Four strings, a willingness to sing, and a fun-loving attitude is all it takes to join the newly established ukulele club in Newmarket.
The club, which began in September, meets on the second and fourth Monday of every month.
It was formed by Newmarket residents Donna Kosar and Michael LaPorte, who have been travelling to Port Perry for years to participate in the Durham Ukulele Klub, aka the DUKES.
“A small night in Port Perry would be 30,” said Kosar. “People drive from Peterborough and Oshawa to Port Perry. On a big night they have 70 to 80 and to hear the singing is amazing.”
The DUKES, who started in a basement, have existed for years and are involved in community events.
“They’re heavily involved in the community, and we hope to be, too,” said Kosar. “They do the Santa Claus Parade and opening events for different things and some senior residents. It’s something that brings the community together.”
With the turnout the DUKES have, and with Newmarket being larger than Port Perry, LaPorte is convinced the club could thrive here.
“We don’t have one here and we needed one,” he said. “We want to build it up like the DUKES have."
“We’ll keep going to both, but it’s a great thing to have in the community,” Kosar added. “They’re everywhere and so much fun.”
A big part of that fun is the social aspect of the club with it being positive and uplifting, said Kosar.
“Singing with people, you just feel so upbeat,” she said.
“And it’s not like you have to be a great singer or ukulele player,” said LaPorte. “If you have 10 people, it’s like a choir.”
Kosar started getting into the ukulele in 2019 after she saw a friend playing one on Facebook.
“She told me to come out to Port Perry,” she said. “I thought it was an awesome little instrument that’s great for campfires.”
The pair says that the ukulele is a great instrument for a community club because it’s small, has just four strings, and with three to four chords, you can play a lot of songs.
“There’s a humongous library online of music that you can play,” said Kosar.
Another aspect of the club that Kosar and LaPorte find important is that it can bring different generations together.
“In Port Perry, there’s people in their 90s and younger kids,” Kosar said.
At the first meeting of the club on Sept. 11, Kosar said they had about eight ukulelists come out to play. They’re currently meeting at Veterans Hall, 406 Millard Ave., from 7 to 9 p.m., but are hoping to find a space that’s free of charge.
“If we can’t afford to pay here, we need to find a place that’s free,” said LaPorte. “There’s so many community buildings in Newmarket, surely there’s a room or space we can use.”
Currently the club is charging $5 per person to come out to help cover the expense to rent space at Veterans Hall, where they’re being charged $100 per night.
“If we can get a regular turnout like Port Perry, we’ll be able to cover it,” said LaPorte.
The next meeting of the ukulele club is Oct. 23. Kosar can be reached via email at [email protected].