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RETIREMENT Seniors get in the groove with ukuleles Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 23, 2014 at 2:00 AM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 23, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Social News Thanks to a tai chi teacher with a passion for ukulele music, a dozen seniors at a pair of Medford retirement facilities are learning how to play the tiny, stringed instruments. On a recent morning at Medford’s Fountain Plaza, teacher Barbara Meredith gave instructions for playing a song called "Little Yellow Bird" to seniors gathered in the cafeteria. Meredith, who uses her tai chi background to help seniors with fall prevention and balance, branched out to music after her students became intrigued with her ukulele playing. She began with three students, ranging in age from mid-70s to 92, in June. Now she's got about a dozen, as members recruited their friends and others joined after hearing the music while passing by. Sylvia Surratt, 76, a retired teacher, says she rolled her eyes at the notion that most students like to name their ukulele — until she played one. "At first, I couldn't believe it," she says. "'I said, 'People name ukuleles?' I could see naming a dog, but a ukulele?' "But I picked it up, and the first time I strummed it, I said, 'Oh, Sweet Baby!' " adds Surratt, who has since purchased her own concert model and hasn't missed a class since it started. Worried that her hands are weaker than they used to be, Surratt was unsure at first whether she would be able to play. Tom's Guitars in Medford has agreed to let her and other students rent first, then convert the contract to a purchase once they're confident they want to continue the classes. Mim McManaman, 88, bought her ukulele from Tom’s Guitars and went back for a “psychedelic strap.” “Her name is Lucy," she says. "I’m a big fan of BB King, and his guitar is named Lucille. This is a little ukulele, so I named her Lucy.” McManaman says her music lessons on her zebra-patterned ukulele are a highlight each week. “From the first time I walked in and they said they were going to teach us — and three of us were lined up to get in here the first day — I just have had so much fun,” she says. Jerry Woodard, an assistant manager at Tom’s, says the classes have created a buzz in his store. “It seemed to go from a little thing to turning into something really big almost overnight, and I think it’s making a big difference in a lot of people’s lives,” Woodard says. “They’re all becoming experts on the ukulele. We started off by renting the instruments to find out if it was something they could do, since a lot of seniors will have issues with their hands. So far everyone has come back in and bought one. They’re all just really excited.” Connie Paolillo, 92, says she enjoys the camaraderie of her music class but also the chance to make music. Strumming a stars-and-stripes-themed instrument dubbed Sam, Paolillo says the class has been easy to keep up with but provides as much challenge as students wish to take on. Paolillo says she benefits from her lessons so much she’ll schedule other events around the class. “My doctor told me, ‘I need to take an X-ray of your feet.’ And I said, ‘Well, only if it doesn’t take too long, because I have a ukulele lesson,' ” she says with a laugh. “And he said, ‘Well, I play the ukulele, too.' It seems like more and more people are realizing how much fun it is to play ukulele. And it is fun. It’s just downright fun!” Meredith says she gets as much from teaching the class as the students get from learning a new skill. “They never miss a class, and now they have these goals for getting better and better,” she says. “I was told that one of them wakes up at 2 a.m. and practices her ukulele. When we're sitting in class playing songs, people go by and they stop to listen. We suck people in to come in and try it. It’s pretty easy to get hooked. Anyone can play a ukulele." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected] . By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 23, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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