An Abundance Of Aloha Passion On Staten Island

If you want to find a little slice of Hawaii in New York City, head to Staten Island. The “forgotten borough” is home to a growing ukulele scene with a whole lot of Aloha passion.  

New York’s southernmost borough has all the ingredients to make a perfect little Hawaii: The residents are friendly, the style of living is laid back and it’s one the city’s many islands! The problem? Well, it’s an island, and that means residents who live here are often required to travel elsewhere for ukulele clubs and festivals. That’s where The Staten Island Ukes come in.  

The island’s main ukulele group meet on the second Wednesday of every month to ensure Staten Islanders have somewhere to go if they’re not capable of going off the island to other groups. Anyone interested in playing the ukulele is welcome, and all skill levels are encouraged to join. In fact, the club even welcomes musicians who specialize in instruments other than the ukulele. If you play the bass, or you’re a percussionist, The Staten Island Ukes would love to have you!

Each meeting begins with a beginner lesson, moves on to a club-wide jam and ends with an open mic. Like most uke groups, The States Island Ukes use The Daily Ukulele books, but if you don’t happen to have them, don’t worry, members here embody the Aloha State of Mind and have no problem sharing.

All you have to do is bring a uke, some music to share (ideally 15 copies and in pro chord style) and a song to sing for the club’s open mic (if you feel up to it). Meetings run from 7:00pm until 10:00pm at Rusty’s Tavern, 879 Forest Ave, 10310 (one block off of Clove Road). The cost is a $5 per person donation, which covers all of the club’s expenses.  

For multi-instrumentalists looking to bond with like-minded people who also happen to share a passion for the uke, head over to Staten Island Musicians’ Facebook page. Those wanting to jam or find a band to play with often post on the group to meet up with other musicians in the area, and ukulele meetups have been posted about in the past. Want to showcase your killer uke skills? This is the place to do it. Musicians are welcome to share their talent and promote Staten Island’s music scene.  

The joy of playing the little ukulele and singing along in a big group of like-minded people is incomparable – and Staten Island knows it. The uke is truly the people’s instrument: It brings everyone together for the love of making music, and Staten Island is one of New York City’s leading forces when it comes to bringing fans of the diminutive instrument together.