The rise of a four-stringed melody

Ukulele has found its way back into the spotlight

By Tucker Swiastyn

cswiasty@jccc.edu

It is more than just a melody for the islands. The four strings ring loud in the hands of young and old individu­als across the country. The ukulele has gradually made its way out of basements and into the headphones of millions.

Electric guitars, bass guitars, drums and keys are not the only instruments present on stage anymore. The ukulele has grown in popularity and made its way to the stage, where it’s used in a vari­ety of bands and genres.

“There are a couple reasons I believe people are drawn to this instrument,” said Mike Johnson, student. “The main reason being the pick-up-and-play fac­tor. It is pretty easy to get the hang of and there is quite a lot you can do with it. The other aspect is portability. You can take it wherever you go.”

Johnson has been playing the ukulele for four years and has grown to see the draw to the instrument.

“One of the main reasons I was drawn to the ukulele was the portability factor,” Johnson said. “The sound produced by a ukulele is also one I closely relate to sim­plistic joy, which is a pretty good reason to play an instrument.”

Harvey Fitzer, music professor, be­lieves the ukulele is not just a fad for the young. There are groups of older in­dividuals who meet around the Kansas City area simply to play the ukulele on a monthly basis.

“A lot of older ladies actually like to play the ukulele,” Fitzer said. “They like the old kind of music and the ukulele fits well with that. So it’s not just a young thing — everyone likes it.”

The portability along with the easy-to-play aspect makes the ukulele a relatively economical compact instrument that has never lost popularity.

“I don’t believe the instrument ever fell in popularity. [It] just stagnated,” said Johnson. “It has, however, recently gath­ered quite a lot of attention.”

The use of the ukulele in TV shows and pop songs, along with its quirkiness has brought attention to it in recent years. However, like many different fads, instru­ments can go in and out of popularity.

“I think a lot of performers have started using [the ukulele],” Fitzer said. “There was a performer that my daughter liked. The name of the group was Never Shout Never. He played the ukulele, and that’s when I first realized it was becom­ing popular again, and that’s why my daughter wanted one.”

From the sounds of the tropics to rock­ing out onstage, the ukulele has made it into the hands of various ages and vari­ous genres over the past few decades. The instrument’s unique sound continues to carry it on from generation to generation.