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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Neighbors smell trouble in Sams Valley effluent proposal Emergency services Medford man arrested after allegedly fleeing, striking officer with car door Bear cub captured in Ashland pharmacy Eagle Point might get on the bus Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Medford man arrested after allegedly fleeing, striking officer with car door Central Point police arrest man in alleged September vehicle assault Medford police investigate gunfire report Man who fought police has punctured lung Politics and Elections Eagle Point might get on the bus Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Green Party won't back its own candidate Jobs at core of Oregon House race Kitzhaber embattled as he seeks fourth term Education SOU student says free speech issue overblown SOU interim president leads in a different direction Medford school officials consider costs of full-day kindergarten Foundation kicks off ambitious 'Count Me In' fundraising campaign 100 hours and counting Environment Neighbors smell trouble in Sams Valley effluent proposal Bear cub captured in Ashland pharmacy Work begins on Southern Oregon's first dedicated mountain bike trail Applegate Dam hydroelectric project dead in water Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt State news Nation - World Obituaries Gary Wayne Campbell Carrol Allen Adams Dixie Alene Davis Kruggel Death Notices Robert Sherman Hathaway Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Challengers complete unbeaten league season Golden Goal Grizzlies pick up overtime victory Bumgarner, Giants jump all over Royals in opener On road to recovery, Marinovich finds painting Varsity 541 College Sports Shaw shoulders blame for Stanford's slide As SEC rules rankings, calls of #SECBias rise Oregon inches way back into playoff race UO’s Dargan sets the tone for improving defense Mariota keeps touchdown streak alive Pro Sports Bumgarner, Giants jump all over Royals in opener On road to recovery, Marinovich finds painting Cowboys release Sam from practice squad Top teams in regular season still in Chase hunt Blazers look to build on solid foundation Community Sports LOCAL EVENTS LOCAL RESULTS Business Latest Stories County OKs partnership to lead business recruitment People's Bank sees 64% net earnings gain New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food County's jobless rate unchanged in September SOU interim president leads in a different direction Real Estate News New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford People In Business People in Business Transportation Frontier Airlines to end Eugene-Denver service Business Resource Fair has answers Erickson's Navy contract extended Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Hundreds look for work at Harry & David hiring fair Umpqua Holdings more than doubles net earnings Harry & David will hold hiring fair Thursday Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Oct. 22 Merkley-Wehby race leaves us unconvinced Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Our View: Falls for sheriff, our picks for state House Granlund cartoon: Keene NH rioting Editorials Merkley-Wehby race leaves us unconvinced Our View: Falls for sheriff, our picks for state House Our view: Endorsements include Bates, Talbert, Hoppe Reversing course: Hoppe for judge Our view: With respect, our support goes to Bates Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Oct. 22 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 20 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 19 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 18 Guest Opinions Don't overlook importance of Jackson County commissioners race Measure 92 misleads rather than enlightens Oregonians have a right to know what's in their food Infill is the answer to growth issues Guest Opinion: Who’s really to blame for 2014 wildfires? Lifestyle Latest stories Lost in Suburbia: The itsy bitsy case of indigestion 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Oct. 24-26) Dear Monty: Rent-back clause prevents financial disaster​ Dave Ramsey: What to do when adult goes back to school (No heading) Food (No heading) Legder David Cellars has a new winemaker and big plans Kitchen Call: New interest in old-fashioned buttermilk Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheese balls deserve more respect Community blog: Southern Oregon Micro and Nano Brewing Scene Fall 2014 Home and Garden Dear Monty: Rent-back clause prevents financial disaster​ Recycle plastic at The Expo Friday and Saturday How to know when trees and shrubs need to go Dear Monty: Is your real estate agent a secret agent? 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County OKs partnership to lead business recruitment ... Medford man arrested after allegedly fleeing, striking officer with car door ... Neighbors smell trouble in Sams Valley effluent proposal ... County OKs partnership to lead business recruitment ... Medford man arrested after allegedly fleeing, striking officer with car door ... Ukeleles take Southern Oregon by storm The whimsical four-stringed instrument is easy to pick up and a joy to play, enthusiasts say; a recent ukelele workshop at Britt drew dozens of participants "Hello, my name is Guido, and I'm a recovering guitar player," quipped ukulele instructor and performer Guido Heistek at the launch of Britt's second annual Ukulele Getaway. By Kelsey Thomas MailTribune.com By Kelsey Thomas Posted Jul. 6, 2014 @ 2:00 am By Kelsey Thomas Posted Jul. 6, 2014 @ 2:00 am » RELATED CONTENT • VIDEO: 2014 Britt Ukulele Getaway » Social News "Hello, my name is Guido, and I'm a recovering guitar player," quipped ukulele instructor and performer Guido Heistek at the launch of Britt's second annual Ukulele Getaway. Seventy ukulele enthusiasts from ages 6 to 76-plus gathered last weekend at Bigham Knoll in Jacksonville to play the folksy, four-stringed instrument. Several years ago, after being largely forgotten, the ukulele experienced a surge in popularity. It is now heard everywhere from on a street corner played by a busker crooning an Ingrid Michaelson song to blaring from a top-40 radio station in a Bruno Mars hit. The ukulele community in Southern Oregon, however, is just getting started. Two years ago, Rachel Jones, the director of education and community engagement for Britt, wanted to create a camp that was more multi-generational. "I always thought that the ukulele was a great instrument for getting people started in making music," said Jones, who plays the ukulele herself. At the Britt Rock Camp, Jones noticed kids putting away electric guitars and drums during free time and instead opting to sit in circles with ukuleles. "There's an element of community and joy to playing the ukulele," Jones said. "And I love that people can feel successful right away." Jones reached out to Ashland music teacher Tish McFadden, and together they designed the Britt Ukulele Getaway, featuring three days of classes and culminating in a performance at the Britt Pavilion. "It's just the most lovely, happy place," McFadden said of the camp. "There are people in little groups playing together all over." While some campers have been playing for years, others, including Margaret Brewer, picked up the ukulele for the first time at the camp. After suffering a shoulder injury, Brewer, a Medford nurse, said the ukulele is one of the few instruments she can wield without pain. "There's a lot more possibility to be successful with it than there is with the guitar," Brewer, 58, said. "And there's a social aspect to it." Brewer is not alone in being drawn to the communities formed around the ukulele. After the 2013 getaway, Jones said, campers pleaded for a way to keep playing together. In response, they created a group called Southern Oregon Ukulele Players (SOUP). The group meets monthly at McFadden's house. After a brief lesson from McFadden, the meeting is opened up to anyone who wants to perform a piece or share a song for the group to play together. "What's amazing is the level of joy in this house of mine," McFadden said. "People are singing their hearts out and everyone is so happy to see each other." Spouses Vicki and John Billdt call themselves "huge" SOUP members. "It's way too much fun," John said. John began playing the ukulele a few months before attending last year's camp. "He came home from camp and handed me this small ukulele and said 'Here, you have to do this,' " Vicki said. She's been playing ever since. "It's small and cuddly. We just love it." Another reason to love the ukulele is its relatively low cost — low-end ukuleles sell for as little as $40, and beginners can find a decent-sounding ukulele for $80. This year, when many SOUP members expressed interest in attending camp again, Jones brought in instructors from outside Southern Oregon, including Vancouver, B.C.-based Heistek and Aaron and Nicole Keim of Hood River, to offer more advanced classes. In McFadden's beginner's class, campers came in barely knowing the body from the neck, and walked out an hour later having successfully played "I Feel Good" and knowing a C cord from a C7. Down the hall, more experienced players learned clawhammer and fingerstyle techniques from Aaron. While some pick up the ukulele in a final attempt to be a musician, others do so simply because they're too small to pick up anything else. Although McFadden played the ukulele as a young girl — when she and her friends would tune their ukulele's to "My Dog Has Fleas" instead of with electric tuners — she abandoned it for other instruments. When parents started coming to her with 5- or 6-year-old children wanting to play the guitar, she was reminded of the smaller, more manageable ukulele. "I didn't want to have to say to them come back in three years when they're large enough to play," McFadden said. Soon after she began offering ukulele lessons, the ukulele surged in popularity, and demand grew for lessons. "It was a happy accident, really," McFadden said. "And it's a joy to bring a musical instrument to children of young ages and have them be successful at it." One of McFadden's students is 11-year-old Kali de St. Phalle, who started playing the ukulele four years ago. "I like that it's small, so you can play it even when you have small hands," Kali said. "And it has a really cheerful sound. It's not as gloomy as sometimes the guitar is." She attended camp with her dad and her cousin, Tallulah, 12, who began playing the ukulele not long after Kali. "When you're holding a ukulele, there's really no way to be sad or angry," Tallulah said. Reach Mail Tribune reporting intern Kelsey Thomas at 541-776-4368 or at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kelseyethomas. By Kelsey Thomas MailTribune.com By Kelsey Thomas Posted Jul. 6, 2014 @ 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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