Three Family-Themed Songs to Sing at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching in the United States, and that means many of us will be traveling to be with extended family. With family on my mind, I thought I’d share three songs that I’ll be singing and strumming over the next week. Maybe you’ll want to add them into your repertoire, because they all sound great on the ukulele:

1. “Family is Family” by Kacey Musgraves

A sweetly humorous song about how, when it comes to family, “you get what you get and you don’t get to pick ‘em.” Play along with Kacey in the key of F with the F, Gm, C, and Bb chords, or use the transpose feature at the bottom of the page to change it to a friendlier key if needed.

2. “I Lovely Love My Family” by The Roots

My only exposure to the kids show Yo Gabba Gabba! comes through this song, so don’t ask me to explain what’s happening with the life-sized muppet-y characters! Nevertheless, the song is a winner with lyrics about love, peace, and gratitude. I used to sing this song to my kids all the time when they were little, and it sounds just as good as I remembered. The Roots play it in the key of A using the A, Bm, and D chords, but change it to the key of G to play it with the beginner-friendly G, Am, and C chords.

3. “I’ve Got the Joy” and “In My Family’s House”

I've Got the Joy is a short and sweet song that's pretty easy to memorize, and with only two chords, it's fairly easy to transpose it into different keys. In this tutorial, I show you how to play it in the keys of C and F, so you can pick which key works better for your vocal range. Then, we use the same melody and chords to play a holiday version of the song that you can customize! In My Family's House is a great song to sing and strum with kids, and you all can take turns creating verses that honor your family's holiday traditions.

I’ve Got the Joy and In My Family’s House are featured in my Americana songbook. Check it out!

Coming Soon: Ukulele Starter Kits!

Big news! Beginning this November 2018, I’ll be offering ukulele starter kits featuring Ohana Ukuleles! The ukulele kits will include everything a beginner needs to get started making music, including:

• Soprano ukulele (wood tone or turquoise)

• Soft backpack-style gig bag

• Digital tuner

• Strap

• Let’s Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners (my how-to book designed for brand-new players)

Ohana Ukuleles is a family-owned company based in Long Beach, CA, and I’m thrilled to be working with them. Ohana has a long-standing reputation for building instruments that are both high-quality and affordable. The Musical Mama ukulele starter kits will be available for sale starting in November, just in time for the holidays. I’ll even be offering gift wrapping services, to make giving the gift of music even easier!

Stay tuned for more details…

Free Printable: A New Ukulele Coloring Page for the New Year

Happy 2018!

The original ukulele coloring page has been getting a lot of traffic lately, so for my first post of the year I thought it would be fun to share a new free printable. Shawna created this super cute coloring page based on the photo used on my homepage. Just a dinosaur chilling with a ukulele, no biggie. 

My kids received some new art supplies for Christmas, and this coloring page feels like the perfect excuse to get them out. I'll be printing out at least one copy for myself, too. How many will you print? :) 

Mythbusting: Am I Too Old to Learn an Instrument?

Short answer: NO! 

Longer answer: Somewhere, someone got the idea that there was such a thing as being "too old"  to learn how to make music. And now many people seem to share this weird idea! Where did they learn this? I've spent the past few days thinking about it, and I think it boils down to two common misperceptions:

Myth 1: Music is Mysterious and Difficult

The world of musicians can feel like a secretive club with restricted access. And if you do dare to enter that world, you'll have to dedicate years of tedious practice before you'll be any good. FALSE! In my lessons, I cover the basics— strumming, chords, etc— but I also incorporate a lot of practical music theory so you learn the patterns behind popular music, which gives you a better understanding of how music works. And we dive right into playing (the first lesson includes four songs) so you can experience the joy of making music right away. 

Myth 2: Music is Intimidating 

What if I try and I'm not any good? Yikes! 

Have you ever talked yourself out of trying something new? When I'm feeling nervous or scared in this way, I try to imagine my future self who has already done the scary thing. What will it feel like to have done ________? I also ask myself, what is the worst (realistically) that can happen? It's usually not as bad as my fear makes it out to be. There are some things you probably ARE too old for: playing the lead in Annie or becoming an Olympic gymnast, perhaps, but learning an instrument is not one of those things. 

Need some inspiration? Check out Grandma Mary Ho in a video that's popping up all over social media:

H/T to Elaine for first sharing the Grandma Mary video with me. Isn't she wonderful? I'd love to jam with her! 

When was the last time you did something even though you felt nervous? How did you get through it? I'd love to hear! 

PS: If you're interested in learning how to make music in a friendly, approachable environment, please contact me. 

Super Simple DIY: Easter Egg Maracas

Last week I was tasked to come up with an activity for my son's kindergarten class. I was looking for a quick, non-messy project the kids could do easily, and a friend shared this idea with me: easter egg maracas!

This is a great all-ages crafts. I'm obviously partial to music-related crafts, and it was a convenient way to use up the surplus of Easter eggs we had acquired this year. The kids all seemed to enjoy making the shakers and then playing with them on the playground afterward, and I had just as much fun as the kids did!

source

You can find several versions of this craft on Pinterest, but they're all about the same. I followed the version posted on the blog Made Everyday with Dana. 

Supplies: 

• Plastic easter eggs (the small ones work best)

• Popcorn kernels (rice, dried beans, or lentils would work, too)

• Plastic spoons

• Washi tape (Amazon affiliate link)

Instructions:

1. Fill a plastic egg with popcorn kernels.

2. Nest the egg between two spoons.

3. Secure the maraca by wrapping tape around the egg and spoons (little hands may need assistance). You can opt to tape just a few key spots, or go crazy (like my kids did) and wrap up the entire instrument in washi tape.

4. Shake it!

Considering how easy this project is, the maracas make a surprisingly satisfying sound and would work perfectly at your next family jam!