Ukulele Is The New Black

In each episode, Meredith Harper talks to a ukulele player to find out why they play ukulele, what they love about it, and how it's changed their lives. And they play a few tunes as well!

S4E14 - Meredith Harper 10/31/2021

S4E14 - Meredith Harper I promised you a special guest for the last episode – surprise, it’s me!! I figured my story was long overdue so I asked my friend and fellow ukulele podcaster Cameron Murray to interview me. It was a bit weird to be on the other side of the microphone but I really enjoyed it. I play a couple of songs, including a new original. I wasn’t entirely happy with either performance and I could have re-recorded them, but that felt like cheating so you’re stuck with what I played on the day, warts and all /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20993960

S4E13 - Jasmine Fellows 10/17/2021

S4E13 - Jasmine Fellows It’s taken me four years to get her on the show but I finally did it! Today I chat to my great friend and musical collaborator Jasmine Fellows. Jas is a multi-instrumentalist who I originally met through Canberra ukulele groups, but who has now become an irreplaceable member of house band The New Black, and our ukulele and cello duo Four Strings Two. We had a great time recording this - I think I cut out at least ten minutes of giggling in the edit! Please enjoy. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20840810

S4E12 - Jim Croft 10/03/2021

S4E12 - Jim Croft Today’s guest is one of the members of the Ukulele is the New Black house band – Jim Croft. I’ve been wanting to get him on the show for some time, but because I know he’s not really a fan of the limelight I didn’t approach him – until now! Fortunately he said yes, and we had a great chat about experimenting with different tunings, the importance of music theory, and his extensive ukulele collection. Please enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20685713

S4E11 - Nicole and Aaron Keim 09/19/2021

S4E11 - Nicole and Aaron Keim Today’s guests were suggested by one of my patrons, Maja Zweck. Nicole and Aaron Keim are trained musicians who play ukulele as the duo “The Quiet American”, and luthier Aaron also makes beautiful handcrafted ukuleles at Beansprout Musical Instruments, at their home in Hood River, Oregon. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20520926

S4E10 - Kim Yang 09/05/2021

S4E10 - Kim Yang Originally from Taiwan, Kim Yang moved to Canberra around 10 years ago where she discovered the joy of music and, of course, ukulele. Kim is now a full-time musician and songwriter who is about to release her new EP, Brave. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20370614

S4E09 - Dani Joy and Perry Stauffer 08/22/2021

S4E09 - Dani Joy and Perry Stauffer In today’s episode I talk to Dani Joy and her partner in life and music, Perry Stauffer. Dani and Perry live in Portland, Oregon where they run an online music academy, create wonderful music as a duo and with others, and have a wall full of ukuleles which they sell from their living room. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20218427

S4E08 - Aldrine Guerrero 08/08/2021

S4E08 - Aldrine Guerrero Today I talk to Aldrine Guerrero of , a passionate ukulele player and teacher based in Kaua’i in Hawai’i. We chat about the creation of the Ukulele Underground forums, his love of teaching and performing, and he plays a couple of incredible songs. Towards the end you may hear some roosters in the background – for me that is the sound of Kau’ai, a place I really hope I can visit again some day. Please enjoy! Some show-related links below: s Songs played on the show: Dance with a Bandit (Aldrine Guerrero) Senor Viktor (Aldrine Guerrero) Go to the for a playlist to hear these songs as well as other content relating to the episode Ukulele is the New Black is produced by me, Meredith Harper. I wrote the theme tune and I performed it with Janine Chandler, Jim Croft, Jasmine Fellows, Paul Marsh, Sandra Shaw and Chris Williams. Seb Carraro does the graphic design. Thanks to my $10 and over supporters for helping me to make this podcast: Ukulele Legend: Linda Dodwell Ukulele Champions: Debbie Hoad, Maja Zweck & Christopher Boatwright The music played in this episode is licenced under a Podcasts (Featured Music) agreement with . /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/20067968

S4E07 - Barbara Taylor 07/25/2021

S4E07 - Barbara Taylor In this episode I talk to Barbara Taylor, a dynamic ukulele player and organiser from Busselton in Western Australia. Barbara has been on my list since previous guest Kevin Chennell mentioned her, and I’m so glad I finally caught up with her, because she is a delight. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/19918877

BONUS - Life is a Musical 07/11/2021

BONUS - Life is a Musical If you’ve been listening to my recent episodes you will know that I have been going through a long and painful process of moving house, and as a result I haven’t been able to find the time to make new episodes. Today I bring you something which is new, but a little different. I’m going to tell you about some of the challenges I’ve been facing, and how music – or specifically, musicians – brought me an incredible moment of light and joy. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/19716032

CLASSIC EPISODE - Mal Webb 06/27/2021

CLASSIC EPISODE - Mal Webb Sorry listeners - I am still in the fun process of moving house, and when this comes out the removalist will be arriving to take all my possessions from my current home. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/19616462

CLASSIC EPISODE: Jane Jelbart and Mark Jackson 06/13/2021

CLASSIC EPISODE: Jane Jelbart and Mark Jackson This episode is from my first season back in 2018 – a time when ukulele players could safely go to crowded festivals and hang out together. When I arranged this interview at the Central Coast Ukulele Festival I had no idea how influential my guests were. In the three years since, I have lost count of the number of times people I’ve interviewed have said how these two ukulele players had inspired and helped them – not just Australian players, but people from across the world. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/19367594

S4E06 - Christopher Davis-Shannon 05/30/2021

S4E06 - Christopher Davis-Shannon Today I have a chat to Christopher Davis-Shannon, a Philadelphia-based musician who grew up in a very musical family. He discovered ukulele a few years back and fell in love with it, and he now plays some fantastic music, much of it influenced by early 20th century players such as Roy Smeck and George Formby. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/19288061

S4E05 - Toast Garden 05/16/2021

S4E05 - Toast Garden In today’s episode I talk to Bill and Lizzie, otherwise known as Toast Garden, a couple and musical duo based in Tasmania. Originally from Sydney where they started out as a guitar and voice duo, they discovered ukulele and have now filled their Tasmanian home with them. They play a couple of great renditions of Beatles songs during our chat, which I am sure you will enjoy. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/19118516

S4E04 - Sugarman Slim 05/02/2021

S4E04 - Sugarman Slim I’ve talked to a lot of overseas players recently so I figured it was time to bring back some Australian content! I have a chat to Sugarman Slim, a Sydney-based musician who combines ukulele with bass riffs in a way that will make you want to jump up and dance! He plays some fantastic songs written by his daughter, and tells us about his small, mobile rehearsal space. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/18941204

S4E03 - Rich Sexton 04/18/2021

S4E03 - Rich Sexton Today’s episode features actor and musician Rich Sexton, who entertains and educates young children as the award-winning Funnybones Music, putting his acting and ukulele skills to excellent use. I discovered in our chat that Rich can play grown-up music as well, as you will hear in this episode. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/18715955

S4E02 - Marc Gallagher 04/04/2021

S4E02 - Marc Gallagher Today I bring you a chat with Marc Gallagher, a multi-instrumentalist from Manchester in the UK. Marc started out trying to play all the instruments, but when the time came to pick a specialty he wisely opted for the fun one - the ukulele. He is also an accomplished songwriter, and he plays a couple of his songs in today’s episode. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/18493856

S4E01 - Stuart Yoshida 03/21/2021

S4E01 - Stuart Yoshida Season 4 is here – welcome to the first episode for 2021! Today I talk to fellow ukulele podcaster Stuart Yoshida, who has been making the Ooktown podcast for around 10 years with co-host Doug Brown. As well as talking podcasting, Stuart tells me the story of his first ukulele (blue house, brown roof, black dog) and the secret origin of the ukulele (two plants, one bird, three people, one ship). Enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/18402683

BONUS - AUTLA Survives 2020 01/26/2021

BONUS - AUTLA Survives 2020 I’m going to start working on 2021 episodes soon, but in the meantime here is a bonus episode with some of the members of AUTLA – the Australian Ukulele Teachers and Leaders Association. I have a chat with two former guests of the podcast – Tom the Pom and Ruth Allen – as well as AUTLA’s president, Dan McEoin. They talk about what AUTLA does, and how they managed the challenges of 2020 and beyond. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/17687207

BONUS - How Ukulele Changed our Lives in 2020 01/08/2021

BONUS - How Ukulele Changed our Lives in 2020 2020 was a memorable year for many reasons, but today let’s focus on the positive. I talked to players from around the globe in 2020 about why they love the ukulele, and today I bring you the many ways in which it has changed their lives. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/17465402

S3E20 - Phil Doleman 11/22/2020

S3E20 - Phil Doleman Phil Doleman is a UK-based professional musician who plays a heap of instruments including guitar, banjo, and of course ukulele. I had a chat to him a few weeks ago about his love of old-time jug band, blues and folk music, and he tells me about his journey from playing in a band as a teenager to a career in performance, teaching, and book publishing. And of course he plays a couple of cool songs! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/16903766

S3E19 - Sam Brown 11/08/2020

S3E19 - Sam Brown Sam Brown is a professional musician best known as a singer, having sung backing vocals for bands such as Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Spandau Ballet, as well as having a successful solo career including the international hit single “Stop!”. When Sam lost her singing voice in 2007 she started teaching ukulele, and now runs 7 ukulele groups in the UK. We have a great chat about her discovery of the ukulele and she also plays a couple of songs on a ukulele with a very impressive provenance. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/16716533

S3E18 - Samantha Muir 10/25/2020

S3E18 - Samantha Muir Samantha Muir is a classically trained musician who had a passion for guitar from an early age. In 2012 she discovered the ukulele and fell in love with it. Since then she has arranged and composed a huge body of instrumental pieces for ukulele, with a focus on classical and folk music. She talks to me in today’s episode about her musical journey which also includes teaching music, publishing books and CDs, and playing the machete. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/16527299

S3E17 - Stuart Fuchs 10/11/2020

S3E17 - Stuart Fuchs Stuart Fuchs is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist who can do amazing things with a ukulele, but he is also passionate about helping people to use music for healing and happiness. In today’s episode we talk about his early days learning guitar with his father, his discovery of the ukulele, and how much he loves living in Buffalo, New York. He also shows me some unconventional ways to play the uke! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/16334057

S3E16 - Kevin Chennell 09/27/2020

S3E16 - Kevin Chennell In today’s episode I chat to Kevin Chennell from COVID-free Perth, Western Australia. He talks about how much fun it is to busk with a large group of ukulele players, about travelling the world to hang out with top musicians, and convinces his wife Lynne to join him for one of his songs. Please enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/16169468

S3E15 - Stuart "Stukulele" Eadie 09/13/2020

S3E15 - Stuart "Stukulele" Eadie Today I have a chat to Mullumbimby-based Stuart Eadie, better known as Stukulele, who has had a long career in music but not always as a ukulele player. We talk about his unexpected ukulele teaching career, about starting a new ukulele group in Mullumbimby, and about touring with The Whitlams in a very famous bus. Stu also plays a couple of great original songs. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/15988232

S3E14 - Lloyd and his Ukes 08/30/2020

S3E14 - Lloyd and his Ukes In today’s episode I have a chat to Lloyd, aka Lloyd and His Ukes, who talks about ukulele acquisition syndrome, Christmas performances in Germany, and how George Formby featured in his tertiary studies. He also plays a couple of fantastic songs which I am sure you will enjoy! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/15805649

S3E13 - Sunitra Martinelli 08/16/2020

S3E13 - Sunitra Martinelli Today’s episode with Adelaide-based musician Sunitra Martinelli, who despite having some less than optimal violin lessons when she was young is now an accomplished songwriter, ukulele player and singer. Sunitra has a particular fondness for cabaret-style numbers and loves to sing in French! I think you will enjoy this chat. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/15621236

S3E12 - Christopher "CC" Carr 08/02/2020

S3E12 - Christopher "CC" Carr Today’s episode is with Christopher Carr, aka CC, of the Ukulele Trading Co based in Adelaide, South Australia. We talk about the importance of changing your strings, the Adelaide ukulele scene, and we do some bad Bob Dylan impressions! Enjoy. /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/15442958

S3E11 - Charlotte Pelgen 07/19/2020

S3E11 - Charlotte Pelgen Over the past year or so I’ve noticed a big increase in listeners from Germany, so I thought it was time to feature a German ukulele player on the show. Fortunately my friend Jim Croft seems to be able to find interesting ukulele players all over the world, and he suggested that I get in touch with Charlotte Pelgen, who turned out to not only be a brilliant ukulele player and singer, but also an absolute delight. I ‘m sure you will all enjoy this episode! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/15260654

S3E10 - Jenny Peters 07/05/2020

S3E10 - Jenny Peters Well real life finally caught up with me, so today is the first interview I’ve recorded remotely. I had a chat with Chicago-based Jenny Peters, one of the two Ukulele Sisters, who publish a heap of ukulele tutorials and books, which I think have a little more to offer than your average tutorial. I hope you think so too! /episode/index/show/ukuleleisthenewblack/id/15086900

Ukulele Is The New Black

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