Unlikely Ukulele

On my way back from picking up two year’s worth of dry cleaning (I hate dry cleaning, but that’s the price I have to pay to be surrounded by clean cashmere and suede – clearly, I’m not often concerned about its cleanliness) I heard this song.  I knew the singer’s voice and wasn’t entirely sure I liked the band or the song, but I hadn’t remembered hearing it before. As I listened a while, I realized that what I loved was the sound of the ukulele.


Growing up we owned, or had possession of, a ukulele, along with a mandolin, a round back guitar, and any other stringed instrument my father sold as a travelling musical instrument salesman (I believe this was before the Boone’s Farm salesman gig). But it wasn’t until I heard this original ukulele mash-up a few years back that I fell in love with its sound.

Before that, this is all I knew from ukuleles.

For the record, my twelve year-old finds the Train song horribly boring.  She knows much more about music than I do despite the fact that we both grew up surrounded by musical instruments.  I'd guess that shows that systematic early training, rather than mere exposure and proximity, is the key to learning - music or anything else.  

Comments

Anonymous said…
The ukulele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is nice, but a much crisper acoustic version is done by Mago de Oz.
November 24, 2010 at 2:42 PM
Lynne said…
Thanks for the pointer, Jason. This is good and from quite an interesting band! Methinks the instrument is still a ukulele - maybe a banjo. I like Israel's mellow voice a wee bit better for these two particular songs.
November 24, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Christina said…
My dear friend, cashmere is one of the most washable wools there is! Delicate cycle, cold water wash with a low-sudsing, gentle laundry detergent . Lay flat to dry (I have one of those detachable dryer shelves and actually used it to "dry" my sweaters (on no heat) after having it sit on a(nother) shelf for a few hundred years).

I much prefer smelling cashmere out of the washer than cashmere fresh from the dry-cleaner (blech--that burnt plastic smell stays in my nostrils forever).
December 3, 2010 at 12:19 AM
Christina said…
Love the ukelele and the mandolin.

Too bad about that mere exposure and proximity thing--that's all we've had going on here since Number One Son was born. Still hope for the youngest, I guess!
December 3, 2010 at 12:22 AM
Lynne said…
Glad you commented about the drycleaning - it gives me a chance to say - the drycleaning doesn't smell anymore!! Who knew? The problem is that I can't be trusted to block my sweaters correctly when they come out of the wash. Rather pathetic, I know.

And while you may not have directed study, you've got a whole lot more than proximity and exposure to music going on over there.
December 3, 2010 at 5:28 AM
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