8 minute read
NEIGHBORS
Ukulele enthusiast shares love of music
BY BRENDA EGGERT BRADER
Eau Gallie native Linda Paul, a ukulele enthusiast, singer, songwriter and teacher, invites seniors to learn to play the ukulele.
It’s a good way to take advantage of local group jams to have fun and make new friends while bringing music into the heart. Paul and her sister were given ukuleles by their dad when they were young girls and they have been playing ever since.
Although there were timeouts for jobs, marriages and children, Paul had an interesting career as a computer analyst working for the Army, the Coast Guard, Secretary of Defense and other government agencies.
Upon her retirement, Paul moved back to Eau Gallie and picked up the ukulele again. She immersed herself in music, singing and playing with her sister, which she describes as one of her great joys. Paul is grateful for the many people she has met who inspired her to improve. Despite her high-skilled level, she said, “Every New Year, I resolve to become a better musician.”
Paul is the founder and leader of the Eau Gallie Ukulele Society and an active participant in the Beachside Strummers (Satellite Beach) and the Pareidolia Ukulele Choir (Sebastian). All three groups welcome newcomers and members are always willing to help beginners. See their Facebook pages for more information.
Paul teaches two ukulele classes at The Shepherd Center. New classes begin April 7. More information is available on the website myshepherdcenter.org.
The Shepherd Center Adventures in Learning Programs help shape a new image of aging for older adults and encourage members to be creative and productive in their later years. The cost is only $20 for as many classes as you like. Paul’s classes at The Shepherd
SENIOR LIFE photo
Ukulele enthusiast Linda Paul enjoys jamming with local groups.
Center are at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. each Thursday.
Paul also is participating in an online challenge — the 100 Days of Ukulele 2022. Ukulele players from all over the globe motivate, inspire and encourage one another as they post their daily progress on Facebook. The leader of the group, Cynthia Lin, often says, which she credits to an African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
The Eau Gallie Ukulele Society meets at the Eau Gallie Library. Beachside Strummers meet at the Satellite Beach Library.
Pareidolia Ukulele Choir meets at Pareidolia Brewery in Sebastian. SL
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SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of 55+ Club in Satellite Beach
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Satellite Beach Club back in action
BY MARIA SONNENBERG
After almost two long, boring years, the members of the 55+ Club of Satellite Beach cast off the pandemic blues and got back to the robust slate of activities that are the beachside club’s hallmark.
“Before COVID, everything was packed and, with COVID, everything stopped,” said club spokesman Kerry Stoms, a former recreation director for the city.
At a recent new members’ wine and cheese event, organizers expected attendance to be around 30.
“We got 60,” Stoms said.
With more than 500 individuals on the members’ list, the club draws not just from Satellite Beach, but from anywhere members wish to reside. The modest $10 annual membership fee applies to everybody, whether they hail from Satellite Beach or Viera.
“There is no difference in cost,” Stoms said.
It is not surprising that Satellite Beach, known for a robust calendar of activities, should host such a vigorous club for seniors. Activities range from bingo, the club’s most popular event, to day trips to locations such as Lakeridge Winery, casino ships and Cocoa Village Playhouses.
The Lunch Bunch socializes while checking out area restaurants. Socials are scheduled throughout the year. Educational programs include a light lunch or refreshments.
“The club is dedicated to SEE, social education and entertainment,” said Louise Stevenson, the current president.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, the club is hosting a dinner dance April 2 at the recently renovated Satellite Beach Civic Center. A full house is expected. Tickets to the party, like the club dues, will be very reasonable.
The 55+ Club is not Satellite Beach’s first senior club. As early as the 1970s, the city hosted a similar club.
“The club was viable for many years until it was slowly reduced to a few members and was forced to dissolve in the late 1990s,” Stevenson said.
The city didn’t go long without a club. By 2001, residents had expressed interest in the resurrection of the group and a blueprint for its rebirth was created. At the kickoff in 2002, more than 140 prospective members showed up. The senior club was back in action.
As years passed, the club has evolved with the community.
“We are finding that people who have become members are what we call younger seniors between the ages of 55 to 65,” said Stevenson, who noted that activities have increased to include the younger crowd. Older seniors remain, too, and the club has celebrated many 100th birthday parties for members.
For more information, call 321-7736458. SL
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