Ukulele players want to share their joy.

Byline: Serena Markstrom The Register-Guard

It's not a trendy laughing yoga class or a budding cult, but there is a small contingent of folks in town who meet regularly, laugh often and worship a charismatic leader.

The leader's charm is understated and accessible. He brings the best out of followers by making them believe in their own abilities, by making them comfortable and happy.

And now, for one day, those who have been paying homage to this benevolent social lubricant under the radar in their various meetings are ready to make their affection public with a daylong festival.

Lane County residents, it's time to learn about the powerful healing qualities of the ukulele. And there's no better time for an introduction than the Uketoberfest, taking place all day Saturday at downtown venues, followed by an evening concert and open mike at the Veterans' Memorial Building, 1622 Willamette St.

"It's good for what ails you," said one of the festival's two organizers, Keith Blackwell. "It should be issued before Prozac, that's for sure."

Keith's romance with the wee, four-stringed, guitarlike instrument began suddenly and with an intensity reserved for true love. He was at a friend's house when he opened a case he thought contained a violin.

"I strummed it and said something I almost never say," he remembered. "?`I have to get one of these.'?"

That was five years ago. It was the beginning of a relationship with an instrument he called his "musical soulmate." He has since joined both the Ukulaneys and Mele Ohana, monthly ukulele clubs.

Blackwell had dabbled in guitar before picking up that first uke, but hasn't looked back since.

"Now when I pick up the guitar, it feels like I'm holding someone else's girlfriend - and she's big," he said with a laugh.

The other half of what Uketoberfest organizers called "the brains behind the operation," Brook Adams, fell in love with his bright little ukulele just as quickly. Once he started playing, he was attracted to its inconspicuous, happy quality.

Both Adams and local folk singer Debbie Diedrich were working for the Oregon Festival of American Music when organizers handed out about a dozen ukuleles to help welcome a traveling musician.

The idea was they would give the instruments back, but Adams insisted they'd have to pry his uke from his cold, dead hands. So he bought one off of them.

"You could play pop songs without the big production" of unpacking something like a guitar, he said. "People just kind of ignore you."

Enthusiasm spawns a festival

The Ukulaneys started four years ago. Mele Ohana has been holding its monthly kanikapila potlucks and jams for two years.

Interest in these groups, plus the enthusiasm Adams and Blackwell witnessed at an annual ukulele festival in Portland, made them think a full-day conference in Eugene would be viable.

Both clubs attract about 30 participants each month, with some overlap. The Ukulaneys have compiled a homemade songbook of more than 120 tunes.

The Ukulaneys play everything from Tin Pan Alley songs from the jazz era to the Beatles. They meet at the community center at Washington Park.

Mele Ohana concentrates on Hawaiian music. One of its founders, Maggie Matoba, started the group because she needed someone to play with after one of her musical partners died and the other moved away.

Matoba connected with like-minded individuals through music-focused chat rooms. They started playing together at homes. Before long, the group's ranks swelled and they moved to Our Savior Lutheran Church on Coburg Road.

"I was very amazed," said Matoba, who is Japanese-American but says she's "Hawaiian by osmosis."

A kanikapila is a backyard jam. They used to be common on the Hawaiian Islands before technology and a faster pace of life ate into the tradition.

Matoba is on a mission to educate Lane County residents about Hawaiian language and culture. She said many have the need and desire to get together and play music, but don't know of opportunities.

"This is about as close as they can get to a backyard changalang," she said of her group.

As an extension of their club, members have formed the Iron Mango Orchestra, a performance group. They also attend concerts by touring Hawaiian artists. Most recently, the group took in ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro's Oct. 15 concert at the Wildish Theater in Springfield.

Shimabukuro proves that the little ukulele's boundaries are wider than people think. He doesn't play Hawaiian music, but sticks to original compositions and covers of pop songs. (Check him out on the Ticket blog: rgweb.registerguard.com/ticketfiles.)

Matoba, a retired travel agent, shares this desire to undo stereotypes, not only about the uke, but also the coconut-bra and straw-skirt images of Hawaiian culture.

"People are always going to associate the ukulele with Tiny Tim, but there is so much more to it than that," Matoba said.

Those involved with the ukulele clubs hope the festival will show the public what opportunities are out there and how easy and fun it is to play the instrument.

"This little instrument has given a lot of joy to a lot of people," Matoba said. "You can learn to play in like an hour. I could teach you a two-chord song in 5 minutes."

Duck game might be distraction

The downside of the festival's timing is that thousands of locals will be at Autzen Stadium on Saturday watching the Oregon Ducks take on the USC Trojans in a battle of top 10 football teams.

But organizer Blackwell pointed out that uke enthusiasts from are traveling in for the four concerts and eight workshops the festival will provide. Besides, the whole town can't fit in or afford to attend a game at Autzen Stadium.

Some of the events are free, so someone casually interested could stroll downtown and check out the uke action without investing. But beware: Playing the ukulele can be addictive.

"Sometimes it's hard for me to get to work," Blackwell said, noting he believes many uke players are singers, like himself, who just want to strum along.

Most workshops are designed to improve ukulele skills and learn new songs, but there is a hula dance workshop and a humorous history of the ukulele presented by Buck Mueller.

Volunteers will facilitate impromptu jam sessions throughout the day and encourage people in the open mike at the Vet's Club ballroom. But the highlight will come during the Big Strum-Off at the Saturday Market, where representatives from the various ukulele groups will form the "biggest ukulele band you ever saw," according to a news release.

Adams is also leader of the Swinging Marmalukeys, but what he said he loves about the ukulele is that people can just be themselves.

"Somebody will whip out a (songbook) and people will just start playing," he said. "No solos or intros.

"People just want to play and have fun."

EVENT PREVIEW

Uketoberfest

When: From 9 a.m. until after a 6 p.m. concert

Where: Rogue Brewery, Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts, Cozmic Pizza, Saturday Market and Veterans' Memorial Building Ballroom

Registration: All day for $30 (two workshops, one concert); workshops $15 each; concerts $7 each; some events free; registration forms are available at DIVA, Pacific Winds and Rogue Brewery

On the Web: To find out more about local clubs, visit www.meleohana.net or brookadams.com; Adams' site has links about the festival (click on the Mona Lisa image on the left)

You can reach Serena Markstrom at [e-mail].