Monday, April 23, 2018

A New Instrument for Me -- the Uke

The senior center is offering Uke lessons. So with encouragement from my sister-in-law, Nina, I went ahead and picked up a Mitchell MU75-NM Concert Uke from Guitar Center.

2017 in Review

Musically, it was another slow year. When I was home I would get together with Les (cello) and Leanna (violin) once a month.  I did three gigs for St. Patrick’s Day. I usually played second violin at a “free for all” chamber music group that met on Sunday afternoons. My sister-in-law, Nina, belonged to a “Sing” group and I have managed to go twice with her so far.  Nina and I also tried to jam once a week.

Labor day weekend was a trip with friends to West Virginia for folk music and dance camp.

Afterwards, I went to Southern Spain to Granada to go on a hike with the author of a book that my club had reviewed in the spring. The tour was called “Walking over Lemons” with Chris Stewart.  I went on half of the hikes and also had a chance to play on Chris’ very expensive classical guitar. No, I did not get a chance to visit the Alhambra. It was sold out.

Nina joined me for a weekend at “Fiddle Hell” in November. We also had a chance to visit the cousins in Boston. I stayed a few days longer to visit my cellist friend from Cape Cod, Marilyn.