Nothing But Love For The Uke In Tahoe

It has sunny blue skies, lines of palm trees and miles of sandy white beaches, but that’s not where the similarities between California and Hawaii end. They also both know how to seriously uke.  

In Tahoe City, where azure blue waters line roads of chalets, you don’t have to listen hard to hear the soothing strums of the ukulele. On the north shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe sits TyDe Music, a custom ukulele company that creates ukuleles from Tahoe’s scrap wood. Inspired by the natural surroundings of co-founders Devin Price and Tyler Joersz’s home base in North Lake Tahoe’s King Beach, the company take the furniture cutoffs from Roundwood Furniture to build their ukuleles. The company currently makes ukuleles, guileles, cajon drums, didgeridoos, stomp boxes and other music accessories, and while they do use some exotic woods, they prefer to use local, reclaimed woods in their instruments.  

Once you’ve had a look at some of the company’s best ukuleles, head over to the south shore for some of the area’s best ukulele clubs. South Tahoe has two to choose from: the Ukuleles of Tahoe and the South Shore Ukulelians. Both are a mix of beginner, intermediate and seasoned players that enjoy welcoming all skills levels and ages.

The South Shore Ukulelians meet just about every Wednesday at the American Legion Hall, and this is one get together you’re not going to want to miss. Meetups include a full bar, draft beer, food, and plenty of singing, strumming and laughing. The club attracts 50 to 60 players each week, from beginners to intermediates, and while they do have a few seasoned players, the group welcomes uke enthusiasts of all levels to come and give it a try. Admission is free, they just ask that you support American Legion Hall by buying a drink.

And while many uke groups hit pause during the winter months, the Ukulelians continue to meet weekly at the American Legion from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. The informal group of players are made up of all skill levels, and anyone is welcome.  

The Ukuleles of Tahoe, a smaller group, meets at 10:00am most Wednesdays at the Senior Center on Highway 50.

Those looking to visit a uke festival, however, will have to travel to nearby Reno, Nevada. The Reno Ukulele Festival has quickly grown into the largest Uke Fest in the western United States. The three-day event is essentially Disneyland for uke-loving adults: You buy a ticket, show up, and do anything uke-releated you want. There’s an almost unlimited amount of workshops here, presentations, mini-lessons, open-mic performances, organised jams, a large vendor marketplace and finally, a even a multi-act concert.

If you’re looking for the most fun you can get out of the mightly little uke, consider visiting Tahoe: the city provides a brilliant splash of colour to the ukulele scene.