Stillwater: Showing The Bigger Cities How To Uke

Call it a global musical enlightenment, a worldwide kanikapila, an international hootenanny, or even just a trend. The ukulele is currently taking over the world as the number one instrument to play, and everywhere from Malibu to Sydney is taking part.  

In America, big cities like New York, Los Angeles and Houston are almost expected nowadays to have some sort of ukulele community within it. Whether it be a weekly club, a monthly open mic session or an annual festival, every major city has a part to play in the current wave of uke popularity. But it’s the smaller, unassuming towns that are really showing the rest of the world how to do it.  

Stillwater’s ukulele club, the Stillwater Ukulele Association, is an informal and supportive group whose goal is to – quite simply – jam, learn and have fun. Their mission? To make the world a better place, one ukulele at a time. The club meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm until 7:30pm at Daddy O’s Music Co. Newcomers and returning members should watch for event notices – previous meetings have included themes like Play Music on the Porch, Ukes on the Street and fundraiser concerts - and the latest meeting information on the Ukulele Association’s Facebook page. Players of all skill levels and ages are welcome.  

While Stillwater Ukulele Association seems to be Stillwater’s only ukulele club, it’s not the only one in the area.  

An hour away in Tulsa, the Tulsa Ukulele Club meets regularly to play with enthusiasts of all skill levels. The group meets on the first Thursday of every month for jam sessions and performances at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. On the second Thursday, members meet for open mic and jam sessions at NYC Pizza. Third Thursdays of the month are reserved for jam sessions and/or rehearsals at Burgundy Palace, while the rare fifth Thursday of every month centers on – of course – Wacky Hat Night.  

An hour south from Stillwater will bring you to Oklahoma City, where the OKC Ukulele Group meets to play. Unfortunately, there are no Wacky Hat Nights here, but the club does offer cost-free meetings, no membership dues and get-togethers for all skill levels.  

If you’re looking for a tight-knit group of ukulele enthusiasts to play along with, you’ll find it in Oklahoma.