The strums of a beginner’s ukulele class filled city hall during Chestermere Arts Days Oct. 1.
“We were in harmony,” said first time ukulele player Steve Zambory of the class.
He really enjoyed the sound of the class as they played together.
“All of us playing the same notes was neat,” he said, “it was fun.”
Instructor Mel Porter is trained as a music therapist and also teaches and plays guitar.
She has been working with and teaching the ukulele in that last couple of years because it is a more accessible beginners instrument.
“A ukulele has four strings; a guitar is six,” she said.
Porter’s goal for the class was for the students to be able to play basic songs like Happy Birthday and Row, Row, Row your Boat when they leave.
“I would hope that they could…play Happy Birthday,” she said.
The class had a variety of skill levels from people with no experience or background in music to those who are learning or can play another instrument.
Self-described as knowing a little guitar, Zambory had never tried the ukulele before but he and his son Eric thought the class would be fun to try.
“Both of us thought it would be fun to do together,” he said.
Although he enjoyed the class he thinks he is more likely to play his guitar more than to pick up the ukulele in the future.
“I have a guitar at home that I don’t play,” he said, “so if any inspirations going to happen it’s going to happen with that.”
He would come back and take more classes.
“It was super fun,” he said.
