The Sun Lakes Ukulele Group, led by Cottonwood Palo Verde resident Nancy Harrison, will kick off its sixth season on Sunday, Nov. 7. We meet on the first and third Sundays of the month in the Cottonwood Dance Room (A-6). We learn songs, chords, strums, fun licks, and tricks on the ukulele. Many of our members are just getting started, so come to the Beginner group and join the fun!

The fee for each session is $3, and the group is open to everyone. The Beginner session runs from 1 to 1:45 p.m. The Jam Session from 2 to 3:30 p.m. is for all levels. Beginners (with standard GCEA tuning ukuleles) will need to purchase the beginner book for $15 (available at the first session). The Jam Session (standard and baritone ukuleles are welcome in this group) uses songs from our website at www.sunlakesukes.com.

If you have a 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. A music stand is required, too. 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 are as follows:

2021 Fall Schedule: Nov. 7, Nov. 21, Dec. 5, Dec. 19

2022 Winter Schedule: Jan. 2, Jan. 16, Feb. 6, Feb. 20, March 6, March 20

Go to the Sun Lakes Ukulele Group website at www.sunlakesukes.com for more information or call 503-702-7021. Leave a message and callback 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 recently completed a Ukulele Teacher Certification program with James Hill in Vancouver, BC. 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.