Banjo – Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“If everyone played the ukulele,
the world would be a better place.”
Jake Shimabukuro

Dawn Ho

A few months back I put together some music for my husband that I knew he’d enjoy.

There’s one song in particular that he enjoys and it’s one of my favorites as well. The song is Izzy’s rendition of, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Growing up, we both enjoyed listening to the ukulele. Don Ho was very popular four decades ago and was famous for his big hit, Tiny Bubbles. The only other ukulele players I remember were Elvis and Tiny Tim.

When my husband came home from the hospital last week, he asked me if I would do him a big favor. He asked me if I would learn to play the ukulele. “The ukulele?” I asked. “Why do you want me to learn the ukulele?”

He told me he had been looking through our local “Adult Classes” brochure and saw that a ukulele aficionado was teaching a class for beginner ukulele players. I didn’t realize how much he enjoyed the ukulele.

What can say, I love my husband, and if learning to play the ukulele will make him happy, I guess I can learn to play. I’m actually looking forward to learning to play this cool little fretted instrument. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the next, Dawn Ho.

Shine On

“What made me love thee? let that persuade thee
there’s something extraordinary in thee.
I cannot: but I love thee; none but thee;
and thou deserves it.”
William Shakespeare

One of my favorite fretted instruments is the banjo. After all, you can’t help but smile when you hear the sound of a banjo.

For Mother’s Day 2014 my son bought concert tickets for us to see “Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers” at the Hollywood Bowl. The concert was fantastic.

I was so inspired by the concert, that I decided it was time to learn to play the banjo. I didn’t own a banjo, but there’s a music store near my son’s apartment, and they just happen to have used banjos. After hearing the store owner play one of the banjos, I bought a used 21 fret, open back, 5-string banjo. I was absolutely thrilled to start learning to play the banjo.

However, when I got home with my fretted friend, my husband was not as thrilled as I was. His response was, “you’re not going to practice that thing in the house, are you?”

Relationships are all about compromise. We are both supportive of each others hobbies and interests. He likes me to go with him to the shooting range and go to car shows. And because he knows how much I enjoy banjo music, he has become more supportive of my banjo playing.

After lots of practice and lessons on the banjo, he now wants me to learn to play the guitar and the mandolin.

That’s why I love him.

Happy Valentine’s Day To Everyone

Shine On