Christopher Dacanay HOLLYWOOD UKES — Members of the Hollywood Ukes gathered in their rehearsal room, located in the Prime Time Senior Services activity center, 300 Lovers Lane, Steubenville. From left: Betty Schiappa, Mary Ellis Mitchell, Ronda Seelig and Karen Shell and, standing, Dick Kuhn, John Slivka, Harry Nicholson and Bill Danaher.

STEUBENVILLE — Local seniors can choose from a variety of activities to keep them busy during their retirement. For music lovers, a Steubenville group offers community and entertainment centered around an easy-to-learn instrument: the four-string Hawaiian ukulele.

Nicknamed the Hollywood Ukes, the eight-person group meets every Monday at 1 p.m. at the Prime Time Senior Services Activity Center, located at 300 Lovers Lane. The members chat, joke, and most importantly, come together to sing, playing the ukulele and singing classic songs from the 60s to 80s.

All members of Prime Time, the Ukes performed together at the center’s lunch hour and luau party. Their performances have taken them throughout the Ohio Valley to various festivals and functions.

Founded in October 2014, the Hollywood Ukes have been strumming and humming for a decade, persevering through numerous changes of location and members.

The group started with Vicky Alfred and Sondra Hyde, who, by chance, both received ukuleles for Christmas. Both members of the former Jefferson County Senior Services Arts and Activities Center in Hollywood Plaza, Alfred and Hyde spoke to executive director Amy Mihalyo and employee Kim Gray about their serendipitous gifts.

Mihalyo told them that she would have them take lessons, since they did not yet know how to play their instruments. She spoke with Bob Lesnefsky, who agreed to teach them.

At the same time, senior center member Betty Schiappa joined her with a ukulele her son gave her from Hawaii. John Otto and Mary Lou Underwood were also present.

Still a member, Schiappa remembers, “It was just one of those things where we kept attracting people.”

The band’s first concert took place in September 2014 at Spot Bar, attracting over a hundred attendees of all ages.

Although the Hollywood Senior Center closed its doors on May 31, 2015, the Hollywood Ukes continued. The members practiced for a time at the BookMarx bookstore, then owned by Peter and Patricia Marx. The band continued to play gigs, including at American Legion posts, at lunches, at churches, and at nursing homes.

Lesnefsky’s departure from the band was a major blow, as was Otto’s death on June 5, 2017. The band’s frontman, Otto, had taken the initiative to book concerts and provide equipment.

“He was a good guy, a lot of fun and he loved the ukulele.” Schiappa called back. “I think that was a great comfort to him when he was suffering at the end. They said he still played his ukulele.

At that time, the group was not accepting any gigs but staying together in Jim Wood and Aracoma parks. Come winter, the group needed an indoor space to practice, which is how Prime Time made history.

Jeanie Mazik, a member of the Hollywood Ukes, spoke with the manager of Prime Time, who said the group could practice at the center, provided they became members. It was in the fall of 2021 that the Ukes moved into the room they currently live in.

The number of group members has fluctuated, generally remaining around eight or nine members as individuals move away or die. When Mazik and another member announced their departure, the group was reduced to four members: John Slivka, Betty Schiappa, Ronda Seelig and Mary Ellis Mitchell.

The remaining members thought the group was over, until four new members joined them the same day. Karen Shell, Dick Kuhn, Harry Nicholson and Bill Danaher were all involved with the Tri-State Harmonizers hair salon group and ended up saving the group by doubling its size.

The current incarnation of the band played its first show together at Froehlich’s Classic Corner on Aug. 14 for the monthly meeting of Public Employees Retirement Inc. District 9, Chapter 5. The band recently played for the Three Score Senior Club at Undo’s.

Some Ukes are self-taught, while others have taken lessons with Bill Cashdollar at the Center of Music and Art. With an eclectic repertoire of songs, the group features six ukulele players and two vocalists, with Slivka playing harmonica and tambourine.

Originally from Mingo Junction, Slovak started with the Ukes in 2015. He believes music is a good form of therapy.

“I love playing with the band because there’s nothing like music. It feels good and when we go to retirement homes, we do them good.

Schiappa, a Steubenville native, taught herself to play the ukulele. She said the group is “something I’m looking forward to” because it keeps his brain active.

Seelig is originally from southeast Michigan but has lived in the Ohio Valley for 34 years, most recently in Weirton. She likes playing music because it’s challenging and it makes people happy. As for the ukulele, she prefers it to the piano because it is “easier to transport.”

Mitchell was a drummer at Mingo High School and played guitar for a time. Also in the choir, Mitchell loved all things musical and easily learned the ukulele.

Originally from Toronto, Shell is a choir director and organist for the Catholic and Presbyterian churches in Toronto. She learned the ukulele when she was young and enjoys playing with Ukes because there are no “performance anxiety and pressure. »

Shell remembers going to a talent show in high school when everyone expected her to play the piano. Instead, she pulled out a ukulele and played Tiny Tim songs.

Also from Toronto, Kuhn played the ukulele but now only sings. Kuhn, who played the mandolin while serving in the Navy, said he enjoyed the Ukes. “camaraderie.”

Nicholson grew up in rural Toronto but lives in Wintersville. He has been playing guitar since high school but purchased a ukulele during his stay in Hawaii, after taking a short lesson at his hotel. Now learning the bagpipes, Nicholson has always been musical and loves Ukes.

“I think the consensus here is that we love doing this,” he said, adding: “Seeing people react means a lot, and we get as much out of it as they do. … We laugh as much as we play. It’s just a lot of fun to do that.

Danaher has been playing guitar since high school and learned the ukulele in the band. After his retirement, he sought “another musical outlet” and gravitated towards the Ukes because of the “the kindness of the participants and the unparalleled musical sound of friends singing together. »

The Ukes invite anyone to join their group, as long as they first register on Prime Time.