She will carry you away to special places with unique melodies stemming from her heart ~
Mary Christine ( Hargreaves), aka Ukelady, was born and raised in a musical family by the name of Turell, just south of Boston, Mass. She learned classical piano as a child and guitar as a teen. During her college days at Forsyth, she became strongly influenced by the Boston folk music scene and spent many evenings singing and playing guitar with musician friends. Songwriting has been a passion since her childhood. As a mom she remembers, when singing in her own daughter's 1st grade classroom, how children make such a great audience!
In 2001, Mary began playing the ukulele. She spontaneously purchased a soprano uke to bring to a celebration in the tropics hosted by folk music legend Tom Rush. Within a week she learned the Tin Pan Alley classic "Ukulele Lady", and it was there in the U.S.V.I. at her debut ukulele performance with legendary musicians, that she became known as the Ukelady.
In 2002, Mary was chosen for the Discovery Stage at the Maine Festival in Brunswick. For almost a decade she has worked steadily performing in many Maine communities at family gatherings, events, classrooms, libraries, and festivals including the annual Norway Summer Festival, Great Falls Balloon Festival, Common Ground Fair, The Old Port Festival, Moore Park Concert Series, and Cape Elizabeth Library Outdoor Concert Series.
Her main influences include ... The Beatles, Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Theodore Bikel, Mississippi John Hurt, Buffy Sainte Marie, Peter Paul & Mary, Tom Rush, Fritz Richmond, June Carter, Rita Coolidge, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Jimmy Cliff, Tracy Chapman, Bob & Ziggy Marley; and contemporaries Susan Tedeschi, Kate Schrock, Anni Clark, Ellis Paul, Aimee Mann, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
Mary currently lives with her family in the western foothills of Maine. After 30 years in dental hygiene, and after raising three great kids, she now finds the peace to continue in music and writing. Her melodic lyrical originals, and folksy favorites will take you on a musical journey celebrating Maine life, family, love and hope. They flow with catchy rhythms and a lighthearted style for all ages blending Folk, Americana, Country-Pop, Vintage Blues & Ballads, to Children's songs, and Soul. Mary performs on her custom made Earnest concert ukulele, her Lanikai eight string tenor uke, and her Guild acoustic guitar. You can often count on favorites by Carole King, June Carter, Woody Guthrie, Neil Young, and Willie Nelson.
Mary Christine has shared stages with Kate Schrock, Anni Clark, Heather Pierson, Nate Towne, Dave Rave, Jeff Rojo, Dave Kent, Earl Bigelow, Jim Gallant, Keith Dover, Bob Wallace, Bill Shimamura, Lucindagail, Jan Kubiac, Rusty Wiltjer, Brian Patricks, and her brother Walt Turell on live radio.
As a longtime promoter of local original music, Mary has been an active member of Norway Maine's Commons Music Collective, a talent scout and co-host for "Musicians of Maine" at Mount Blue TV, for "Mainely Musicians" at Great Falls TV, and currently for "Mainely Acoustic" at Norway Paris Community TV where she is also co-producer.
She has released her own original recordings, including her debut studio album LOVE IS STRONG, with twelve upswing originals with full ensemble, and LITTLE PONY EXPRESS, a homespun collection of whimsical kid's songs for the entire family!
* And now it's the soul driven songs about her life in Maine that has sparked the ember of her next CD. *
"Though the name Ukelady will always be a part of me and will still headline my Kids Shows, I've introduced my given middle name "Christine", a name I've always loved. So, in the upcoming year, you'll see some website changes, hear some new sounds, and will meet a new side of me." Mary Christine
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EDUCATIONAL KIDS PROGRAM ~
THE "MARY UKELADY EDUCATIONAL KID'S PROGRAM" is being designed to bring Culture, Art, and Health into Schools, Libraries, and Museums with Wholesome Songs; Audience Participation, History on Early American Folk Music, and on the instruments Ukulele & Guitar, Illustrations, Workshops on the Process of Songwriting. More info. can be found on the Contact Pg.
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MEMBERSHIP:
Maine Songwriters Association (2005 - 2010); Portland Music Foundation ( 2008); SESAC - Society of European Stage Authors & Composers, N.Y.C. (2008 - 2010)
PRIOR GIGS :
FESTIVALS - The Maine Festival, Norway Summer Festival, Common Ground Fair, Great Falls Balloon Festival, Maine Songwriters Assoc. Summer Music Fest, Countryfolk Music Theater, Rangeley Guides Strawberry Fest, The Old Port Festival, Maine Cultural Music Festival, Moore Park Art Festival and Kid's Concert Series, Deering Oaks Park - Mothers Acting Up, Bridges Foundation, Waterford World's Fair
VENUES - Jonathan's - Ogunquit, ME; The Carriage House Cafe - Livermore, ME ; North Star Music Cafe, Acoustic Coffee, Blue, Dogfish Cafe, St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center - Portland, ME ; Thai Paradise - Brunswick, ME; The Norway Coffeehouse, Books N Things, The Fare Share Commons Gallery & Follies - Norway, ME ; Big Kahuna Cafe - Bridgton, ME ; Lisbon Teen Center - Lisbon, ME; The Maine Bookhouse - Oxford, ME; Sudbury Pub - Bethel, ME., Creative Media- Norway, ME.
UKELADY KIDS-FAMILY SHOWS - Hartford-Sumner Elementary School- Sumner, ME.; Norway Memorial Library- Norway, ME. ; Paris Public Library- So. Paris, ME. ; Arthur L. Mann Library- West Paris, ME.; Naples Memorial Library- Naples, ME.; Munjoy Branch Library- Portland, ME. ; Thomas Memorial Library- Cape Elizabeth, ME.
MAINE SENIOR CENTERS - Norway Living Center, Norway; Market Square-So. Paris; Russell Park-Lewiston; Victorian Villa-Canton; Schooner Estates- Auburn; Heritage Living Center-Winthrop; Clover Manor-Auburn
WEDDINGS - The Schooner Steven Tabor, Rockland, ME.
TELEVISION - "Musicians of Maine" TV, Farmington; "Shine" Program Ch 4 TV, Portland; Bath, Brunswick, Norway-Paris, Lake Region, and Lisbon Falls Community TV programs; "Live From The Sound" Harpswell Community TV; "MSA at Home" as guest; Host of "Mainely Musicians" at Great Falls TV in Auburn; Co-producer & Co-host of "Mainely Acoustic" at Norway Paris Community TV, Norway, ME.
LIVE RADIO - as guest: WERU-FM Blue Hill, ME. "Radio Open Mic Show"; WMFO-FM Tufts Univ.- Medford, MA. "Folk On Records"; WCLZ-FM and WBLM-FM Portland, ME. "Greetings from Area Code 207"; WMPG-FM "In Your Ear" show with Deirdre Nice, USM Portland, ME.
ON THE AIR - WCLZ FM Portland "Music form 207"; WBLM FM Portland - "Greeting from Area Code 207" ; WMPG FM Portland - Univ. of S. Maine; WERU FM Blue Hill - Community Radio
ONLINE RADIO 1067lite FM - N.Y.C.