Hi Boys and Girls,
It's been a long year my friends. I haven't posted for ages because I couldn't get back into my blog!! YAY, I finally got back in today! Sheesh. I plan many posts going forward plus I need to clean up the links on the blog!! Today I post about how we survived, musically, over the past 18 months!
The pandemic era has really put a damper on live music, and most of us either lost all our day jobs or our night gigs, or both. I think most of us were fine with that, really, cause no one wanted to get covid nor spread it, right? But, for musicians, it really was a wake up call.
The best of the best took to the internet and created new ways to display their talents, and bridge the revenue gaps. With sites like patreon, and Go Daddy, YouTube and blogger mediums, we saw amazing stars arise. It was contagious! Everyone jumped on board and the net flooded with tutorials, original music, and covers from professionals all the way to absolute beginners.
Facebook, for one, really grew musically. It was a way for artists to reach their fans and post links to their sites, enticing with videos, live feeds, and zoom links, etc.! Groups started up and major communities erupted.
For example, I started a group called Beginner Ukulele Hints and Helps back in 2013. In 2019 we'd reached about 500 members. I was ecstatic about that, lol. Then 2020 happened. The group grew to over 6500 members. It is a group where I invited uke players, beginners and professionals, to mix. I invited professionals to post their web sites, video tutorials and their shows/ festival schedules. I also invited luthiers, brand name manufacturers, and designers of Ukulele to post about new product. I even invited bloggers to post links to their blogs, as long as it was related to the Ukulele. We encouraged beginners to post their video journey as they learned, grew, progressed and we cheered them on. It is a symbiotic group with everyone supporting each other. Win Win!
I also started a group called Ukulele Women, yes, exclusive for women and femme fatales, where ladies support each other from Beginner to professional. There, I encourage women who have business in the Ukulele realm to give info to the group. So, merch, CD downloads, straps, jewellery, method books, as long as it's Ukulele driven, it's a plus on the page. And oh the wonderful sharing of talent. Women have truly been the driving force behind the uke movement world wide, but most clubs and leaders in Ukulele are dominated by males. No prejudice guy's, jusssst saying that the average woman pursuing an ukulele career are less likely to be taken seriously unless they blow it out of the park. I'm all about emerging artists and delight in promoting and encouraging the new up and comers to take charge of their careers. I often post links to reliable sources like Debbie Z Entertainment who holds workshops in Artist Development, from songwriting, to performing, to the business of music. Ukulele Women is now edging towards 2k.
I've also seen many other groups pop up and grow relating to Ukulele, and there is no end in sight!! Uke Lab by the fab Sky Richelle, Baritone: Beginner and Beyond, Uke Players, Cynthia Lyn with her 100 day challenges, as well as the older well established groups such as Ukulele Underground! The lone uke player was not alone anymore!! Plenty of new and old groups to draw from!!
Now things are slowly opening up around the country and we're seeing stadiums fill for sports and music venues realigning entrance protocol to allow crowds in to their venues. But I think this will be in addition to the internet music phenomenon. No one is going to give up the online pursuit!
Music not only persevered, it in fact became larger than life. I think back to how music exploded during the World Wars, and also how it became all to the 50s and 60s. With each strain on society, music seems to explode around us. The 80s were huge, and then it all went into a steady hum, not so much died, just sort of regulated itself with no leaps. That is until the pandemic. Again, exponential growth, regardless of being shut down. In fact, I really don't think we'd of had this growth if we weren't all stuck home with boredom and loneliness. Right?
I had experienced covid first hand last year and it took at least 10 months for me to be able to even sing, and then only sitting down. Critical in the hospital close to 3 weeks, flat on my back for 4 months, I didn't miss a beat with music. I personally nurtured and encouraged others to perform and post. I lived my musical life vicariously through fellow musicians and celebrated their successes. And I feel so fulfilled in my small part of the musical explosion!! Even though I've no videos to show my participation. Lol. But oh boy, they are coming, trust me. I've had a year to write more music, hah, and now my voice is back!!
Upcoming, we, The Mungos/ Reenee and The Rollers, have an outdoor Sip and Strum in October, the annual Getaway in November, Uke It Out 2 Day festival by WMNF Radio in December, plus we are running the Ukulele open mic at the Whistle Stop in Safety Harbor every 4th Thursday. Life is almost back to normal. Now if we can ever get back to the library to run our South Tampa Ukulele jam, that would be heaven. I miss all our peeps!!
Hopefully I can keep this blog working now. And I can update all links to the festivals around the world and all the web links for artists and sites that I adore!! Also, I'll get back to writing those biographies of 30s, and 40s Ukulele Artists, and catch up with interviews of new artists. It's daunting, trust me!
Ok, y'all take care out there, be safe and sensible, keep playing your ukuleles, and maybe we'll catch up at one of the festivals!!
Ever Strumming, Norine Mungo
Aka 30s Uke Girl!!!
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