Little Rock, Arkansas is about as far away from a tropical island as you can get, but you don’t have to listen very hard to hear the mellifluous sounds of the ukulele here.

In fact, the land-locked capital city is home to some of America’s best ukulele clubs, bands and festivals. The Dogtown Ukulele Band, in particular, has an impressive local following and can regularly be seen performing around Arkansas.

Based in North Little Rock and formed in 2016, the four-string rock and roll group consists of a whopping 12 members, though only seven are usually seen on stage at one time. Like Jake Shimabukuro, the Dogtown Ukulele Band is on a mission to redefine the uke’s typecast: It’s much more capable than the traditional Hawaiian music it has become best known for.

Instead, the band performs a myriad of songs from rock ‘n’ roll’s most influential artists: Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, The Bangles, U2, and Neil Young, to name a few.

And the city’s passion for ukulele music doesn’t stop there. In addition to the ukulele clubs and free classes in the area, Little Rock also plays host to something extremely meaningful: The Ukulele Kids Club.

Giving hospital-ridden children the opportunity to play the ukulele, the Ukulele Kids Club mission is to harness the healing power of music by supporting music therapy programs for children in need.  

The non-profit organization was founded by Corey Bergman and his wife, Edda, in 2014, after the couple experienced a personal family tragedy and life-changing event. Embarking on a new journey with the direction of providing community service, Bergman initiated and established the creation of a memorial fund in conjunction with the Make A Wish foundation in honour of his son, Jared. At that time, Bergman volunteered at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and used his musicianship to aid in the palliative care and treatment of children and their families.

Joining a team of doctors, psychologists, social workers and clergy to provide treatment through guitar playing, Bergman found that music resulted in the lowering of respiration and heart rate in patients monitored in intensive care units. He learned the power of music as a healing tool, and a few years later, he created the Ukulele Kids Club, which now partners with over 150 hospitals around Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. – including Arkansa’s Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

And it’s doing the kids plenty of good: According to the American Music Therapy Association, music provides therapeutic benefits, decreasing pain and alleviating anxiety. Ukulele Kids Club’s mission is to share the magic of the ukulele and to teach kids the basics.

These interactive experiences teach children that ukuleles are not just toys, and that music is something that can be kept up for their entire lives. While playing the ukulele keeps kids in long-term care entertained, the longer-term goal is to provide them with something positive as they transition from shelter living to living back at home, or into a new household.

Sure, Little Rock may not have a ukulele fan base as large as Hawaii’s, New York’s or Las Vegas’, but the little Arkansas city is doing a whole host of good for the ukulele community. If you want to merge passion with playing, Little Rock is where you should be.