December 19, 2021 By Carol Britton Meyer
Participants in the Hingham Senior Center ukulele group were enjoying and benefitting so much from the class that even when the pandemic hit in 2020, they continued to meet without interruption -- except via Zoom, rather than in a live format. This helped keep these budding musicians in good spirits during a challenging time.
The group -- led by talented singer-songwriter, guitar and ukulele player Juli Finn, a Whitman resident -- is currently meeting in person again, with many seniors of all ages signing up for additional sessions.
When she was teaching at South Shore Conservatory, the community outreach coordinator suggested that Finn lead a class at the Senior Center, which she thought would be "a wonderful adventure."
That proved to be true. Finn loves teaching the group and considers her senior students to be among her friends. "Teaching there is one of my biggest joys," she told the Hingham Anchor.
Learning to play the ukulele is a "wonderful activity" for seniors, according to Finn. "There's a learning curve at the beginning, but it's not a difficult instrument to learn how to play," she explained. "I always tell the class on the very first day that they'll learn how to play at least one song. All you have to know is about eight chords to be able to play 80 percent of the songs. The class gives students the skills to be able to learn any song they want, and ukulele music has such a warm and sweet sound to it."
Class participants bring their own ukuleles, which can be purchased online or by trying some out in a music shop. The cost can be as low as between $75 to $100 on the lower end of the price range.
There are other benefits besides the pleasure gained from playing the ukulele. "One of my students told me they used to wake up with a feeling of anxiety, but that now they wake up with a song," Finn said. "It's a beautiful creative outlet, and the songs are fun and easy to play and sing for the most part."
'Eclectic class'
Student Karen Hughes finds this to be "a very eclectic class" that includes students who are professional musicians and others "who had never looked at a piece of music before. It's fun for everyone," she shared with the Hingham Anchor. "I really wanted to try something totally different. This will be my third year. A group of us all started together and have become good friends."
Hughes referred to the ukulele as "a very happy, accessible, and forgiving instrument. You can't not have [a good time] with it!" she said. "Juli has a real gift, teaching such a diverse group and making it fun for us all."
Another benefit of playing the ukulele, according to Hughes, is that "when you're playing it, you can't think about anything else. It's fantastic."
Once she learned to play "Happy birthday" for family members, including her grandchildren, they started asking for ukuleles as gifts for special occasions. "Now we all have one, and we can play 'Happy birthday' together," she said.
Seniors can sign up for the ukulele class -- which meets every Tuesday, except. Dec. 28-- through the Senior Center. Each eight-week session attracts between 17 and 20 regulars. Newcomers are welcome, space permitting. The next session starts right after New Year's. "We've been going non-stop," Finn said. "These seniors have so much to offer, and it's wonderful to learn their stories."
'It's a lovely sound'
Alan Kirpas joined the class about three years ago. "[This weekly gathering] provides a community where we can get together and encourage each other," he said. "Our ukulele playing sometimes sounds like a small orchestra. It's a lovely sound."
He, too, praised Finn's many musical skills and her ability to give directions to this group of seniors with varied ukulele-playing skills. "Juli is very adept at balancing it all," Kirpas said.
One of the highlights of the class is that three of the women in the group have had voice training, "so we can have harmony in the simplest of songs," he explained.
Suzanne Del Rossi finds this an "easy" group in which to participate. She also noted the diversity of skills and talents, which blend well together. "You can't play the ukulele without smiling!"
The class is "a happy place to be. I drive from Sandwich [where she moved to from Hingham last year] every Tuesday to participate," Del Rossi said. "Music brings people together and friendships are formed. It's a group full of love."
She noted that a gentleman who inherited a ukulele recently joined the group to give it a try and seems to be enjoying the experience.
Plays with husband in rock band
Finn's interest in music started when she was a teenager. She has played in multiple bands and currently performs in her husband's rock band, the Jon Finn Group. He is a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She graduated from Berklee in 2017 and is currently working on a master's degree in songwriting.
The couple's current recording project is an online tribute to Bonnie Raitt -- which will be released in January -- featuring an original song written by Juli. "Bonnie is starting a tour next year, and I'm so impressed by her style of music," she said. "She's a beautiful, sweet, and humble woman. She's ageless."
Finn and her husband host a Saturday afternoon online Ukulele Club at https://julifinn.com/julis-ukulele-club and she also offers private lessons.
For further information, visit www.julifinn.com.