Ukulele ladies show plenty of pluck

Headed for their weekly music lesson, these four Geraldton ladies are proof it’s never too late to learn something new.

Every Tuesday, Glenys Ryan, Pam Tucker, Pat Calwell and Lyn Patten join up with a handful of others taking beginner lessons with the Ukulele Dreamers.

Even the group founder and teacher Alan Cripps only began learning the ukulele aged 70, something he now shares with other Geraldton seniors.

“I first fell in love with the instrument after visiting the Ukulele Festival back in 2012,” he said.

“So I decided to learn a few basics and see if anyone else was interested in learning along with me. We’ve grown from a number of eight to having over 30 members in our group.

“The thing about the ukulele is it’s one of the easiest string instruments to learn so it’s been perfect for us and a lot of members have picked it up very quickly.”

Holding free weekly classes at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Mr Cripps said their members ranged in skills from beginners to experienced.

“I only know the basics so I help to teach our beginners class but then we’ve got a sprinkling of those quite experienced and (they) are great at helping the rest of our members.”

The ukulele troupe hosts a number of local performances throughout the year, including visits to Juniper Hillcrest retirement centre every six weeks.

Open only to those aged 50 and older, the group is not only seeking more members but also support from the wider community.

“We try to do visits to Hillcrest every few weeks and it’s basically seniors entertaining seniors,” Mr Cripps said.

“It’s great for them but learning an instrument is also great for our members because it assists them with their co-ordination.

“The lessons are great for everyone involved but because we are not for profit, we need community support to continue.

“Any donations people want to give would be very much appreciated and would help us to perform more often for the community.”

To donate or for more information on lessons, contact Mr Cripps directly on 9938 1227 or 0429 381 227