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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2014)
10 community march6 2014 Playin’ in the (Ukulele) Band rently has five guitar students in Verno- nia and another five full-time students in Portland. He also has been helping host a monthly open-mic show at the Cedar Side Inn; the next show is scheduled for March 22 nd . And now he has a class full of ukulele prodigies. Mitchell’s students are mostly retired folks, including one member who drives over from Scappoose, as well as a high school junior, Lauren Glass, who continued from front page strument, slowly walking them through the chord progressions, picking out the pickup notes, and already has them play- ing several favorites all the way through. The repertoire of songs the class tackles each week includes classic oldies like “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue,” and “On the Road Again,” as well as a few ‘newer’ num- bers like “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” which Mitchell introduced, in deadpan, as written by “John R. Cash.” They have even been working on “The Star Spangled Ban- ner.” core of people, along with a horn section, that could pro- vide music in our parades,” he says. He has a bunch of instruments available for his beginning students to borrow and hopes to have more peo- ple join his group. “It’s a very simple in- strument,” explains Mitchell. “It’s a four -string instrument that is very easy to tune. Even people who aren’t musically inclined can get it.” Mitchell says he ini- tially became in- terested in the ukulele when he was living in Ha- waii. Mitchell says he watched a group of local teenage boys play- ing on the beach. And these kids weren’t playing tradi- tional music! “They were playing rock n’ roll - playing Jimi Hendrix and just tearing it up,” Mitchell says. “They were doing all kinds of stuff Lowell Mitchell you would never dream of Mitchell says is also one of his star gui- playing on a ukulele. They tar pupils. Anyone is welcome to join. were playing country music The members of the class seem as good as any country boy to enjoy themselves, chuckling at Mitch- would play it, playing blues ell’s jokes and smiling as they master a as good as any blues dude. It difficult chord change. Mitchell is a pa- was just mind blowing and I tient and fun teacher who enjoys seeing Mitchell says his initial motiva- realized that this is just a really versatile his students succeed at learning this new tion for starting the class was to form a instrument.” instrument. He is currently teaching band that could fill in as a marching band Mitchell had his mind made up them the foundations of playing the in- in local parades. “This could be a good for him, when he later walked into a ra th Health Se l Pa r lo ca tio ces vi Na tu ne w n! Friends of the Library Saturday March 15 9am - 4pm Dr. Carol McIntyre Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine 503.429.3928 cccmnd@yahoo.com naturalpathhealthservices.com 758 Weed Avenue Vernonia, OR, 97064 VCLC 939 Bridge Street 503-429-1818 Donations are being accepted during regular library hours. music store on Maui. “This guy named George Harrison was there with a uku- lele in his hands,” says Mitchell. The George Harrison? “Yeah, the guy from the Bea- tles,” says Mitchell with a grin. “He was there with his son and only a couple other people in the store. And George Harrison, one of the greatest guitarists in the world, and absolutely, certainly one of the finest slide guitarists in the world, is giving a lecture about how the ukulele is the greatest and most magical instrument. He played three songs right there—it was so cool! Here he is, ex- tolling the wonders of the ukulele and talking about how he would rather be playing the ukulele all day. So I decided I should pick one up and find out what this guy was talking about.” Mitchell says a few years later he came across “Jumpin Jim’s Ukulele Songbook” and sure enough, there was a foreword written by George Harrison. “He had written exactly the same stuff he had been saying in the music store - ’easiest, funniest, sing-along instrument ever created - everyone needs one of these,’” Eventually Mitchell moved back to Portland and started taking ukulele classes at Artichoke Music, who were offering popular classes to large groups of people. Which made him realize this was something he could do in Vernonia. Now, Mitchell is teaching peo- ple, even tone deaf people, to play an in- strument and be part of a band. Maybe it could be a dream come true for you, too. 1984 mist drive, po box 321 vernonia, or 97064 MIKE PIHL LOGGING CO., INC Family Dining Full Breakfast Menu Specializing in Private Timber Free Estimates Burgers & Beer Prime Rib Fri & Sat 503-429-1470 cell 503.789.1268 fax 503.429.0252 mplogging@frontier.com
