Posts by Stephanie Sims
Music in the Regions comes to SMUG
On Monday 16 May, two amazing classical musicians will be visiting our Sawtell Ukulele Group session as part of Music in the Regions. Emily Granger and Andrew Blanch will be touring our region and making a special stop in to SMUG. It’s not often people would think harp..guitar..ukulele! But they all have strings and we…
Read MoreCelebrating Seniors
The Sawtell Ukulele Group were all prepped and ready to rock out at the Seniors Week Festival at Boambee East Community Gardens but due to rain, it was cancelled. So we were very happy when invited to play at the opening of the new THE LINK facilities on the Hogbin Drive on 14 April. I…
Read MoreYouth embrace online learning
It was COVID that launched my learn to play the ukulele online courses back in 2020. I translated how I have taught the ukulele over the past six years into pre-recorded videos first for adults, and then with a NSW Creative Kids grant, for younger people. I had received fabulous feedback from people of all…
Read MoreNew Beginners Course starts 28 April
The Coffs Library 10-week Absolute Beginners course starts on Thursday 28 April, 12.30-1.30pm. If you’re looking to start your ukulele journey – or you’re just feeling a little rusty – then call the Library to book your place. The ukulele is the easiest instrument to learn and you don’t need any prior musical experience. In…
Read MoreSawtell Ukulele Jam: April 2022
And we’re off and running. What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than jamming with a bunch of other ukulele enthusiasts at the fabulous 63 First Avenue cafe in Sawtell. The Jams are open to all ages and abilities. Come and belt out songs from the Ukulele Club Songbooks (Vol 1 & 2) and…
Read MoreFlame Trees
This song was released in 1984 by Cold Chisel, written by Don Walker about the town of Grafton (or so I read somewhere). I must admit, I wasn’t a fan at the time but when I heard the Sarah Blasko version (and could decipher the words) I was totally enamoured with the classic Aussie male…
Read MoreSawtell Ukulele Jam is back!
Once a month on a Saturday afternoon, a bunch of ukulele players come together to share the love of music at 63 First Avenue cafe in Sawtell. The Jams are open to all ages and abilities. It’s a great afternoon where we belt out songs from the Ukulele Club Songbooks (Vol 1 & 2) and…
Read MoreUnder the Milky Way
This is an iconic Australian song released in 1988 by The Church. It was also later covered by the late Jimmy Little on his magical album, ‘Messenger’, where he pays tribute to a whole bunch of great Australasian songwriters. Have a listen to both versions before tackling this beautiful piece. The chord progressions are just…
Read MoreOh No Not You Again
Here’s another Aussie surf rock classic from 1981 – Australian Crawl’s ‘Oh No Not You Again’. It’s such a simple song that really allows the story to be told. Relax back into this one – the chords and strumming are pretty simple – and if you’re singing with friends – check out the harmonies on…
Read MoreThe Nips Are Getting Bigger
This tutorial is for the classic party song from Mental as Anything from 1979 – The Nips Are Getting Bigger. The riff is iconic and we turn this into a real ukulele number by playing it throughout the song. Whether you are part of the Sawtell Ukulele Group – or just at home on your…
Read More