Sun Lakes Ukulele Group performing at Robson Reserve in March. Front row: Steve Colby, Barbara Colby, Mickie Hoffman, Sharon Crawford, Bill Smith, Dee Carver, Terry Beckhelm. Second row: Fred Tibbs, Reggie Wegman, Pauline Boyd, Rick Boyd, Melani Boultier. Standing: Group Leader Nancy Harrison, Peggy Benton.
Nancy Harrison
The Sun Lakes Ukulele Group, led by Cottonwood Palo Verde resident, Nancy Harrison, will kick off its twelfth season on Sunday, Nov. 1. We meet on the first and third Sundays of the month in the winter season in the Computer Learning Center Room 1 (the Phoenix Room). We learn songs, chords, strums, fun licks and tricks on the ukulele.
If you are just getting started, come to the beginner group and join the fun!
The fee for each beginner session is $3, and the group is open to everyone. The beginner session runs from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Beginners (with standard GCEA tuning ukuleles) will need to purchase the beginner book for $15 (available at the first session). Guidance on buying your first ukulele is available from Nancy at 503–702–7021 or through email at nancyh2234@gmail.com.
Beginners and more experienced players are welcome at the Jam session from 2 to 3:30 p.m. There is no fee for the Jam Session. Standard tuning and baritone ukuleles are welcome in the Jam group. We use songs from our website at www.sunlakesukes.com.
If you have an ukulele in playable condition (which means that the tuning pegs work, don’t slip, and the strings are relatively new) please come and join us. All songs are projected on the wall, but you may find a music stand useful for your book if you want to make notes. If you’re just curious, we’d love to have you drop in, share the fun, and see if the ukulele is the instrument for you.
Upcoming Sessions
Fall Schedule
Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec. 20
Winter Schedule
Jan. 3, Jan. 17, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, March 7, March 21
Go to the Sun Lakes Ukulele Group website at www.sunlakesukes.com for more information or call 503-702-7021. Leave a message and a call back number.
Nancy Harrison moved to Cottonwood from Portland, Ore. as a full-time resident in October 2013. She studied music education at the University of Iowa and has completed a Ukulele Teacher Certification program with James Hill in Vancouver, B.C. She taught public school music for several years in Iowa and is a retiree from Intel Corporation. She is a former member of the Luongo Ukulele Ensemble, based in Reno, Nev. In July 2018, the group performed 11 concerts in Waikiki, Hawaii, including the 48th annual Hawaii Ukulele Festival. She performs with James Hill and the Uke Heads (an international band) on the 2024 Album Uke Heads which is available on Apple Music, Spotify, or Amazon Music. The Uke Heads are currently working on their second album, 12 Multitudes for release sometime in 2027.