The Sunshine Ukulele Network is celebrating 10 years of free community fun this month.
The group of music enthusiasts meets on the second Tuesday of every month in the Orillia Public Library to play the ukulele. Group leader Laurie Pfaff kick-started the group after playing ukulele for just one year.
“There was nobody to play with up here,” she said. “The very first time I ran the group it was just me and one guy from Lakehead University. We sang our hearts out with not a care in the world.”
Fast forward to 2020 and the Sunshine Ukulele Network has grown to host almost 40 people each month.
The club shut down for in-person activities during the first two years of the pandemic. Things got back on track in June of 2022 and numbers have been steady around 20 participants.
“It is tough because of the COVID concerns,” Pfaff said. “There are some people who are ready to return as long as we are playing outside, but when we go inside, they aren’t comfortable with it."
The retired Twin Lakes Secondary School math and science teacher of 30 years also teaches ukulele as part of programming offered through the City of Orillia. She says there is an educational component to the instrument.
“We always have a theme for each night,” she explained. “Sometimes it’s celebrating the history of the ukulele, sometimes it’s how to chuck on a ukulele, different lessons like that.”
The group is predominately made up of seniors and families, Pfaff noted.
“There is something that is just so cool about the ukulele,” she said. “It’s so social.”
As someone who considers herself to be shy, Pfaff says playing the ukulele gives her the confidence to let her personality shine.
“I played guitar, piano, and violin for 20 years,” she said. "I never played out, but when you put a ukulele in my hands, I’ll talk to anybody and play anything.”
There is still lots of room in The Sunshine Ukulele Network for those who want to join in on the fun. The monthly event is free, and to sign up, just email Pfaff at [email protected].
“We are here in the winter, we are here in the summer, this is something you can be a part of all year long,” Pfaff said. “I think this is a little gem that’s sitting here for anybody to come out.”
