Hampton Bays Ukelele Club Jams Out At Library

Five years ago, music enthusiast Stephen Young started a ukulele club at the Hampton Bays Public Library where he worked as a librarian. Today, that club has turned into a weekly jam session, where dedicated club members from all walks of life come together to partake in a load of musical fun.

Mr. Young has always had a passion for music, and the tight-knit community at the library was the perfect crowd for him to share his musical background with.

“Before going into the library profession, I have always had a vision of utilizing my music background to share and teach my appreciation for music with members of the community,” he said. “I saw an opportunity in the library to make this happen with the ukulele.”

As for why the ukulele was picked as the instrument of choice for the club, Mr. Young said that “ukes” are small and easy to lug around, most songs can be adapted to the ukulele, and they are fun and easy to learn. The ukuleles have proven to be so popular that the library has begun to loan them out to Hampton Bays Library cardholders.

"The library’s ukulele club is an excellent vehicle to introduce people of various ages who love all types of music to an instrument that’s easy and fun to learn,” Library Supervisor David Zimmerman said.

The club started off meeting twice a month, but has now become so popular that it meets once a week on Mondays from 1 to 2 p.m.

“I used to schedule it twice a month, but it’s become such a popular and fun time that it only made more sense to offer it as often as possible,” Mr. Young said.

New and returning members, ukulele beginners and pros attend, and even people from other towns and states sometimes come out to join in on the musical fun.

“All are welcome,” Mr. Young said. “It is truly amazing to witness the musical growth and musicianship as individuals and a group — the enthusiasm surpasses my greatest expectations every time.”

Jam sessions usually start with members getting their music together, tuning up their instruments, a warm up, and of course, light hearted conversation and humor shared around before they start strumming. Mr. Young sends the group a list of songs that the group is working on, along with any helpful resources to practice with while members also often recommend their own songs.

“My approach is to keep the vibe of the group free flowing and organic,” Mr. Young said. “It’s informal good fun all around with a communal feel to it.”

During the pandemic, the club met via zoom, and Mr. Young was impressed by the dedication of the group to persevere and continue meeting despite not being able to see each other in person. “It was the perfect remedy for those quarantine blues,” he said.

“Under less than ideal circumstances, we clung together through the COVID shutdown via Zoom,” club member Bette Lou Fletcher said. “We all became better players because of the commitment made to stick together during the pandemic.”

During warm months, the club meets outdoors on library grounds, and they have recently been meeting on the library’s front lawn off Ponquogue Avenue, where they capture the attention of passersby who stop to listen, dance and enjoy the curbside entertainment. When the weather is not so accommodating, the club meets inside the library.

“Rain or shine, though, we’re strumming and singing together one way or another,” Mr. Young said.

The club has certainly had an astounding effect on its members, who have continued attending for years and cite the group as a real source of happiness and community in their lives.

“When I started years ago, it was because I liked music, but could never play it on any instrument, how hard could four strings be?” said club member Jerry Raihl. “When the group improved, we played at several senior centers in the area. Witnessing attendees tapping their feet to our tunes gave me an emotion I wasn’t expecting — feeling blessed and thinking perhaps that was my main purpose for starting to learn the Ukulele in the first place.”

After five years, the club is still going strong and isn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.

“We’re all speaking the language of music and we’re all striving to achieve a community committed to a love for music,” Mr. Young said.