The Beginning

 What's Going on Here?

Eight years ago, I began playing ukulele. Over the first three years or so, I practiced and played a lot, and improved a good deal.

Then life, not to mention a pandemic, got in the way, and I played a lot less. 

When I started going back to ukulele meetups over the last six months, I noticed the decline in my skills. I also noticed my lack of doing anything about said decline.

At meetups over the years, I've noticed that the people who improve the most are those who perform the most. Presumably, that also means they're practicing the most. I've been amazed by fellow players who started quite mediocre and blossomed in to accomplished players.

I figure that if they can do it, so can I, by doing what they do: Perform often.

So, to borrow a phrase from Jim Collins, I set the big hairy audacious goal of performing the 366 songs contained in the songbook, The Daily Ukulele: Leap Year Edition, in the 366 days beginning February 29, 2024, and ending February 28, 2025.

The Rules

  1. All 366 songs must be performed within the time period stated above. Preferably, that happens once per day. In reality, there will probably be skipped days and days where more than one song is posted.
  2. The songs can be performed in any order. Generally, they will be performed in order. However, when I encounter one that I am unable to quickly work up, I'll continue working on it, and select an easier tune to keep momentum going.
  3. The songs will be performed as printed in the songbook unless there is a compelling reason to adapt them. When adaptations are made, they will be explained. 
  4. All performances will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube.


What to Expect . . .

Some days, I'm going to suck. Really suck. Especially at the beginning.

Other days, I'm gonna be inching toward awesomeness!

Right now, I plan to use my Enya Nova-U mini for the recordings. It's one of my "go anywhere" ukes, and is the one I presently play the most.

Initially, I'll record with my iPhone and the best lighting available at the moment. Down the road, I may invest in a good microphone and ring lamp.

The uke playing will be simple for the most part. The single strum and I are about to become good friends. I'm trying to build a repertoire right now. I'll dress it up later, as I find specific tunes for which I want to do so.

So, if you're ready, you can click here to listen to the first song . . .

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