Hawaiian Vibe
CRANBERRY TWP — Where fun goes, Clyde Cameron follows.
That is why he picked up a ukulele a week ago at his church.
“It's a little tricky so far, but it's been fun. I get it out and pluck on it every day,” said Cameron of Cranberry Township. “Whenever Maureen (Konopka) said she was going to teach us how to play the ukulele, I said, 'Woah! That sounds like fun to me.'”
Ukulele players strummed between chords until they played and sang “How Great Thou Art” during their practice last week at Dutilh United Methodist Church, 1270 Dutilh Road.
The ukulele groups started as a way to bring more people into the church's music ministry, said Konopka, the director of music ministries since 2018.
A ukulele is a Hawaiian instrument that features four strings, unlike the guitar which has six strings.
“Music is intimidating, if you are not sure how to read and understand it. People can be scared off,” Konopka said. “If you do not have experience in a group or with an instrument, people tend to shy away from joining music groups because they believe they will feel out of place or like they are bringing the group down.”
Konopka chose ukuleles because most people have never tried to play the ukulele.
“All of our players are on the same page and learning together, no one feels as if they are bringing the group down because they started together,” she said.
It is also another way to bring church members together in fellowship.
“Anytime we come together, support each other and worship God is a great time,” she said.
Another musician who plucked along on their ukulele was Sue Woods of Cranberry Township.
“Over The Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is the song that inspired her to join the ukulele ensemble.
“I love the songs they come out with and play the ukulele with,” said Woods, who plays bells, sings in the choir and in the cantatas at Dutilh Church.
Currently, there are three ukulele groups; Kingdom Ukuleles for children in grades 1 to 6, DSM Ukuleles from students in grades 7 to 12, and Adult Ukuleles for anyone age 18 and up.
The groups will perform as part of the Sunday services on select days as Special Music throughout the spring, Konopka said.“I am hoping to plan a luau service that will feature all of our ukulele groups providing music for our service for the beginning of summer that we could have outside,” she said.Experience is not required and neither is music reading, she said.“We are all starting with little to no knowledge, but it is fun to see those that are picking it up a little bit helping those that are still struggling a little. That is what the members of Dutilh do, help each other,” she said.The ukulele is not common in church ensembles, she said.Ukuleles have become very popular among school music programs because they are more cost-effective than guitars and easier to play, she said.Konopka said she finds music in worship to be a moving time.“The message of the hymns and contemporary songs is very clear, but what brings them to life is the music,” she said. “You can have a great message from the pastor, but without the right music, that message can be lost. A lot of the planning that goes into worship is making sure the message and music align.”
Arrangers choose keys, chords and harmonies that would make songs sound happy or sad, she said.“Sometimes I play songs for offertories, preludes or postludes that are the complete opposite of the traditional hymn, sometimes slow instead of fast or in minor instead of major, I think turning the song upside down sometimes can make you look at the lyrics in a different way and bring you closer to the message they were intended to bring,” she said.The ukulele groups add a spark to the musical offerings, Konopka said.“We have had the same groups at Dutilh for a long time and when we add new groups and offerings more people take an interest in Dutilh and our music ministry,” she said.Quai Butler of Harmony has seen ukuleles in other musical settings but not churches.Out of a desire to learn the instrument, she joined the ukulele ministry with her mother.“I've never played a string instrument before so it's a little tricky, but I like it,” said Butler, 24.Butler, who plays saxophone and piano, knows how to read music, which makes learning easier.She said the ukulele ensembles will make Dutilh Church unique because music is an important part of worship.“Music helps everyone feel closer together,” she said.
- Kingdom Choir, Kingdom Chimes and Kingdom Ukuleles: groups for children from age 3 until they reach seventh grade- DSM Ukuleles, DSM Choir and DSM praise band: groups for youth ministry students in grades 7 to 12- Adult Choir, Adult Handbells and Adult Ukuleles: groups for people 18 and older- There is also Praise For, the Sunday morning praise band- A new praise band is being formed for the Saturday evening “Unplugged” service- In the Easter and Christmas seasons, the church has seasonal cantatas which feature the Cantata Choir, which is open to anyone who wants to sing; the Cantata Orchestra, which is open to anyone who wants to play their instrument in the group and either narrators and actors or the Cantata Handbell Choir. These cantata groups are open to open to anyone of any age.For more information: contact Maureen Konopka, director of music ministry, at 724-776-1094.
<b>Take it easy</b>It is easy to want to play all of the chords with fun rhythms and upbeat tempos, but if you are new to a string instrument, your hands will not be ready for all of that. When you first play, your fingertips will hurt from pushing down on the strings. Let your fingers build up calluses over time so that you can play for longer periods.<b>Do not give up on day one</b>If your fingers are not used to moving into the chord positions, it will seem impossible at first, but trying a little bit each day will make a huge difference. If you do get frustrated, take a break, come back and try again.<b>Learn four chords to start</b>Practice getting to and from those chords. Instruments like the ukulele are based on muscle memory. You don't even need to strum, just practice moving your fingers from one chord to another.<b>Try different size ukuleles first</b>The three most common ukuleles are all tuned and played the same, but if you have larger fingers or have arthritic fingers, the soprano size might be hard to play and a larger-sized tenor might be better. Many music stores now carry ukuleles. Trying before buying will probably make a big difference.SOURCE: Maureen Konopka, Dutilh United Methodist Church director of music ministries
Maureen Konopka, Dutilh United Methodist Church's director of music ministries, grew up in Dormont, graduated from Keystone Oaks High School and Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she earned a bachelor's of science degree in music education with a focus in piano.She and her husband of 11 years, Eric, have two children; Sam, 11, and Allison, 7.Previously, Konopka taught in the Dorchester County Public Schools in Cambridge, Md., for six years as a choir director and piano instruction teacher.When they moved back to Pennsylvania for her husband's job in 2013, she worked at the School of Rock in Wexford.She was music director at the Wexford Community Presbyterian Church for three years, then joined Dutilh Church.Piano is her primary instrument, said Konopka, who has been playing it for over 30 years. She also plays clarinet and bass clarinet, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, guitar, bass, ukulele and steel drums.Konopka also owns Cranberry Learns Piano, a travel-to-you piano studio that offers in-home lessons. She began the business after she moved to Pennsylvania in 2013.
