The Cuties have been active on the web lately and what better way to summarize these wonderful events than to put them all on the same post!
Being in the news is one thing but showing up on YouTube is quite another matter. Some Cuties followed Ron Usher’s lead and performed “Summer Wine” at the Vancouver Ukulele Circle on July 15. Here is the standing-O performance in YouTube-style.
We are very happy to announce that our good friends, Gary Cyr and Ron Usher, have agreed to make a special appearance at our first regular song circle on September 14. Gary will be leading the circle while Ron will be keeping all of us in sync by playing the bass!
We will be using the White Rock Ukulele Circle song books. Please bring your copies if you have them. Our other good friend, Braden Deans, will bring extra song books for new Cuties to purchase at only $15 for each volume.
A big thank-you goes to Braden, Gary and Ron for their exceptional generosity and dedication to the ukulele community!
See you there!
We will be meeting every second Sunday of the month at the Pinetree Community Centre in Coquitlam.
Date: Sundays, September 14, October 12, November 9 and December 14
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Room 4, Pinetree Community Centre, 1260 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
Parking: Free
Cost: $2 (to cover the venue rental)
Map:
Accessories: Bring a uke and a music stand.
<from the blog of Carmen Mills: www.BicycleBuddha.org>
I was haggling over a bit of purple bridesmaid dress with a cross-dressing Reno housewife at a free boutique in Black Rock City, Nevada. Maria Mango strolled up. She was strumming a ukulele and she crooned, “love is sumthin’ if you give it away, you keep on gettin’ more. ” When that moment returned to my mind, what was most utterly vivid was the ukulele.
As soon as I got home to Vancouver I rinsed the dust off my body and went to Long & Mcquade to meet Ralph Shaw, who would be my ukelele guru. His blue Cannondale recumbent was parked outside the store. As soon as i entered the store i heard enthusiastic strumming emanating from the guitar section. I followed the sound to find a tall thin guy wearing suspenders and a bowtie. Ralph nodded his approval and held the ukulele out to me: this one. A Mahalo, born in China but conceived in Hawaii. Its body is mahogany, finish slightly rough to the touch. The neck is rosewood. I paid $75 and walked out of the store holding the uke in its cardboard box.
I couldn’t quite believe I had just bought myself a musical instrument. I would have felt more comfortable with a machine gun in a violin case. The words ‘musical instrument’ scare me, you see, because I am a Mills. Millses are drawn to the visual arts. Millses draw well. Millses are verbal and tend toward the literary. But when everyone stands up to sing oh canada at the baseball game the Millses do not. Millses stand up in respect but they only mouth the words or hum really low, because you see, Millses are not musical. Millses DON’T SING. So there is something furtive and transgressive about the whole act of buying a musical instrument, feeling almost ashamed, like I’ve violated my caste. What are you DOING?! You’re not a MUSICIAN! You are a MILLS!!
But I am learning some things about music. Obvious mysteries. Like, when you walk with your feet you set a beat, and you can play to the beat. And, that 4/4 time exists the same in a djembe as it does in a techno track (which i kind of knew), but it also lives in a ukelele! A strum is a beat!
Hot damn.
So I’ve been practicing walking around on the street with the uke, just to see how that feels. I notice guys carrying guitars look at me, and we meet eyes and smile a little. There’s that insider secret recognition like I always used to get with dreadies when I had dreadlocks. And I wonder then, should I even have smiled back? Because, was that really honest, implying that i might be, like, a musician or something? I’m a Mills, not a musician. I’m just carrying a ukulele. It is a disguise.
But get this: I’m learning some SONGS. Really–songs! I have never played a song on a musical instrument before. And what songs! Songs about cowboys, and amphibians! Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gaaaaaaal…. Frogs, and ukeleles, and singing Millses. Strange but true.
We will be performing among others on July 29 as a part of the Multicultural Fair at Spirit Square in Coquitlam. Our presentation is coined “Ukulele Spectacular”. If you would like to participate but have not signed up yet, email us to let us know as the more the merrier! If you have spare ukes to bring for the audience to try, let us know as well.
The Fair actually starts at 11 am and there will be “a variety of live entertainment, music and dance. Many cultures will be represented with performances from Chinese, South Asian, Polynesian, Korean and South American groups. There will be door prizes and activities for kids as well as adults. Visitors can try their hand at Chinese brush painting, calligraphy or learn a new dance.”
Kimo Hussey will be joining us on stage! Mark Luongo has agreed to join us as well. The Polynesian Dancers will be performing just before us!!!
Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Time: 2:10pm – 2:30pm (Please arrive by 1:40pm as requested by City of Coquitlam.)
Attire: Hawaiian-themed outfits (e.g., leis, grass-skirts, etc.) or Cutie t-shirts
Accessories: Bring a uke, a music stand and song sheets.
Location: Spirit Square, 3000 Burlington Drive, at Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
A shuttle bus will run between Glen Pine Pavilion and Dogwood Pavilion during the event. See official website for current shuttle schedule and information.
Map:
Jamie Ruddick will be leading our practice. Thanks, Jamie!!!
Date: Sundays, July 20 and 27, 2014
Time: 2:00pm
Location: 1167 Pipeline Road, Coquitlam
Parking: Inlet Street
Map:
Accessories: Bring a uke, a chair, a music stand, and song sheets.
Event Schedule:
As many of you may know already, Kimo Hussey will be giving a five-day workshop, Aloha Ukulele, at Hollyhock on Cortes Island this summer. We are ecstatic and honoured that he has kindly accepted our invitation to conduct a workshop and give a house concert for us. Kimo is well-known around the world for his superb ukulele performance. He is a very patient and insightful teacher. (Watch Kimo’s instructional video series.)
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the soothing and authentic music of the ukulele. We hope you will join us at this Coquitlam-first event.
Workshop 1: 2:30pm * SOLD OUT *
Workshop 2: 4:00pm * SOLD OUT *
Location: 1536 Sprice Avenue, Coquitlam
Email us at events@cutiecircle.com to be put on a waitlist.
Time: 5:30pm
Location: 1536 Sprice Avenue, Coquitlam
For the potluck, we will be providing dishes and cutlery. Please bring along some serving utensils if possible. In terms of food items, any of the following will be appreciated: green salads, entrées, desserts, cheese and crackers, veggies and dips, fruit and/or lemonade.
Time: 7:30pm * SEATS AVAILABLE *
Location: Evergreen Cultural Centre, 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
* Note: NEW VENUE *
*If attending both the workshop and the concert, the cost is $35 in total.
To register, email events@cutiecircle.com. We accept only cash at the door.
Photo Credit: Laura Thomas
We are thrilled to announce that our first meeting will be on July 8, 2014. To kick-start this momentous event, we will be celebrating with a potluck. In fact, we have invited the world-renowned ukulele master, Kimo Hussey to conduct two workshops and a concert. Ukulele players of all ages and levels are welcome. Come join us and help shape the direction and development of this brand new group.
We are a group of ukulele enthusiasts living in the TriCities area (and beyond) who would like to share the joy of ukulele with our community. It all started when we met at our weekly picnic group talking about ukuleles. Since the summer of 2012, our group grew and more and more of us became members of multi-ukulele households. As we looked around for a local ukulele circle, we realized there was not one yet and decided it was time to create the Cutie Circle.
Cutie Circle 