What’s our story?
Tucson Ukulele Uprising (TUKU), originally founded in 2011 as Tucson Ukulele Meetup (TUM), is a member-run, not-for-profit community music club whose goal is to bring together interested adults for playing ukulele and singing for personal enjoyment. All ukuleles are welcome: soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, guitarlele, and banjolele. Bass instruments, such as the U-Bass, double-bass, cello, and bass guitar will also be considered. We share our ukulele knowledge and have fun playing and singing all kinds of music — pop, blues, folk, bluegrass, country, gospel, rock, soul, and more. Ukulele beginners are welcome!
We generally meet every other Sunday for a couple of hours to play/sing songs together. The “playlist” — the list of songs we will play together — changes every week and will be posted in the This Week page. You can RSVP for the events on the Events page.
Occasionally we have TUKU socials where we add in food/drink and songs performed by smaller groups, recital-style.
We also play at Tucson’s various Cyclovias throughout the year.
Annual membership dues are $25 per year. Dues will get you a limited-edition, highly collectible snazzy pin-back button unique to each year.
If you’d like to get in touch, please Contact Us.
Behind the Scenes at TUKU
Meet the People That Keep TUKU Strumming...
Greer W
“I joined Tucson Ukulele Meetup (now known as TUKU) in January 2019, having owned my concert uke for two weeks and knowing only the C and Am chords. Everyone in the group was kind and encouraging and being in TUKU helped me learn faster and play better than I could have done on my own. I became a co-organizer of the group in 2021, when we rebooted after a 18 month hiatus due to the pandemic. I play primarily baritone ukulele now and enjoy singing low harmonies.”
Betheny C
Steve F
Following retirement as a Naval Aviator in 1995, Steve worked for the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. He and his wife moved to Vail in 2005 where he began work for Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson. He learned to play the ukulele while in Vail, and after a long search for people to play with, he joined the nascent Tucson Ukulele Meetup (TUM) in 2011. He became the TUM co-organizer in 2012 and later became its sole organizer. In early 2022, he relinquished his organizer responsibilities but remains an active member. Steve plays the concert, tenor and baritone ukuleles, the bass guitar, the tenor guitar, and now the mandolin.
Srin M
“I tried all kinds of instruments before picking up the ukulele at age 50 and was astonished to find I was playing an actual song (badly) within an hour. I've never looked back. I played on my own for two years before joining TUKU, and the group has taught me joy and camaraderie as well as a sense of rhythm and timing. I mostly play baritone but occasionally break out a 6-string tenor or banjolele. After 10 years of singing and playing, I've only discovered 10% of the magic the ukulele can do, and I'm always looking forward to learning more.”
Connie P
Affectionately known as TUKU Mom, Connie is one of the first faces you will see and get greeted by at our events.
Ankesh K
“I started playing during COVID times and never looked back. For me the ukulele is more than just an instrument, it is a way of life, happiness, and making friends. I joined TUKU when I moved to Tucson in 2023 and look forward to every jam session.”
