Lynda McDougall

It’s no surprise that Lynda McDougall, leader of the Orangeville Ukuladies and Ukuladdies ukulele band, loves what she does. She grew up surrounded by music.

Every summer Saturday night from 1965 to 1983, her family of nine – McDougall, her six siblings, their mother, Marjorie, and father, Fred – hosted McDougall’s Red Barn Dance at the family’s Caledon farm. A community staple, the event regularly drew between 200 and 300 people. Though the intent was to make money, McDougall says with a smile, “I’m not sure it really ever worked out that way.”

But she recalls those years fondly. “It was the best experience of my life,” she says. “It’s where I learned about all these legendary performers, like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline.” McDougall went on to perform for a few years with a band called Grand River – until the 1985 tornado destroyed their equipment.

Now retired, McDougall was a highly regarded Dufferin County elementary school teacher and vice-principal, and in 2016, she drew on her organizational skills to start the Ukuladies and Ukuladdies. The group currently boasts 47 members, 30 of them regulars. Over the years, the band has performed at community events, schools, seniors’ residences and fundraisers throughout Headwaters.

Weekly practices take place from 9 to 10 on Friday mornings at the Orangeville Seniors Centre and are open to all at a cost of $2. No ukulele experience is necessary, and McDougall usually has some extra instruments available. “Coming through the door is the hardest part,” she says. “We’ll have you playing in less than three minutes.”

Most, but not all, of the band members are retired, and participation is flexible, allowing for vacations and other absences. “Deciding to come and try something new, especially in retirement, is hard,” says McDougall. “But retirement is 20 or 30 years long. That’s almost the length of a career! There’s plenty of time to grow toward new experiences.”

Still, she adds, “These can be harsh, lonely times for so many.” But the camaraderie and friendship among group members rarely fails to lift spirits. As band member Horst Koschmider puts it, “My wife, Susan, likes when I go to play ukulele because when I come home, I’m happy.”

Audiences agree, says Trudy Rockel, another band member. “Going out into the community, we see how that joy spreads faster than a flu bug as feet begin tapping, bodies begin swaying, and voices ring out to join in. It’s the magic of music. There’s nothing like it.”

McDougall, whose background includes leadership roles in local, provincial and national teachers’ organizations, as well as two runs as a provincial election candidate, is quick to stress that the band is a collaborative effort. “The bringing of ideas, experiences and energy is shared leadership,” she says.

“I know in my heart that my best work happens when I’m part of a powerful circle with others. It has been that way since the nine of us sat around the kitchen table at our childhood home. A place where everyone brings something to share. Where we do things together. Where we use our voices to create important harmonies in other places.”