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Artist: Michael
Conway
Halifax's Ukulele Mike
By Ian R. Ross
The chilly shoreline of Nova Scotia is
quite far-removed from the tropical beaches of Hawaii where
the ukulele was born, but Haligonian Michael Conway has
devoted himself to bringing its sunny and cheerful sound to
his harbour town and beyond.
Conway’s history with the uke goes back to
his schooldays, when he was ten, and began studying as part of
the music program promoted by Chalmers Doane.
“The ukulele was implemented into the
public school system nationwide by Music Director Chalmers
Doane in the 1960s,” explains Conway. “Thousands of children
skipped off to school with a ukulele and I was one of those
kids.”
With ukuleles having been made popular in
North America, mid-century, and manufacturers such as Mario
Maccaferri turning out millions of toy versions, the
instrument was a great entry-point for many young musicians.
“I chose the ukulele because it was an
inexpensive instrument, which was being taught at school and
much more interesting than the recorder,” Conway says. He
soon acquired a copy of ‘Chalmers Doane’s Ukulele Solos Album’
and got down to work in learning how to master each one.
Later on in life, he had the fortune to join Doane’s adult
ukulele group and “enjoy[ed] many years of playing and touring
with some really great people.” He now knows of only one
other student from the program, on the East Coast, “pursuing a
career with the unique instrument.”
Conway’s love for the ukulele, his
“sidekick” as he calls it, goes beyond simply performing.
Meet him on the street and he’ll tell you of various
celebrities who are closet ukulele players and all sorts of
trivia on the diversity in the instrument from banjo ukuleles
to the electric uke he’s recently been spotted playing. The
history of the instrument is something he is well versed in
and as a throwback to ukulele player Cliff Edwards, who rose
to fame in the roaring ‘20s and performed under the name
‘Ukulele Ike’, Conway has adopted his own alias of ‘Ukulele
Mike’ for when he takes to the stage.
“Thousands
of children skipped off to school with a ukulele and I was one
of those kids.”
So it was natural, too, when he began
recording his inaugural self-titled CD, in 2006, that such a
songs as Edwards’ 1929 hit “Singing in the Rain” would make it
onto the final cut of tracks. The CD was even recorded using
a vintage 1920s Martin ukulele. Each one of the 18 tracks
represents a variety of styles to appeal both artistically and
often sentimentally to all. Slower and softer pieces such as
Louis Armstrong’s “Whispering” or Lennon and McCartney’s
“Yesterday” appear together with rousing and buoyant songs
like the opening “Molly Brown Medley” and “Brazil” by Ary
Barroso and S.K. Russell. Many are instrumentals but a few
tracks also feature Conway’s mild and sincere vocals. It’s
currently available for purchase at his page on
CD Baby.
Helping Conway out with the project was
John DeWolfe who aided with the arrangement of tracks and
recording, and Rich Knowles who undertook the mixing and
mastering.
Overall, Conway reports that the CD is
“getting a lot of great feedback.”
He has elicited a positive review from the
Fretted Instrument Guild of America and a treasured, gold
Oscar-embossed note he received from Sid Ganis, the president
of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, states,
“I love your album… listen to it all the time now.”
Local Dalhousie University radio station
CKDU, a big supporter of independent music in Halifax, has had
the CD on it’s Top 30 list several times and Conway also says
it’s received a good deal of airplay on stations like Seaside
FM and CBC Radio's Mainstreet and Weekend Mornings. With a
flare of pride, Conway says, “Stan Carew, with Weekend
Mornings, has dubbed me ‘The Maritime’s Ukulele Player
Extraordinaire.’” You’ll also find him on the Sam the Record
Man Indie Sampler for 2007, marking him as representing one of
Halifax’s best and most promising artists.
Perhaps this increasing recognition is
symptomatic of Conway’s optimism -- a hallmark of his music.
“I do a special tribute to Israel
Kamakawiwo 'ole on my CD with my medley “Over the Rainbow/What
the World Needs Now”; it has a hopeful message regarding the
time we’re in right now: full of opportunity.”
One of the most positive gifts he brings
is the inspiration for others to enter into learning music as
he did, though sometimes he just helps to bring back some
lovely memories. In addition to several festivals and stage
performances, Conway regularly tours seniors and retirement
homes across the Halifax Regional Municipality to make sure
that those members of the community have the chance to get
together and share the fun that the ukulele so naturally
exudes. He’s also begun to offer group classes and students
of the ukulele are also invited to join him online through an
email list he is creating and invites ukulele fans to contact
him at
ukulelemike@hotmail.com. ♪
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