The Hastings Ukulele Band performs at a recent Campbellford Community Lunch

“The only rule is you must have fun,” Jim Victor.

Article by Sue Dickens

Trent Hills – Thurs., March 30, 2023 - What is HUB? And what is a ukulele?

HUB at the Rotary Hall where the Campbellford Community Lunch is held regularly.

For these answers we asked Jim Victor, of along with his bandmates make up the Hastings Ukulele Band.

And they performed at the recent community lunch held in Campbellford at Rotary Hall.

A retired accountant for a gravel company, Jim started playing ukulele in 2015 as a snowbird in Arizona. He says he picked it up very quickly because he already had a musical background. He has a Musical Instrument Certificate for 29 instruments, none with strings, which is what the ukulele has.

His ukulele teacher passed away in December 2017 and he was asked to take over teaching.

“I use the same technique for teaching as I did previously as a Salvation Army Band Master many years ago,” he told Trent Hills Now.

“The only rule is you must have fun,” he added.

“The first year teaching in Arizona I had 107 beginners over the course of the winter. We gave an end-of-year concert with 57 Ukuleles and nine Hula dancers,” Jim explained.

“When we returned home, I was bored, so I started Ukulele classes in the Hastings Civic Centre June, 2018

The Hastings Ukulele Band (HUB) started with about six players and now has about 30, with 15-20 at each rehearsal.

The band rehearses every Monday morning at Branch 106, Canadian Legion in Hastings.

“We have three players who have been with HUB since the beginning,” he noted.

HUB gives free lessons to beginners and the group has a couple of Ukuleles for loan until band members can get their own.

The Hastings Ukelele Band performing at the Campbellford Market in 2022 Jim Victor is front left.

HUB has played at Community lunches at Hastings, Norwood and Warkworth, the children’s library in Campbellford, Gillies Pub (McGillicaffey’s Pub) in Hastings, Campbellford Market, Campbellford Rotary lunch, Hastings Waterfront Festival, Hastings Canada Day Parade, and Grand Maple Event Centre.

HUB members are from Hastings, Campbellford, Norwood, Warkworth, Keene and Peterborough.

“They are from all walks of life, such as a photographer, homemaker, accountant, artist, musician, farmer, secretary, and baker, etc.,” said Jim.

“It is amazing the number of people I have met because of music,” he said.

“As can be expected, I have UAS…..Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome and am presently at #11,” he concluded with a chuckle.

To learn more or to join the group go to their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hubukuleles

About the Ukelele: Source Wikipedia

The ukulele (/ˌjuːkəˈleɪli/ YOO-kə-LAY-lee; from Hawaiian: ʻukulele [ˈʔukuˈlɛlɛ], approximately OO-koo-LEH-leh), also called a uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.[1][2][3]

The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small, guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the machete,[4] cavaquinho, timple, and rajão, introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde.[5] Three immigrants in particular, Madeiran cabinet makers Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are generally credited as the first ukulele makers.[