On the top of the West Coast of America you’ll find a fast-growing city with a rich musical history. Seattle, Washington is known for many things such as its exorbitant amount of annual rainfall, it’s booming economy and of course the birthplace of artists like the legendary Jimi Hendrix, bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters and the alternative rock movement named grunge was born and bred in Seattle. Quite a far cry from the beginnings of this town which sustained itself through the timber trade, but it does show the immense diversity featured here.

Any good folks in Seattle who you can strum your Bondi Uke with? Indeed, there are. The Seattle Ukulele Players Association (SUPA) gathers every second Sunday at the Phinney Neighbourhood Center. You’ll find a friendly crowd to strum along with and among the many events this group organizes there are also festivals and guest ukulele players to show you the ropes. If you’d like to join SUPA for some ukulele fun, they can be reached through their website listed below.

http://www.seattleukulele.org/ 

If you’re more of a laid back ukester, then STRUM is the way to go. Seattle’s Totally Relaxed Ukulele Musicians gather twice a week and actively play gigs on most weekends. Their events include baritone STRUM group, Strum Strings, advance group, outreach, and held performances at Children’s Hospital. If you want join them for some ukulele session they meet at The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. You can contact this group on their Facebook page which is listed below.

https://www.facebook.com/STRUMthatuke/ 

If you’d like to see a great ukulele show in Seattle, look no further than a uke band called The Castaways. They are Seattle’s self-proclaimed “Loudest Ukulele Band” and their repertoire consists mainly of Rock and Roll favourites. They have events and shows at various locations scheduled until October and if you’d like to take in their tunes or get some inspiration for your next level of uke play, then this lively bunch is not to be missed. Catch up with The Castaways on their Facebook page which is listed below.  

https://www.facebook.com/pg/thecastawaysseattle/events/?ref=page_internal

Six miles North in Green Lake you’ll find the Green Lake Ukulele Camp for the younger crowd. Minimum ages are 5 and 6 and this camp stretches over a whole week. Here they’ll learn all the ins and outs of our favourite instrument like the names of strings, how to play chords and how to strum their favourite songs. There is even a music writing lesson included to give the youngsters a leg up in the world of composing ukulele songs. Sounds like a great idea if you’ve got a budding ukester in the family who is looking to make the most of their Bondi Ukulele. You can contact the folks over at Green Lake on their website listed below.

http://greenlakepc.org/ukulele-camp/

So, if you’re an “Emerald City” local you have absolutely no excuse to let your Bondi Uke gather dust in the closet. Cruise past eh Space Needle and find your ideal group of fellow Ukesters and play your part in making a name for the ukulele in Seattle among the glitter of former musicians and musical trailblazers.

Keep strumming, all!