UKULELE MADNESS Love. And That Small Instrument Take Over Tampa Bay! By Jennifer Lane 20
In my home, musical instruments multiply like rabbits. First one uke made it home... then five… now nine of those 4-stringed devils hang on the wall and call my place their home. Curious about this big love I’ve had since 2012 for the small instrument, I set out on a journey in Tampa Bay to discover just how widespread this uke panic is. What makes it tick? Who also is victim to its charms? And this is what I learned, dear reader: I am very much not alone! And I couldn’t be happier about it. No discussion of the amazing phenomena that is the latest ukulele craze would be complete without first looking at the 1,300+ member strong Tampa Bay Ukulele Society. Which is – quite possibly – the third largest ukulele organization in the United States. Jennifer’s roots with TBUS: My first TBUS meetup was in the summer of 2012, just as I was learning to play my brand new Lanakai brand tenor, purchased for a song at Sam Ash. I met Tom Hood early in my ukulele journey. One thing I Tom Hood; photo courtesy of Tom Hood noticed right away was “ukulele people are nice” - Tom and the other members of our community constantly gave that “aloha”/welcome vibe to each new (and established) uke player who walked in the door of our monthly Tampa Bay Ukulele Society (“TBUS”) meetups. No matter if that person was a rank beginner like me or a seasoned four string veteran. So I checked in with Tom to find out the story of TBUS and where it looks like TBUS is heading to. Tampa Bay Ukulele Society: Per their webpage, the Society’s mission is to provide education, entertainment and community service. Back in 2008 the society was a small group of uke enthusiasts under the guidance of Dr. Ron Knaus. Jamming in his condo out in Sand Key, bassist and uke enthusiast Steve Boisen became the other founding father of TBUS and its first President. As the word spread, the group grew large enough to require a bigger space – this time, a coffee shop in Clearwater, a few blocks from Augustino LoPrinzi’s (luthier) store. In 2009 an open mic at the Whistle Stop Café in Safety Harbor started up and continues to this day on the fourth Wednesday of the month. As the ukulele and its enthusiasts in Tampa Bay grew in numbers circa 2010, the idea for a local ukulele festival came up with the thought, “Maybe we should formalize this a bit more.” So in 2010 the first Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway (affectionately known as TBUG) launched, with uke stars Fred Fallin, Victoria Vox, Gerald Ross, The Barnkickers and Craig Robertson. Since that time, other ukulele-based meetups have sprung up – Pasco County, Manatee County, Hillsborough County. No longer is it difficult to find a ukulele locally or even online – they are truly everywhere! Growing, growing, growing…. As TBUS grew, donations increased and, in keeping with the community and education directive, donations have led to the purchase of ukes for the library program. The volunteer-led library beginning ukulele introduction class (with ukes primarily procured from Mim’s Ukes, a vendor based in Virginia and a long time TBUS supporter) has given our community time with ukes in hand, and accelerated the growth of the Society. The ukuleles can even be checked out of local libraries so you can try before you buy! Since May 2015, TBUS has sponsored 84 workshops and 1060 attendees and the beginner class has become the #1 library program in both counties. 21
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