Year in Review

2022 UPC Year in Review

We are celebrating another successful year for the Ukulele Players Club (UPC) as we continued to offer our year round weekly sessions, Classes, Open Sing session, UPC Performance Group shows along with the UPC Small Ensemble shows, three Camp Villages sessions and special Hits of the Villages sessions as well.

The UPC continues to promote the growth of the Ukulele in the Villages Community by enabling folks who are interested in ukulele to learn to sit, smile, strum and sing within a receptive, encouraging environment.

First Step Class: with Claire, Ray, Darry, Raye, Margaret and Carol. Basic ukulele instruction including holding, strumming and basic chords. Loaner ukuleles are available.

Next Step Class: With Carol and Tim. More advanced ukulele instruction including basic chords in Five common Keys, C, G, D, A and F. Strumming styles, methods and rhythms as well as finger style accompaniments. Special classes in strumming variations, intros and out gos, diminished chords and tablature. Accompanied by a class manual.

Baritone Class: Cody offers a four session basic instruction as the baritone ukulele becomes more popular. So far the course has received great reviews. Written materials are available.

Weekly Open Sing Sessions:

Our Maestro Dennis led our members in singing songs from our varied play lists in our weekly sessions. The UPC play lists contain familiar songs, projected on the Grand Canyon Theater large screen. We averaged 16 different singers a session.

UPC “Hits of the Villages (HOV)”:

This last year we were able to incorporate several “Hits of the Villages” sessions while utilizing the Rocky Mountain/Acadia Art Rooms with their three individual screens. These included “HOV – Country,” “HOV Love Songs (or Not)” and “HOV – “Potpourri.” We heard some great songs from the other ukulele clubs within the Villages performed by our members. Many UPC members dressed in HOV themed costumes for the sessionsm adding to the fun.

Camp Villages:

The UPC Ukulele Camp was back in 2022 as Dennis led three two hour sessions in June and July. UPC volunteers tuned out in great numbers to help mentor the Camp Village campers, utilizing our many loaner ukuleles. UPC Volunteers also mentored the campers’ parents and grand parents. UPC Volunteers also worked hard to register and feed the participants. Another successful program.

UPC Weekly Sessions and Performances are made possible by the dedicated and competent talents of the following volunteers:

Club Librarian: Jean

Set Up/Break Down Crew: Dennis, Debbie, Cody, Maurice, Alma, Ray and Jean
Projector operators: Linda, Donna and Jean
Sound Technicians: Debbie and John
Emcees: Bill (I’m Bill) and Cody
UPC Kitty: Darry and Ken
Ukulele Name Tags: Ken
Song Book Librarian: Jean
The UPC Performance Group:

Dennis provided guidance, direction and leadership for the UPC Performance Group’s active 2022 calendar. The UPC Performance Group gave 15 full group performances through the year 2022 with over 20 different UPC members participating in the performances as singers. UPC performances averaged 29 cast members, providing a solid ukulele strum flavor to the shows as we sat, smiled, strummed and sang with our appreciative audiences. Dennis estimated the UPC Performance Group is responsible for donations in excess of one thousand dollars to the Wildwood Food Bank through 2022 as the UPC requests the sponsoring organization donate $50 to the Wildwood Food Bank in the club’s name.

The UPC Performance Group is supported by the same Team that makes the Weekly sessions so good.

The UPC Performance Group appeared at numerous venues throughout the Villages during 2022, including: the Sea Breeze RC, the Bradenton RC, the Big Cypress RC, the Paradise RC, Darrell’s Diner, the Lake Miona RC the Colony RC, the Bacall RC, the Chatham RC. The Laurel Manor RC, the Fish Hawk RC, the Hibiscus RC, the Saddlebrook RC and the Coconut Cove RC (3x.)

The UPC Small Group:

Appeared in various assisted living, rehab facilities and service facilities in and outside theVillages in 2022. This group is led by Dennis and consists of six to eight UPC volunteer singers/strummers and performs material from the UPC song book. These venues include: the Banyan Residence Assisted Living Resort, the Your Memory Care Facility, The Village Veranda, The Sunrise Memory Care Facility,

UPC Kitty

Members donated weekly to the UPC Kitty Jar, which was promoted by Darry and Ken.Your generosity has enabled the UPC to fund the purchase through 2022: Web Page, club sign w/case, 3 Hercules adjustable mic stands, speaker extension cord, white board (Baritone Class), a used I Pad w/case and our Good Will Fund (memorials, get will, recognition gifts, etc.)

UPC Members and Village Music Clubs

UPC Members participated in many various music clubs in the Villages including:

Peace, Love and Ukulele, Strumming Ukulelians, Folk Singing, Hummers and Strummers, Mike Ryan’s Banjolele Club, The Villages Ukulele Club, Sparkey’s Strummers, Strum for Fun, the Beatlemaniacs, Music Makers and the Parking Lot Band.

UPC Members performed with other music groups, including: Sparkey’s Strummers, The Silver Strummers, Happy Together, Sisters in Harmony, The Parking Lot Band and the Village Voices.

Special Appearances by UPC Members:

• Bill appeared as “Santa Bill” at the UPC Christmas Social session in December. Posing with many members and visitors.

• Debbie appeared in the Villages production of “West Side Story” and performs the “National Anthem” at The Villages Honor Flight functions and Veteran’s Dayceremonies.

• Cody has been appearing as a solo act at the Corkscrew Restaurant among other solo appearances.

•  Carol, John and Tim did a tutorial program with Clown Alley at the Savannah RC.
• Jean performs with Sisters in Harmony for Buffalo Ridge Assisted Living residents.
• Dennis, Carol and Diane performed with other artists at the Central Florida Chapter of the American Harp Society at the New Life Christian Church in Wildwood.
• Marc performs weekly throughout Florida as MrBluSkies.


   

The Ukulele Players Club Web Page

Published weekly on line the Ukulele Players Club Web Page is instrumental in providing updated accurate information about the club’s various activities, schedule, performances and info on other ukulele friendly clubs in the villages.

2023 Preview

The Ukulele Players Club will continue to offer the all the above weekly services, as well as our special events like Camp Villages, performances and classes throughout 2023. We thank our members, boosters and staff of the Everglades Recreation Center for all their dedication, support and cooperation for 2022 and look forward to working with you through 2023.

Thank you all.

Jean, Dennis and Tim