If you've ever considered strumming on a string instrument to be a cool, musically-inclined thing to do, there's a group at the Elder Citizen Recreation Centre that might just pique your interest.
It's the ukulele group that gets together every Tuesday morning to strum and sing some tunes together.
"It's not as hard as you might think to play the ukulele," said Margaret Keibel, who started the group with some friends three years ago. There are about 14 people who usually attend.
Those who are interested and just want to give it a try can borrow one of two ukuleles Keibel has on hand for just that purpose.
"Then if you like it you can buy your own - they're not very expensive," said Keibel, who worked as a nurse in Prince George for 35 years before she retired. "They're quite reasonable."
Keibel explained the ukulele is the back up and it's the voices that carry the tune.
"The seniors like the singing," said Keibel. "Most people just strum the ukulele and the voices make the music."
Except for a more experienced string instrument player who has played the fiddle and the five-string banjo for more than 11 years, like Robbyn Unruh. While most others strum the ukelele, Unruh picks to help carry the tune.
"The ukulele is a light instrument and easy to play," said Unruh. "I do try to fill out the melody to help with the beat to keep time and for me it's more interesting and more challenging to pick rather than strum."
The ukulele is so accessible and so easy for everyone to play, she added.
"It's fantastic and it's just a fun time and we've got a great leader in Margaret," said Unruh. "It's great to learn the old songs. I'm just amazed at how many old songs I've never heard of and where else can you get that?"
Newcomers are invited to listen to the group and then after the hour-long musical event they can have an individual lesson to learn some of the chords.
"But you have to practice," said Keibel. "We start out with songs that only have two chords so even the beginners can play."
The group entertains several times a year at a number of seniors' facilities, like the Jubilee Lodge and Alward Place, to bring some cheer to the seniors in residence.
The group takes their music from a book that has hundreds of choices and as the group performs, they take turns choosing the song, said Keibel.
Some of the members of the group go to workshops in Langley and Kamloops to learn more ukulele skills and to meet other like-minded musicians.
"We like it anyway," said Keibel. "It makes you feel good singing music and playing the ukulele."
