Bob “Mac” McClendon, 79, made his first ukulele out of scrap wood from an old boat on its way to the dump.
Since then, he has crafted the stringed instrument resembling a pint-sized acoustic guitar out of everything from old surfboards to pieces of tables to table scraps ” literally.
“The darn thing didn’t look that bad, and it played pretty good,” McClendon said of his first ukulele.
Though he had been repairing guitars and ukuleles since high school, McClendon was unsure how his first experiment in craftsmanship would turn out.
That was 19 stunning ukuleles ago.
“I’m retired and it’s a good way to keep me out of the pool hall,” he joked.
McClendon said he knows all of his ukuleles by number and can share a story for each one. Though periodically he will sell one on special order (they take several months to make), he typically gives them away as gifts to friends.
And special gifts they are.
“When you play the ukulele, people smile,” said Kathy Michalski, producer of the third annual Ukulele Festival to be held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 20, at Shoreline Park on Shelter Island.
Michalski started playing the ukulele seven years ago after taking a workshop with her husband, who has been playing since he was a child. Michalski said she used to sing along with him as he played every night, but decided to take a lesson together on their anniversary.
“It’s one of the easiest instruments in the world to play,” Michalski said of her instant affinity for the instrument.
After learning to play, she said she wanted to bring together the best ukulele players from around the world for a single festival event.
According to Michalski, Southern California has a sizable ukulele scene. Hundreds of people throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties are affiliated with ukulele clubs.Michalski estimated that more than 300 people attended the festival last year, many of whom helped set the Guinness Book of World Records’ record for the largest number of people all strumming ukuleles in an orchestra.
This year they hope to break that record at the festival.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online, the word ukulele originates from the Hawaiian word for “flea.” The instrument was introduced to Hawaii by the Portuguese in the 1870s.
Since the 20th century, ukuleles have been played across Europe and the U.S. as a jazz and solo instrument.
They are typically no more than 24 inches in length, and can be made out of wood, and more recently, plastics.
Ukuleles are not limited to Polynesian music, Michalski said. In fact, the late Beatle George Harrison was an accomplished ukulele player.
The third annual festival is open to all ages. It will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring their ukuleles.
To get to Shoreline Park on Shelter Island, go south on Rosecrans Street to Shelter Island Drive, which loops around the small peninsula.
In addition to performances by world-renowned ukulele players, there will be ukulele vendors and workshops. On Saturday there will be special events for children, including a puppet show and a children’s ukulele orchestra.
Tickets are $25 for both days; children’s tickets are $1 per year of age. Part of the proceeds will go toward a donation of ukuleles and music instruction to The Monarch School.
For more information, visit www.sandiegoukulelefestival.com or call (619) 692-1251.