Ukulele Club strings together memories, community for Oshkosh members

The Oshkosh Ukulele Club is tuned up and ready to spread joy through music to local residents young and old in 2024. The group of music enthusiasts formed around three years ago as a fun diversion, but it soon became much more, according to club director Bill Smith.

“We started at Oshkosh Senior Center, and now we go to different senior living locations and play about 15-20 songs, and they come out and sing along with us if they know it,” he said. 

Originally, the club formed at the center as a way to exercise both mind and body.

“Ukulele is a very good instrument for senior citizens because not only does it help mentally, but physically,” Smith said. 

Smith sees other benefits to playing the instrument as well.

“Ukulele exercises your finger dexterity and puts the mind and the fingers together, which improves coordination of the hand,” he said.

The setlist for the Oshkosh Ukulele Club consists of classic hits a more mature audience.

“It’s nothing special, it’s mostly songs that we grew up with from the 50’s and 60’s,” Smith said. 

Even after hearing these songs countless times, Smith stresses the importance of practice.

“We have 50 years under our belt of knowing these songs; we should know the words, but we still have to look at all the notes,” he added, jokingly. 

However, this club consists of more than just senior citizens. Although most of the musicians are between 40-70 years old, there are a few younger members of the crew. Recruiting for the club is always important, and one of the ukulele players, Jim Smith, urges younger musicians to become involved.

“Just pick it up and give it a try,” he said. 

Smith advocates the ease of learning ukulele.

“Learning to play a regular ukulele is not difficult, it just takes time, and you can play just about any song you want,” he said.

Skill levels of all kinds are found at jam sessions that happen every Wednesday at The New Moon Cafe, started by the Oshkosh Ukulele Club. The group gathers to play and sing through a set list of music, and anyone interested can join in on the fun. 

According to club member Susan Jungwirth, there's a place for everyone, including beginners, who have simplified music.

“Beginners just strum C, that's where everyone starts,” she said. 

The club is made up of many different skill levels and all are appreciated. 

 “There’s some who have been taking lessons for four years and they’re pretty advanced. But we accept all levels of people,” Jungwirth said. 

Being a performing member of the Oshkosh Ukulele Club requires dedication to learning and perfecting music. Members often practice outside of the club. Some members even take ukulele lessons at Heid Music while others practice on their own time. 

“We play all the time, probably around five times a week,” Jungwirth said.

All of the time it takes to practice and perfect their craft is always well spent, according toTerry Jackson.

“I love ukulele, it’s very soothing and gets rid of stress,” she said. “You don’t have to be anywhere else but in your mind with it.” 

The instrument may be the primary glue bringing the group together, but it’s the community that keeps them coming back each week. 

“I started playing ukulele with most of these people. We took lessons at the senior center  and then we just started hanging out together,” Jungwirth said.

 This is also true for Smith, whose favorite part of the club is the social element.

“It’s the people, we have a lot of fun; we can even make fun of each other without getting mad,” he said. 

Not only does the club impact its members, but also those who hear their music. It’s hard not to sing along when the club starts playing, because the music brings a sense of light hearted fun to those listening. Jungwirth enjoys seeing the impact of the music on welcoming ears.

“It’s just fun to see how the people react,” she said. “It's all fun and the people respond really well.”

The Oshkosh Ukulele Club most values spreading joy through music to seniors living in nursing homes, Smith’s favorite part.

“Performing for the older folks and seeing the smiles on their faces when they sing along as they remember the song is great,” he said. “They might not remember their kids’ names, but they'll remember the song.”

by Delaney Smith

Published January 29 2024

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue IV