The little orchestra with plenty of pluck

Geelong first ‘ukestra’ has debuted with a troupe of locals strumming their stuff on tiny stringed instruments.
The group of ukulele players divided segments of each song between members depending on their abilities to “make a fantastic ensemble sound”, explained facilitators Di Moore and Robyn Hodge.
“Think Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, only for ordinary folk,” they said.
“It’s community music making, where process and participation are more important than perfection”.
Di and Robyn were inspired to form Geelong Ukestra, scheduled to debut at Waurn Ponds Hotel on Thursday night, after “lurking at various ukulele festivals for a while”.
Their main inspiration was Ukastle Ukestra’s Mark Jackson and partner Jane Jelbart, whose “accessible and exciting approach” to ukulele music struck a chord with the pair.
“Mark and Jane gave us their blessing and are mentoring us as we build our Geelong Ukestra” Di said.
“We’re honoured by their trust and plan to create a fantastic experience for uke players in Geelong. Hopefully everyone involved will help to build a supportive and friendly musical community.”
Robyn urged prospective members to join the new band.
“Ukulele is ultimately a sociable instrument and, as they get more accomplished, players are looking for opportunities to make music with friends – and this is where the Geelong Ukestra comes in,” she said.
“We want to get people out from behind their YouTube tutorials and chord charts and into a band experience where the focus is on fun and delivering an entertaining performance.”
Robyn and Di, both ukulele teachers, said anyone wanting more information on the new group could visit geelongukestra.com.au