Posted on 09/26/2022 1:15:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Images of a surprise ukulele lesson on a recent Southwest Airlines flight from California to Hawaii appeared online last week and promptly received a roasting from keyboard comedians.
The notion of an unsolicited music lesson while seated on a six-hour flight was too much for many naysayers, who criticized the cheerful promotion — a crossover between the airline and Guitar Center, which provided the instructors and ukuleles — as a gimmick worse than death.
What the knee-jerk reactors missed was that this experience, while a commercial for two mega corporations, was a harmonious, unique memory for a full flight of passengers inbound for Hawaii.
“For anyone who wasn’t there, they can make it out to be as great or awful in their head. But if you were there in person, it was nothing but smiles,” said Ryan Miyashiro, a Guitar Center teacher who was one of the three instructors on the flight. “The lesson itself was a quick 20 minutes. It happened in the middle of the flight, and it was a nice break from what you’d normally be accustomed to doing on a long flight.
Miyashiro has worked at the Guitar Center in Pearl City, on his home island of Oahu, for the past year and a half. He celebrates the instrument’s rich history and its ties to Hawaii’s culture. He said he began learning to play years ago when he lived in the Bay Area but would feel homesick.
He was a top candidate from Guitar Center’s leadership to lead this in-flight lesson, both for his ability to teach large classes and for his passion for sharing music with new learners.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I don’t want it that bad.
Hopefully they sounded like this by the time they landed
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pLgJ7pk0X-s
And Iz was amazing.
I think mine was plastic - or whatever plastic was in the 1950s :-)
His is the most beautiful rendition of “Over the Rainbow” I’ve ever heard. Also read that he went into the recording studio, and they got that beautiful song in one take. Miss you, Israel!
The Ukulele Orchestra is great :-)
You beat me to the punch - awesome rendition of that great movie theme!
He was beloved and very talented. We lost a good soul.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Kamakawiwo%CA%BBole
oh hell yeah!!!
ever see you don’t bring me flowers?
never seen a bad one...
I’ve always liked this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KhZo3sYQho
Rainer Hersch is great, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGKwx-BFO0E
And have you seen the MozART group?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSZcLB4IyF0
good stuff... the one guy looks kinda like Mr. Bean
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