She will carry you away to special places with melodies stemming from her heart ~
Mary Christine Hargreaves, better known as Mary Ukelady, was raised on the Beatles, Mozart, and Polkas. She learned classical piano at the age of six and rhythm guitar as a teen. During her college days in Boston, Mary became strongly influenced by the Folk Music scene there and spent many evenings singing and playing guitar with musician friends. Later as a mom, when performing in her daughter's 1st grade classroom, she discovered how children make a great audience! Her musical endeavors took off from there.
Mary's original songs are lyrical, rhythmic, and cheerful. They celebrate love, life, nature, and the beauty of Maine. She has evolved musically creating a genre of her own weaving blends of Folk, Americana, Pop, Blues, Ballads, and Children's Songs. She currently lives with her husband and family in the mid-western foothills of Maine where she finds the peace to continue in passions of songwriting and art.
In 2001, she discovered the joy of playing the ukulele. Mary spontaneously purchased a soprano uke to bring to a music celebration in the tropics where she played "Ukulele Lady" on her ukulele onstage for the first time. She has since performed in many communities in her home state of Maine.
In 2002, she was chosen for the Discovery Stage at the Maine Festival in Brunswick. For a decade she has performed at Maine festivals, gatherings, libraries, classrooms, cafes and open mics. She performs for all ages on her Earnest concert ukulele, eight string Lanikai tenor uke, and her acoustic Taylor guitar.
Her main influences include ... The Beatles, Woody Guthrie, Theodore Bikel, Mississippi John Hurt, Harry Belafonte, Buffy Sainte Marie, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Paul & Mary, Tom Rush, Mimi Farina, Rita Coolidge, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Carole King, Jonathan Edwards, Jimmy Cliff, Tracy Chapman, Bob Marley; and contemporaries Susan Tedeschi, Jack Johnson, Kate Schrock, Anni Clark, Ellis Paul, Ziggy Marley, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
Now after retiring from 30 years in Dental Hygiene, Mary is living her dream. She has shared stages with Anni Clark, Kate Schrock, Heather Pierson, Nate Towne, Brian Patricks, Dave Rave, Jeff Rojo, Dave Kent, Earl Bigelow, Jim Gallant, Keith Dover, Bob Wallace, Bill Shimamura, Lucindagail, Jan Kubiac, Rusty Wiltjer, and her brother Walt Turell on live radio.
As a longtime promoter of local songwriters, Mary has been an active member of the Norway Commons Music Collective, Musicians of Maine at Mount Blue TV, Mainely Musicians at Great Falls TV, and Mainely Acoustic at Norway Paris Community TV where she has collectively talent scouted, coordinated, hosted, and co-produced musical talent shows.
Mary has released her own original recordings, including her debut studio album LOVE IS STRONG with a full ensemble, and LITTLE PONY EXPRESS a homespun classroom and family collection for kids of all ages!
* Currently her new songs, inspired by life's travels and Maine's beauty, have sparked the ember of Mary Christine's upcoming traveling folk CD. *
"Since music is a hobby for me, donations to worthy causes is all that I ask in return for music downloads. Donations can be made to The Arthritis Foundation of Northern New England www.arthritis.org/chapters/maine AND The Local Animal Shelter www.gahumane.org Please give to these worthy causes. Thank you for listening to my music", Mary C. Hargreaves
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MEMBERSHIP:
Maine Songwriters Association (2005 - 2012); SESAC - Society of European Stage Authors & Composers, N.Y.C. (2008 - 2012); Portland Music Foundation ( 2008)
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 Summer Concert Series, Deering Oaks Park, Bridges Foundation, MunjFest, 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. ; Cafe Nomad and Tucker's Pub - Norway, ME.
KIDS SHOWS - Hartford-Sumner Elementary School- Sumner, ME. ; Norway Memorial Library- Norway, ME. ; Paris Public Library- So. Paris, ME. ; Arthur L. Mann Library- W. Paris, ME. ; Naples Memorial Library- Naples, ME. ; Munjoy Branch Library- Portland, ME. ; Thomas Memorial Library- Cape Elizabeth, ME. ; Moore Park Gazebo- So. Paris, ME.; The Maine Book House - Oxford, 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; Juno Beach- Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
TELEVISION - "Musicians of Maine" - Farmington ; "Shine" Program Ch 4 - Portland ; Community TV in Bath, Brunswick, Norway/Paris, Lake Region, & Lisbon Falls ; "Live From The Sound" - Harpswell ; "MSA at Home" & "Mainely Musicians" - Great Falls TV Auburn, ME.; "Mainely Acoustic" - Norway Paris Community TV Norway, ME.
LIVE RADIO - as a 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; FOLKALLEY.COM - Online "Open Mic" Kent State University, Ohio