The Getting Started group have achieved a lot in the short time they have been learning.   Thank you, Trish Rogash, for your support with our beginning ukulele players.
​ 
The Just Jamming group has continued where it left off in 2024.  We’re aiming to expand our repertoire and to practise more of our songs without music. Each week we aim to include a new song suggested by a member, such as Elvis’s ‘I just want to be your Teddy Bear’ in February!  ...   

Heather Wallace

Ukes4Fun – Just Jamming began on Monday 20th January, with members keen to get together, play old favourites, learn some new songs and enjoy each other’s company.
   
Now that Ukes4Fun is in its third year, we are finding it a lot easier to play varied strumming patterns on our ukes and sing at the same time!

This makes performing, including busking together in the community, more fun.
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Ukes4Fun members John, Irene, Jenny are pictured below busking outside Hide’s Bakery before Christmas, while Elly, Helen and John are busking near the Commonwealth Bank.

​Just Jamming sessions are held weekly from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm in Room 1.   We will begin to use our new Ukes4Fun - Drop In time slot, 2nd &  4th Fridays from 1 to 4 pm, shortly. 

​Heather Wallace

The Ukes4Fun - Getting Started group commenced on the 20 January.  

Group members are learning the four chords that form the basis for many songs, as well as learning basic strumming patterns.  It won’t be long before they are participating in Just Jamming sessions as well.  

Sessions, which incorporate mentoring of beginners by more experienced players, are being held weekly from 10 to 11 am until Easter.

Heather Wallace

Thanks for taking the photo and posting it on Facebook, Bev T!

There will be three Ukes4Fun courses in 2025 – a weekly ‘Getting Started’ course (in Term 1); a weekly ‘Just Jamming’ group and a fortnightly ‘Drop-In’ group.

Ukes4Fun – Getting Started                                            Heather Wallace 0418 353 244
Mondays 10.00 to 11.00 am   Term 1 (20 January to Easter)                 U3A Room 1
​​Have you always wanted to play a musical instrument?  Perhaps you have played a ukulele, guitar or banjo in the past and have always wanted to get back to playing music?  The ukulele is simple to learn and lots of fun as an activity with others.  Using ‘Uke3A Introduction to learning the ukulele’ as a guide you will learn how to hold, tune and play simple chords on your ukulele, with a variety of strumming patterns.  You will get lots of support and will have fun learning together.  Before you know it, you’ll be accompanying songs and joining our Ukes4Fun – Just Jamming sessions. You will need a ukulele of reasonable quality (ie. a concert ukulele), a music stand, and a tuner.
 
Ukes4Fun – Just Jamming                                               Heather Wallace 0418 353 244
                                                                                                       Elly Smith 0410 600 987
Mondays 11.30 am to 1.30 pm (Commences 20 January)                            U3A Room 1

• A group for uke players who can use basic cords and strumming patterns and enjoy getting together for a weekly jamming session, playing and singing songs, and having fun.
• Ukes4Fun – Getting Started sessions will be held on Mondays in Term 1 from 10 to 11 am before the weekly Ukes4Fun - Just Jamming sessions which commence at 11.30 am.

• Pop-up sessions guided by more advanced players will assist players keen to learn more complex strumming patterns and chord progressions.
• Songs played at our Ukes4Fun - Just Jamming sessions may be performed by interested players at U3A at local events during the year. News of learning opportunities at ukulele musters and other ukes related events which include skills building workshops will be shared.
• The group uses both the Orange and Green Ukulele Club Song Books as well as songs which can be found on-line in Jim’s Ukulele Song Book and Songs which can be found on ozbcoz.com.  

 
Ukes4Fun - Drop in                                                          Heather Wallace 0418 353 244
                                                                                                      Elly Smith 0410 600 987
2nd and 4th Fridays 1 pm to 4 pm (Commences 24 January 2025)         U3A Room 1
In 2025, we’ll have two extra Fridays for Ukes4Fun - Drop-In sessions. We can join in whenever it suits us to play, sing, and work on our skills. These sessions will help us to learn new picking and strumming techniques and give us the chance to get advice from more experienced players about what to try next.

The group has been very busy over the past few weeks.    We played at the recent Benalla U3A Meet and Mingle event.   It was so pleasing to be able to show U3A members what we had been practising during the year - maybe this will encourage new members next year.

In 2025 we are not only practising our skills on a Monday, we are also looking forward to meeting on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month, commencing at 12.30pm.    These additional sessions will be used to learn more about picking and strumming and allow us time to have more experienced players speak with us about what is next.

We would like to thank Renee Martens for taking photos and filming our group at its various activities.   We are fortunate to have a memorable pictorial history of our group’s development.
​
Heather Wallace

October has been a very busy month for the Ukulele group.

On Sunday 6 October a group of members travelled to Melbourne to take part in the Ukulele Extravaganza held at the Federation Square as part of Seniors Week.    All players sang two songs “The Real Thing” by Russell Morris and “Happy Together”.   ​

A week later a group of the Benalla U3A members attended the annual Whittlesea Muster.    The format of day included the opportunity to take part in a series of Workshops as well as jamming sessions.    A very informative day with the opportunity of networking with other groups.

The group was also invited to play at the recent Get On-line Week Luncheon which was most successful.

On the Wednesday 23rd October the group was asked to play at the ‘World Flavours Morning Tea’ which was held at the Town Hall.

Photos to be added shortly!  Thank you Rene Martens, for taking and publishing the video on YouTube, as well as a wonderful collection of photos!

October is going to be a busy month for the Ukes4Fun group.   On 6th October a dozen or so players will travel by train to Federation Square to join other players around Victoria, taking part in the Ukulele Extravaganza at the Seniors Week Festival.    The following weekend a few of the group will be attending the Whittlesea Jamming event.   A couple of our members attended in 2023 and recommended this event.

The Ukulele group will also be playing at the Be Connected luncheon on 16th October.
​
Heather Wallace

We are lucky to have such an enthusiastic group of players who bring with them many skills learned throughout years.   

​Unfortunately, I was unable to participate for a couple of weeks in August (this time Co-vid) and once again Neville and Elly combined their talents, and the group ran smoothly. 
 
The organisers of the Seniors Festival event at Federation Square have decided that the first song chosen – The Real Thing – was not a good choice and we are now joining with other Ukulele players in a Mass Ukulele Performance of Happy Together, previously sung by the Turtles, on Sunday 6th October.

On Monday 2 September four players from Benalla are travelling to Goulburn Valley U3a in Shepparton, firstly to return the little gold Travelling Ukulele and secondly to meet up with the GV U3a players and get some ideas to improve our Ukes4Fun.

The group have also received an invitation from the Whittlesea Ukulele Muster to attend their 1-day Muster.    A couple of our group went to last year’s event, participated in the jamming sessions and brought back some interesting information from the Workshops conducted on the day.

Benalla Ukes4Fun have also been asked to perform at the Be Connected luncheon on Wednesday 16th October and again at the end of the year function on Wednesday 20th November.
​
Heather Wallace

​In other July news, we received an email from our mentor John Canty, from Goulburn Valley U3A, with this photograph of Benalla U3A Ukes4Fun ‘leadership team’ member Neville Young, who visited the Goulburn Valley Ukes group at one of their sessions in July.

John Canty set up the Uke3A group at Shepparton, mentors our group and now mentors new Ukes groups for U3A Network Victoria.

John wrote “I grabbed this photo of Neville with Andrew, the leader of our Uke3A group, at our session on Monday.  I welcomed and introduced Neville to the group and Andrew presented him with the ‘travelling ukulele’.  Uke3A member/s from Shepparton will need to return a visit to Benalla to retrieve the ‘Travelling Uke’”. 

We’re looking forward to a visitor/visitors from Ukes3A in Shepparton arriving to retrieve the ‘Travelling Uke’!

Heather Wallace

The group was asked to play at the recent Cooinda Christmas in July dinner.   A small group of our players took their ukes along and entertained the residents.     It was fun.

A number of our group are taking part in the combined Ukulele group appearing at the Seniors week activity on Sunday 6 October at Federation Square.  We are waiting for details of the songs we will be playing and singing so that we can practice over the next few weeks.

Our weekly sessions have been so much fun, not only learning new songs to add to our repertoire, we are revisiting some of our basic tools to improve our rhythm, timing and strumming.
​
Heather Wallace

​During the month we have implemented a more structured program that is still evolving as we learn together. We have had lots of enjoyable mornings with our team walks ups. I’m extremely proud of our group and the confident manner at which they tackle this voluntary task.

We are busily working on building and extending our song repertoire. Considering the cold winter, we continue to be well supported each week.  

It’s now the middle of winter!! Warm up your fingers and strum, strum, strum, uke know what to do!!

Semester II begins on Monday 1 July, so we are moving to our new timeslot of 11.30 am to 1.30 pm.  See you then!

Elly Smith

​Rene Martens

Ps - I've added this to 'Jamming Videos'... as members of the group were in the audience, imagining all the possibilities to come...  Bev Lee

When I popped in to Ukes4Fun to take some photos for the website on Monday 20th, mentor John Canty  was guiding  a 'walk up' by Trish Rogash,.accompanied by the group. It sounded wonderful.   Some treasured 'just jamming' followed, with songs - the 'House of the Rising Sun' and 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' - recorded on my ageing smartphone!

You can click on the full screen arrows to get a better look.

Hope you enjoy them!

​Bev Lee

I am currently unable to convene the group due to a back/nerve injury, however Elly and Neville have taken over during my absence.   

I called into see the group a couple of weeks ago and was so impressed with the way they were blending and singing together.   It brought tears to my eyes.    I am so proud to be part of a group of people who are getting so much enjoyment out of their chosen subject.     

Thank you to both Elly and Neville for supporting the group during my absence.   

​Heather Wallace

Hello all, Elly here! It was wonderful to have Heather join us recently. We all wish her well with her current health battles.
 
I just couldn’t let the May newsletter come and go without a few words from me.
 
It has been an absolute pleasure working with the ‘Getting Started’ ukulele group. It was so satisfying to see each of you go from timid strummers and hesitant chord changers to playing loudly, tapping your feet to the beat, having fun, laughing, singing and believing in yourselves. The smooth transition into the jamming group is testament to how much you’ve achieved. 

Thanks for your support. 

A huge thank you also to Neville Young for all his support, patience, encouragement, listening to my suggestions and comments and answering my many questions!
​
I must also thank John Barry and John Sleinis, who also helped keep me on track.  

​Elly Smith

​Great news.  The ‘Getting Started’ group is now being integrated with the ‘Just Jamming’ players.  They have been welcomed into the fold, with members happy to offer assistance as required.

It can be quite daunting at times to extend your musical knowledge, but they have already demonstrated their ability to do so.

I must offer my congratulations to Elly for the excellent job she has done teaching the newbies.

A lot of hours are put in by the instructional group preparing various handouts of tuition notes and song sheets to achieve the results.  Well done.

Remember – UKE CAN DO IT!

​
Neville Young

The Ukes4Fun groups worked well during Term 1, with the beginners’ group now ready to join the ‘Just Jamming’ group each week.   

Elly Smith worked with the ‘Getting Started’ group during my absence and full credit must go to her for the way the group has been conducted and how much the members have enjoyed their introduction to playing the ukulele. Thank you, Elly.

Neville, both the Johns and other members of the ‘Just Jamming’ group have worked together to keep the ‘Just Jamming’ group involved in playing the ukulele.   

The groups will be combining commencing on Monday 8 April and will meet in U3A Meeting Room 1 from 12.00 noon until 1.30pm.    If players can arrive from 11.00 am to tune their instruments and set up their music, we can commence promptly at 12.00 noon.


Heather Wallace

​The Ukes4Fun ‘Getting Started’ group, which gathers in Room 1 each Monday at 11 am, has been working with several tutors over the past month, with Elly and John taking the class when our roving photographer called by at their last session in February.  Such concentration on the faces of all involved! 

Ukes4Fun had an early start to their year with members eager to get together and have some fun.    As this is our second year, we were able to get into the swing of jamming straight away.

As an aside, during the last year I lent my Aklot Soprano Ukulele to a group member and when I opened the Uke case to tune the instrument before my first class this year, I noticed that an Ashton Ukulele had been put in the case in error.    That is what happens when we are in a hurry to pack up sometimes and not checking our equipment.    If my Aklot Soprano Uke can be returned I would be very grateful.    I have taken very good care of the Ashton Uke whilst it has been in my possession and it is looking forward to being reunited with its rightful owner. 
​
Heather Wallace

The Ukes4Fun Getting Started group commenced on the 15 January.   Over the past 3 weeks the group has learnt the 4 chords that form the basis for many of the songs that have been written as well as learning the secrets of strumming.     The group then moves into the Just Jamming group and have been participating in this group as well.
​
Heather Wallace

November turned out to be another busy month for the Ukes4Fun Group.     The group performed at the end of year U3A Concert alongside the Recorder Group and the Singing for Fun Group.  It was a ‘full on’ morning of musical entertainment and the Ukes really made their presence felt.   ​

During the Benalla Festival the Benalla Theatre Group held a free ‘Come and Strum’ day for people interested in playing the ukulele which several Ukes4Fun members attended.  A most enjoyable joint Jamming Session with Stephen Winkler and the Benalla Theatre Company ukulele players followed in late November.

A Ukulele Jamming and Workshop Day held by the Whittlesea Uke Group in late November was attended by John and Claire, who not only had a good time but attended a number some of the workshops held on the day.    Contact is now being made with other Uke Groups asking to be included on their mailing lists for information about Ukulele Jamming Sessions being held in 2024, with an opportunity for members of our Group to attend and gain further experience as well as having fun with like-minded people.

In 2024 we are introducing ‘Ukes4Fun--Getting Started’, which will consist of 5 x half-hour weekly sessions before Monday’s ‘Just Jamming’ sessions, for members wishing to learn to play the Ukulele.  We are also piloting a monthly self-help drop-in for players who have mastered the fundamentals of basic chords and strumming and would like to practice new cord sequences and strumming patterns with others.

Finally, I would like to thank Elly, Neville, Hans and guest presenters John Canty and Michael Dobson who helped keep the group going this year while I was unwell.  I’d also like to thank the whole group for achieving what they have and giving me so much pleasure over the last twelve months. 
​
Heather Wallace