Many ukulele clubs have been popping up and the ukulele is starting to experience a new role: wellness. It has been noted that getting together in a group, singing and playing music, and learning a musical instrument are all proven ways to improve health and wellness, improves outcomes of health and recovery, longevity, staves off dementia, and is a worthwhile investment of time and money. The outcomes of people using multiple modes of holistic therapies outperform the mainstream. Join me as we discover more of our own wellness opportunities gained by playing the ukulele together.

Our jam is different because we incorporate games, self-reflection, stretching and maybe even yoga. More importantly we will be playing the ukulele whether or not you know how to play it, because it's easy! It doesn't have to be hard. We are not going to play the circle of fifths or flamenco like Taimane or fingerstyle like Jake Shimabukuru (unless you want to). We keep it simple and give advanced players some opportunities to shine if you want to. The only prerequisites are that you have a ukulele and you know how to hold it. It would be really cool if you already knew C, G/G7, F, and Am (see below for printable chord charts). Realistically though how hard is it to play a C chord if you've never done so? C and Am are only 1 finger. Just go with the flow and be kind! This is not a contest, and it's not like a blues jam where everyone is trying to one-up each other. This is supposed to be fun and help people relax and play music! If you mess up you aren't going to lose points! There are no performances to get ready for! Who cares if it's been 2 weeks and you still don't know how to play the Hawaiian strum? 

It's like going to a yoga studio for yoga. You are doing it for you, not a public performance. Whatever you do with the skill when you leave is up to you! 

🎶 Useful Ukulele Links & Resources

• 🎥 Ho Hey Playalong (YouTube)
  A great play-along video to practice your strumming and timing.

• 🏫 "Best Day of My Life" Lesson  on youtube
  An excellent, step-by-step tutorial for the hit song by American Authors.

• 👥 Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob  (YouTube)
  Connect with a fun, community-driven ukulele group to see what they're up to.

• 👩‍🏫 Cynthia Lin's Ukulele Channel (YouTube)
  A wonderful channel featuring highly clear, beginner-friendly video lessons.

• 📂 The Uke Therapy Google Drive
  Our dedicated hub where you can access our songbooks and group materials.

• 🎼 The Master Ukulele Sheet Music Archive (Google Drive)
  A massive, curated library of free sheet music and resources gathered from across the web.

More about Nurse Nancy: Uke Therapy is my "passion project". I am a registered nurse and work with medically fragile kids, behavioral health, wellness and arts, and a strong background in music. Also a veteran of the United States Army where I served as a tuba player in the field bands. I got to travel the world playing the tuba! If you are interested in Nurse Coaching Services, check out my business site: www.reallifewellnessreset.com 

Email me at nancycowan4@gmail.com if you have any questions!