Hearing an unfamiliar noise, I walked down the hall and around the corner I saw an upperclassman playing her ukulele. I, a fourth grader, was amazed at her effortlessness. I went over and bombarded her with questions: How long have you had that? Are you really good at playing? Where’d you get it from? She answered each question eagerly. Suddenly, I was handed the ukulele; “Here, take it. It's all yours.” To this day, shock fills me that a mysterious girl would hand me her ukulele. The ukulele has been a staple in music for decades, originally getting popular in 1900s Hawaii. Soon, it became well-known in the U.S. Throughout history, ukuleles have been made out of different materials. Now it's mine, a wooden ukulele with plastic strings. I had never previously owned an instrument before; I made it a goal never to let it settle into an unethical silence. When I got home, I didn't understand how it functioned. How did she play so naturally? On the average ukulele, there are four strings that each play a different note. To perfect playing each string, one's fingers need to be properly placed at the perfect angle and pressure; If held incorrectly, instead of getting the perfect note, you will get dissonance. After 8 determined years of practice, I now understand it. Since then, I’ve played my ukulele weekly, practicing and learning new songs to play for fun. The sound of a ukulele will always be my favorite. 

– MPL

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