Me & My Piano: Strumming my Miniature Guitar

CORRECTION

In the last issue Brad Dutz was featured with his vibraphone, and incorrectly identified as “Rad Dutz.” CRR regrets the typo and appreciates Brad being a very good sport about it, even saying “Maybe you’ve given me a cool new nickname!” Thanks, Rad!

ME AND MY PIANO*

*or other instrument

On the Beach...

Strumming his miniature guitar

By Thomas Hicker

At nine years of age, my 14-year-old brother Jim learned enough of the basic chords to play the ukulele. Since younger brothers look up to their older brothers and may even try to imitate them, I told myself that I could learn to play that miniature “guitar” myself. Jim showed me about six or seven chords which is enough to play some of the easier songs that have anywhere from three to five chords.

By age 12, I had mastered some simple songs on the ukulele, such as “Five Foot Two,” “Over the Rainbow,” and the song that my family most often wanted me to play: “Far, Far Away.” At age 17, I joined the Navy upon high school graduation. After boot camp in San Diego, and school in Norman, Oklahoma, and A.O. School (Aviation Ordnanceman) in Jacksonville, Florida, each for three months, the rest of my three years was spent at Barbers Point, Oahu, Hawaii. This was between wars so it was like a fully paid vacation and I spent a lot of time on the beach, body surfing and acquiring a good suntan. One day while sitting under a palm tree on Nanakuli Beach, strumming my ukulele, along came a sailor who thought I was a native Hawaiian and asked me if I spoke English. I tried so hard to keep from laughing, but it didn’t work. He was probably very embarrassed, but I couldn’t tell since he seemed in a hurry to leave the scene.

Thomas Hicker, of Vader, Wash., shown here with his ukulele.

Of course this all happened many years ago and now, that I am “less young,”

I hang out with my peer group at the

Winlock and Toledo Senior Centers in

Lewis County.

In 2018, a ukulele instructor named

Candy came to the Toledo Center and offered to teach. We got up a group of eight and she taught us, free of charge.

She even had several ukuleles for those who were without, and provided all the music for us. Candy and two of her friends have played for years at nursing homes and churches.

The pandemic kept us from getting together these past few years, but it looks like this same lady will be starting up another class if some seniors are interested once again. So check with your Senior Center.

Share the story of your

relationship with a musical instrument in 500 words or less and mail to CRR, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632, or email to publisher@crreader.com. If possible attach/include a current mugshot and/or a photo of you with your instrument, then or now. Don’t worry about perfect spelling or syntax. If your story is chosen, we will provide editing services and contact you for additional details or embellishments as needed.