A ukulele club in a Birmingham pub has been creating instant friendships and a sense of community through music for over a decade. Moselele, which meets twice a month at the Prince of Wales pub in Moseley, Birmingham, was founded by Daz Wright 16 years ago after he attempted to learn the ukulele by himself at home but found it a struggle.
Wright, an avid music lover, took to Twitter to recruit others to join him in the pub to play ukulele together, and within two weeks, 16 people had signed up to learn. Since then, the group has grown to over 20 members, with a diverse range of ages and backgrounds.
Members of the group, including Carol Hand, who joined a decade ago after moving from London to Birmingham, and Bill Green, who started playing ukulele to prevent dementia, say the group has been a lifesaver. They appreciate the lack of judgement and the sense of camaraderie that comes with singing and playing instruments with others.
Hand, who has loved being part of the group ever since she joined, describes it as 'therapeutic' and says it's like being young again, with everyone singing together. Green agrees, saying the group is 'remarkable' and that he feels exhilarated when he leaves each session.
The group's founder, Daz Wright, encourages anyone interested in joining to get in touch, stressing that no prior instrument skills are needed. He wants people to come along and sing songs, regardless of whether they can play the ukulele or not.