“Monday you can fall apart,
Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart,
Thursday doesn’t even start,
It’s Friday I’m in love.”
— The Cure, from “Friday I’m in Love” (a Ukulele Tuesday favorite)
As much as I like a good ol’ fashioned Friday, my true calendar love is the often overlooked and underappreciated Tuesday. My relationship with Tuesdays began in college with the phenomenon known as “Taco Tuesday,” which, in addition to being delightfully delicious, appeals to my adoration, admiration, and affection for alliteration. The early stages of this budding romance were exciting and new, but Tuesdays and I were not what one might describe as “exclusive.” When I moved to Ireland, Tuesdays changed. They became cold and distant, filled with classes, research meetings, and late nights in the library. Our relationship became rocky. We just weren’t us anymore.
Then one fateful day in November, I was told about a local event at a nearby pub. Every Tuesday night, the Stag’s Head hosts an event called “Ukulele Tuesday,” where a group of about 40 people meet up for a ukulele jam session. Coincidentally, I had just purchased a ukulele about one week before this, so I decided that I would check it out the following week. A few minutes into that first night it became clear that this was something special. It seemed that Tuesdays and I had a chance to rekindle our old flame.
Over the next few weeks I learned the basics of ukulele and practiced new chords whenever I got the chance. Eventually, I printed out the official songbook and decided I was ready to play along. Although I was nervous the first time, I relaxed once I realized that there were plenty of other beginners. That first night I sang and played until my voice was gone and my fingers were numb. My love for Tuesdays had returned, stronger than ever. It’s been a few months since that night, and Tuesdays and I are still going strong. This time around we are taking our relationship to the next level, and are even Facebook Official (https://www.facebook.com/UkuleleTuesday/?fref=ts).
The most surprising and exciting part of rediscovering my love of Tuesdays has been the sense of camaraderie amongst this small, eclectic group of ukulele enthusiasts. After just a handful of jam sessions, I have become good friends with a bunch of fellow ukulele players of all different ages and nationalities. Despite having almost nothing else in common with one another, we have formed a strange yet wonderful little musical family. At times, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the assignments, projects, and deadlines that never seem to stop swirling around in my head. However, knowing that I will have the chance to spend at least three hours per week singing and laughing (and usually drinking) with my new friends makes it all much more manageable.
Semi-related note: Rishi and I saw a Mumford and Sons concert on a Wednesday in December, and apparently they stopped in at the Stag’s Head the night before. They heard the group playing their song “Little Lion Man,” and talked about it on the radio the next day:
My friends and I at Ukulele Tuesday in January