Performing at the Women In Touch holiday brunch
Back row: Joan Sullivan, Karen MacDonald, Linda Tarvin, Susan Rife, Darla Andresen, Valerie Chambliss, Joanne Rife
Front row: Kyung Lee, Alissa Crispin, Krisse Boursier, Nancy Lowe
Not pictured: Betsy Ding, Florence Kwock

The Ukuladies interest group was established by Joanne Rife about a decade ago, after she, her daughter Susan (who was then living in Florida), and a childhood friend attended the West Coast Ukulele Retreat at Asilomar and then two other ukulele festivals. Joanne originally started playing on the beaches of Southern California as a youngster, and still has that ukulele. The group now numbers 13, all of whom play enthusiastically with variable levels of skill. During the worst of COVID, the group met over Zoom, and is happy to be meeting again in person, mostly masked, in members’ homes.

The group meets every Monday at 10 a.m. to strum, sing, and sometimes fingerpick songs from “The Daily Ukulele” and other collections of paper song sheets. Some members also play in the Gilroy Ukulele Club and the LUKES, the library’s ukulele group. Recently the group performed at the Women in Touch holiday lunch in Gilroy and for the local PEO Club. New strummers are always welcome – please contact Joanne for details.

An outdoor socially distanced rehearsal.
Left to right: Joanne Rife, Karen MacDonald, Kyung Lee, Linda Tarvin, Krisse Boursier, Joan Sullivan, Darla Andresen, Susan Rife, Florence Kwock