seriously when you’re playing the ukulele,” said John Soares, one of the leaders of the Strummerville Ukulele Club.
John Soares and Nick Howarth try to bring a unique vibe and energy to the Arts at the Armory in Somerville. They have been strumming their ukuleles throughout the city for the past ten years and running a club dedicated to just that for the past five.
The duo picked up the ukulele as frustrated guitarists looking for a new instrument. Nick says that the club has gained a good following and has built a fun community in the process.
“One of the great things is that when you’re in this environment when you have 20 different people singing and playing, nobody is going to hear you if you mess up a chord,” said Nick.
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John described playing the instrument as “karaoke with tiny guitars.”
“You can just come in and play the one chord that you know and just sing along, and you know when that C comes along, and you play C and the rest of the time you play percussion and wait for that C to come around again and that’s how most of us have started,” Nick added.
The Strummerville Club is just one small part of the Ukulele Union of Boston that has chapters all over the state.
“There are just so many people in this area alone who play ukulele and just like to get together and have a good time and it’s just such an easy-going community,” Nick added.
The club typically gets a few dozen people of all ages at each club jam session, and they meet at the Armory in Somerville every fourth Wednesday.
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