She will carry you away to special places with unique melodies stemming from her heart ~
"Mary Uke" Hargreaves was raised on Mozart, apple pie, and polkas in a musical family in southern New England. She learned classical piano as a child and guitar as a teen. During her college days in Boston, she became strongly influenced by the folk music scene there and spent many evenings singing and jamming with musician friends. Now as a ukulele player, Mary has evolved musically creating a new genre of her own called Ukulypso.
Her main influences include ... the Beatles, the Guthries, Theodore Bikel, Mississippi John Hurt, Peter Paul & Mary, Carole King, Buffy Sainte Marie, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Jimmy Cliff, Tracy Chapman, Susan Tedeschi, Bob Marley, Kate Schrock, Anni Clark, Ellis Paul, & Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
Mary lives with her family in the western foothills of Maine. After 30+ years in dental hygiene, and raising three great kids, she now finds the peace to continue in music and writing. While performing in her daughter's 1st grade classroom, she discovered how children make a great audience. And she's singing still in many Maine communities at festivals, cafes, classrooms, libraries, living centers, and on community television.
Her melodic original songs inspire and flow with rhythm and high spirit reaching all ages. Her style ranges from calypso folk, to Americana, country, blues, ballads, and children's folk songs. She sings and performs an upbeat arrangement of originals and covers on her custom made "Earnest" concert ukulele ( by luthier Joel Eckhaus of So. Portland, ME.) a "Lanikai" eight string tenor uke, and her Guild and Ibanez acoustic/electric guitars.
Mary Uke has shared stages with Anni Clark, Kate Schrock, Jim Gallant, Heather Pierson, Dave Kent, Earl Bigelow, Nate Towne, Bill Shimamura, Lucinda Gail, and performed with her brother Walt Turell on live radio.
In 2001, she began playing the Ukulele ~
She spontaneously bought a uke to bring to a music celebration in the tropics. Within a week she learned the classic tune "Ukulele Lady". It was there where she first played ukulele on stage with legendary musicians Tom Rush and Fritz Richmond of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. She's been playing the uke and writing songs ever since!
In 2002, Mary was chosen for the Discovery Stage at the Maine Festival in Brunswick.
For ten years she has helped to promote local music in Maine as an active member of the Commons Music Collective, a talent scout and host for "Musicians of Maine" and "Mainely Musicians" Community TV programs, a producer and host of "Mainely Acoustic" show at Norway Paris Community TV, a member of the Maine Songwriters Association and the Portland Music Foundation.
In 2006, on her own publishing label Ukelady Music, Mary released her debut album LOVE IS STRONG, twelve original fun filled songs, studio recorded with a full ensemble.
In 2007 she produced a Children's album LITTLE PONY EXPRESS, a whimsical collection of home & classroom tunes for the whole family!
MARY UKELADY'S KID'S SHOWS PROVIDE A GREAT DEAL OF FUN & ENTERTAINMENT!
In progress, is her Educational Children's Program designed to bring culture and art into schools, libraries, and museums with wholesome songs, and a history on songwriting, the ukulele, and early American folk music.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMBERSHIP:
Maine Songwriters Association (since 2005)
Portland Music Foundation ( since Jan. 2008)
SESAC - Society of European Stage Authors & Composers, N.Y.C. (since April, 2008)
PERFORMANCE HISTORY :
FESTIVALS -
The Maine Festival, Common Ground Fair, Norway Summer Festival, 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.
VENUES -
North Star Music Cafe, Acoustic Coffee, Blue, Dogfish Cafe, St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center, Portland, ME. ;
The Carriage House Cafe- Livermore, ME ;
Thai Paradise- Brunswick, ME; Norway Coffeehouse, Books N Things, Fare Share Commons & Follies - Norway, ME ; The Big Kahuna Cafe- Bridgton, ME ; Lisbon Teen Center- Lisbon, ME; The Maine Bookhouse- Oxford, ME; Suds Pub- Bethel, ME; Jonathan's - Ogunquit, ME.
EDUCATIONAL -
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.
MAINE SENIOR CENTERS -
Market Square-Norway; Russell Park-Lewiston; Victoria Villa-Hartford; Schooner Estates- 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" & host of "Mainely Musicians" at Great Falls TV in Auburn;
Host of "Mainely Acoustic" at Norway Paris Community TV, Norway, ME.
LIVE RADIO -
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.