By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
I think this ukulele craze creeped on us when videos of about hundreds of young children and adults playing ukulele to accompany Cordillera songs were posted in facebook some months ago. Many actually watched the presentation in Baguio City while others, including myself watched the videos. They sounded great- lively and invigorating and wow, seemed it was easy pala to play the ukulele.
When it was posted in the group chat of the Episcopal Church Women of the Cathedral of the Resurrection if we wanted to learn ukulele, there were a few takers at first. There had to be at least 20 enrollees for a class to start. Perhaps it took a month to recruit enough interested people but by the time we had an orientation last week for this batch, there were more than 120 attendees! Wow!
Earlier, we were informed that there was only one time slot left as our teacher was fully booked for the rest of the days and times. I learned that Holy Innocents Church in Guisad started ahead of us and also Epiphany Church in La Trinidad and more. This ukulele fever swept through the churches. Majority of the learners are women… and senior.
My theory why playing the ukulele has caught fire is that people are now looking for meaning in their lives and for something uplifting as a community. Life has become comfortable for a lot of people especially the retired. In other words, boring. At the same time, life has become more stressful. Watching the daily news is depressing (so why watch?). So here comes something that is doable, affordable and accessible, portable and looks fun! Baguio City is a small city. The ukulele is small, unlike a guitar or piano.
And of course, who doesn’t love music. Music is a part of life… since the beginning of time. Music is part of all cultures, although might be expressed differently, different tunes, different tempos, content. But all are gifts from one Creator- from the day-eng, dad-dad-at to western lullabies and rock and roll.
People instinctively know that music is medicine. And science is confirming this. Researchers have found out that listening to or making music activates several areas of the brain. These are areas involving memory, movement, emotion and attention. According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, music-based interventions can help reduce anxiety, ease pain, improve mood, and support emotional well-being in many patients. There are also studies to show that music therapy improved cognition and quality of life of people with dementia.
Music reminds us that health and healing is not only about swallowing pills. Sometimes, healing begins with a familiar melody, a shared song or a cherished memory carried by music.
And for us older adults, singing in a community choir, learning a simple instrument or enjoying favourite songs with family combines mental challenge, emotional engagement and social interaction- three factors that are important for healthy aging. As one trainee said, “We can learn ukulele in YouTube but it is more fun to learn face-to-face with others and the teacher.” Thank you to our teacher, Sir Eric Degyawi, the Torogi Wonderer, for taking time to teach us ukulele!
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“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your heart.” Colossians 3:16
