Did you ever know there was such an organization as Ukulele Soup in Old Towne Orange? Are you a ukulele player yourself? Do you appreciate the gentle hum of the 4-stringed instrument? This week we welcomed Orange resident and founder of Ukulele Soup to A Circle in a Square’s first segment of Historangical. Historangical is a word we made up that combines history + stories + Orange! In these segments, you will hear some good old fashioned storytelling woven with the history of our beautiful town of Orange. Whether you are an Orange resident or beyond, read on to hear a new perspective and – surprise – some live ukulele music on the podcast! You can also listen to her sing right below.
Peggy Calvert calls herself “the Johnny Appleseed of ukuleles” because she practically knows everything there is to know about them. Peggy worked in parks and recreation for most of her career, doing programming for adults, children and seniors. In 2007, she ran a community arts center that focused largely on arts and music. In the summer, she would host a luau for the kids and wanted someone to learn to play the ukulele. After asking her staff which one of them wanted to learn how to play, she decided to teach herself. With her busy job and newfound talent, she wanted to find a new relaxing hobby. She got some ukulele lessons and joined a ukulele group to play. After two years, she wanted to bring a ukulele group to Orange. She was able to start the Ukulele Soup program in Orange in October 2013, where she would provide all ukulele lovers the opportunity to play music and learn more about the art of ukuleles. When it came time to host her first session, she was nervous no one would show up, but lo and behold, 18 people showed up to play ukulele!
Since 2013, Peggy has created a monthly group for ukulele players to come together, play music, and gain a larger appreciation for the 4-stringed instrument. Peggy promises that as soon as it is safe, Ukulele Soup will be back in full swing. Check out Ukulele Soup on Facebook here for all of the future updates. We loved hearing her story so if you want to hear it too, subscribe to A Circle in a Square on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! You can also listen below.
Thank you so much to Peggy for sharing her love of music with us on the podcast.
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