Join the Orchestra

MoonlitMusicBoxWanna Rawk with Us?

Keep your Monday nights open for ukulele forever! 

  • It’s fun.
  • It’s ukulele.
  • It’s pretty cheap.
  • It’s a little (lotta) (crazy lotta) work.
  • Your cat shouldn’t be your number one fan.
  • You’ll be a part of small and large ensembles.
  • You’ll get better faster by playing music with others.
  • The door is always open to anybody who wants to try.
  • It doesn’t matter whether you’re great or terrible. (Honestly.)
  • We’re the largest string orchestra in Colorado (we’re pretty sure).
  • It’s a couple hours on Monday nights and a wee bit o’ practice at home.
  • We’re pretty sure we’re the largest and oldest community ukulele orchestra anywhere, but we might be wrong. We are definitely the best one in the world according to us.

We are on a mission to gather up every ukulele-ist wanting to take their playing to the next level. We will teach you what you need to know. We think we’re the largest string orchestra in the Rockies and we want to be the largest band, but we need your help. Please share this idea with your friends who might need a little ukulele music in their lives. We’re nice people and would love to see you and your body guard at one of our rehearsals.

We meet on Monday nights for full orchestra rehearsal. At 7 pm Mountain time (Denver time), we begin our assault on brilliance with our arranged ensemble repertoire. We’re usually done by 8:15 pm or so. If you join a small ensemble, those generally begin around 6:30 pm.

If you attend in-person:

  • You may not attend if you feel at all sick. Join us online instead.
  • You will need your own music stand, ukulele, and sheet music in a binder or tablet.
  • Arrive no earlier than 6 pm ever.
  • Small ensembles and sectionals may meet for a short time before or after rehearsal.
  • Do not congregate in the doorways.
  • Take a seat anywhere. We do not assign seating until the concert.
  • We start promptly for the benefit of our online community.
  • Help return chairs and tables to the correct location after rehearsal.

If you attend online:

A link will appear on the front page of Jolly Roger Ukulele a few minutes before we begin. Hit reload! You must be a member of the Jolly Roger Ukulele website to get the sheet music. You’ll need to be able to use YouTube and Zoom to take full advantage of our electronic options.

Contact:

There are no auditions, but email us before showing up at info@ukuleleorchestra.org

Rehearsals:

In-person rehearsals are held near Union and Alameda in Lakewood

Here’s a MAP:

Green Mountain United Methodist
(northeast basement door!)
12755 West Cedar Drive
Lakewood, CO 80228

Please note that while we are not affiliated with the church, but we are grateful to them for allowing us to use their opulent parking lot and cavernous fellowship hall for our monstrous sized orchestra. It’s hard to find places anywhere in the Denver-metro capable of handling us.

Stuff You’ll Need to Own Eventually:

You can buy most of this stuff from us when you come to rehearsal.

  1. Ukulele.
  2. Tuner.
  3. A pencil and highlighter.
  4. Black three-ring binder with hard backing.
  5. Music stand (black). (You’ll want to buy the one we sell for $70.)
  6. Music stand light (also black). (We have a great one for $22.)
  7. Kazoo (any color). (We have them from $1 to $30 … they all sound the same.)
  8. White polo shirt with our logo. (You can get these from us.)
  9. Blue jeans. (We encourage wearing pants.)
  10. One all-black outfit. (For the May concert.)

Fees:

You must be a member of Jolly Roger Ukulele to get the sheet music. If finances are a problem, we have a scholarship program. Just ask.

Skills:

Unlike most modern orchestras, we embrace all ability levels, so don’t be shy. Come join us. Seriously, we’re actively working to eliminate the elitism so prevalent in most musical organizations and what we’re doing freaks some people out … but we really do want you to attend no matter what skill level you are sporting at the moment, and if you keep showing up, you’ll be amazing in short order.

Advice:

If you’re new to music, ukulele, or reading tablature, it will be wise to take our Ukulele Foundations program available at Jolly Roger Ukulele. If you are an experienced player, you should also go through our Foundations program as it’s likely you haven’t played in this style in the past. Experienced players should also plan to be a soloist, a leader, a teacher, and an inspiration to the rest of us.

Who Should Not Join:

  • If you need to be the center of attention, we are not your best option. We look forward to cheering for you on American Idol.
  • If you only want to play those 12 songs you liked in high school, we recommend private lessons for you. To play in the orchestra, you’ll need to be ready to try your hand at lots of different repertoire and some of it you might hate.

Orchestra Expectations:

  • Attend regularly scheduled rehearsals. We know you’ll miss some — you have a life, right? — but please be communicative about when you’ll be gone so we don’t send out an Amber alert. If you miss too much, we may ask you to be a stage hand for our concerts.
  • Attend and perform at events listed on the orchestra’s calendar. These are in various locations around the city and announced well in advance. Online options will be available for most events.
  • Follow dress codes created for each performance.
  • Members under 16 years old must bring a supportive adult to the first couple of rehearsals. If you’re full of rock ‘n’ roll you can stay, if we’re acting as your babysitter, ya gotta go.
  • Pay required fees for participation.
  • Own a quality ukulele. Be prepared to work to acquire mad skills.
  • Practice at home to ensure mastery of materials.
  • Conduct oneself in a manner to promote the interests of the orchestra.
  • Assist in fundraising, repertoire development, and equipment management.
  • Don’t be a pain.