Raging Dad

Well, clearly I have fallen off the blogger wagon. Here it is, the Ides of March, and this is my first blog post of 2010.

Ah well.

So what the hell has Raging Dad been up to? Allow me to summarize with one word:

A Kala mango 'ukulele.

The ‘ukulele.

I told you I never took a math class in college right?

Anyway. If you are not playing the ‘ukulele then you are missing out on some serious fun.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “Why the hell is he spelling ‘ukulele with an apostrophe?”

And I answer, “Because I’ve been shamed to do so.” Yeah, here’s the deal. While most people say yoo-koo-lay-lee, it is actually pronounced oo-koo-leh-leh. The apostrophe thing isn’t really an apostrophe, but some Hawaiian accent. I forget what it’s called, so Google it yourself, alright?

Among the cool uke players, you need to pronounce it oo-koo-leh-leh. Amongst the unenlightened, well. If they haven’t laughed at you for playing a “toy guitar,” then they’ll surely make fun of you for pronouncing it like a Silly Man.

I’m not sure why I honor the pronunciation, since I have long argued against snooty pronunciations. Like, for instance, I don’t say that I would like to visit “Pair-ee” to visit the Eiffel Tower. [Side note: anyone who says "an historic event" who isn't British is an asshole.]

Semantics aside, the uke is a wonderful little instrument. It is simple enough that someone who is not musically inclined can pick it up rather quickly. It is a joy to play, and seems like less of a project than playing the guitar. Finally, it is such a non-pretentious instrument. It’s like an underdog: no one expects you to be a master when playing a uke, so expectations are low and easy to exceed. Finally, the perfect instrument for me!

Here’s a little ditty my kids and I did for a contest. The rules stated we must sing about ‘ukuleles and ice cream. So we did.

Enjoy!

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