The Strummerville Ukulele Club attracts a large crowd. Photo by Maeve Callaghan.
Two dozen people strum ukuleles, filling the second floor of the Brookline Village Public Library with the catchy melody of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.”
Welcome to the Brookline meetup of the Strummerville Ukulele Club, which invites both seasoned and brand-new ukulele players to jam in a group of 20 to 30 people on the second Tuesday of every month. Even those who do not own ukuleles are encouraged to participate, as the library has several to loan for the evening.
“For us, the beauty of all of this stuff is it doesn’t cost a lot, and it’s fun,” said John Soares, one of the leaders of the Strummerville Ukulele Club.
Strummerville began in 2015 in Somerville at the Arts at the Armory, where it also hosts monthly meetups. A member of the Somerville community suggested that they host a regular event in Brookline.
“We never thought to come to Brookline,” Soares said. “We came to Brookline, and we got a ton of people.”
Nick Howarth became involved with Strummerville in 2016 while in search of a new hobby. He quickly became a regular member, and the following year he began to lead the group.
Since January, the members of Strummerville have gathered at Hunneman Hall in the Brookline Village Public Library. Doors open at 6 p.m., and attendees play music from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. using the official Strummerville Ukulele Club songbook. They then play and sing songs for the first 45 minutes followed by a 15-minute snack break.
The songbook includes 200 songs. The material ranges from folk, classic rock and contemporary pop to much more. Their favorites include “Come Sail Away” by Styx and “I Went to the Library” by The Wiggles.
Brookline resident Don Sherak, a new member of the Strummerville Ukulele Club, was walking down the street in Coolidge Corner when he discovered the club. “My son had given me a ukulele as a gift, and I figured, how hard can it be?” he said.
“It’s nice to come out of the workspace and think music, sing music, and make music with people,” Sherak said. “It’s about community.”
A poster for the Strummerville Ukulele Jam. Photo by Maeve Callaghan.
Sarah Bastille, a Brookline resident and longtime member of the Ukulele Union of Boston, said she was thrilled to hear that Strummerville planned to host an event in the area. Previously, she found herself commuting to Somerville to attend jams.
“I was so excited when they said they were going to do a Brookline one,” Bastille said. “People love the ukulele!”
Haworth and Soares are always willing to take requests for songs from the group – which June Lestrange did at the June gathering in Brookline. Lestrange, who lives in Winchester, plays in five groups, but she’s taken a liking to the Strummerville environment.
“I’m in the mood for ‘Psycho Killer,’” Lestrange said. “My other groups won’t play it – they’re too rigid – but Strummerville is great.” Soares and Howarth excitedly took the request and led the group in playing the familiar rhythm.
Soares and Howarth said they try to make everyone feel welcome, even if they don’t know how to play. “Even if you don’t know the song, you can pick it up easily,” Howarth said.
Strummerville is the perfect place for those fond of brief moments of off-key singing, laughter and a lively jam.
“That wasn’t right at all, but I did it with confidence,” Soares said while strumming his ukulele in front of the group. “That’s my favorite part.”