Overtime

One of the reasons I stayed here in Honolulu for a few days after my uke-building class ended was because my friend Sharon was going to be in town, arriving last night. I met Sharon in the intensive summer training course I took while becoming a teacher through the New York City Teaching Fellows program four years ago. She now teaches in London, but has family here in Hawaii, and it seemed silly for me to leave the day she arrived.

After putting another coat of finish on my uke this morning (only 48 more to go!), I met Sharon and her family at Kapiolani Park, and probably got more sun than I've gotten since I've been here. Sharon thought I looked more tan than the last time we saw each other, but I have a tough time believing that to be true.

I left Sharon and her family to meet Cal at The Hawaiian Ukulele Company for a lesson. On the way, the bus driver scolded me for playing ukulele on the bus. I know music is not allowed on the bus, but I was playing because I was asked to by the guy next to me and figured uke music might be an exception to the no-music rule. I guess not.

Anyway, Cal taught me some uke techniques, while customers strolled in and out of his shop. Cal, too, took Mike's uke-building course a few years ago, but plays his vintage Kamaka instead of the one he made. I take that as a pretty good endorsement for Kamaka, but I'll be happy with my own for a while.

While I was sitting and practicing at Cal's shop, another uker named Mike walked in and--get this--recognized me from my pictures on this blog. I'm like a uke celebrity! I, in turn, recognized him from when I saw his booth at the New York Uke Fest a few months back. As it turns out, he's also a frequent contributor to the Flea Market bulletin board and I know him online as MusicGuyMic. In fact, Mike has been responding to my posts on the bulletin board all along, from when I was asking about Hana Lima 'Ia to when I found out I got the grant and wondered what to do when I got here.

Mike was in the neighborhood for the same reason I was, namely that Jake Shimabukuro was playing tonight at Gordon Biersch, which is literally a ten-second walk from Cal's shop and right across the way from Don Ho's Island Grill at the Aloha Tower Marketplace. When I finished my lesson with Cal, I was standing around the overcrowded Gordon Biersch music "lanai" (Hawaiian for "porch") looking lonely until MusicGuyMike found me and invited me to his table. Not only did Mike make me feel at home and introduce me to his friends, he also insisted on buying me dinner, which was too nice, especially considering the fact my trip is being paid for by my grant.

So, for the first time, I got to see Jake play, both solo and along with the Opihi Pickers, whose own uke player, Imua Garza is no slouch himself. It would be safe to say that Jake is the reigning phenom in the ukulele world these days, and his celebrity brings with it controversy. While some ukers can't get enough of him, others feel that his playing is all style, no substance. I've admired what I've seen of him online, but I've reserved judgement until now that I've seen him in person. I have to say that, while he's still pretty young, he's grown a lot musically from when he started out. Sure, his playing is technically excellent, but I think his playing also shows a huge amount of melodic skill. In my opinion, anyone who thinks Jake is all style has not seen him play in the last few years. Personally, I was impressed on all levels, and so was the packed house at Gordon Biersch. At any rate, I was especially glad I had the chance to see him play because I just missed him in New York, where he played two days after I left to come here.

Now, to put another coat of finish on my uke before I go to bed (only 47 more to go!).

[view today's photos]