Episode Information

Until the 20th Century, if you wanted music, you had to make it yourself. Back then, music was embedded in our families, our communities, even our work. When the phonograph came along, none of us was good enough anymore and many became passive in relationship to music: consumers rather than participants. Now, in the 21st Century, people are taking back the music, learning to make their own, forming communities, and the easy-to-learn ukulele with its wealth of old-time tunes evoking simpler times, is the instrument of choice.

'Mighty Uke' is a visual feast, filmed in vivid HD,counterbalanced by B/W historical footage and original animation, and accompanied by music, played, composed and introduced by the characters themselves. 'Mighty Uke' travels the world to seek out ukulele players, documenting this third wave of popularity, exploring the rich history of the uke and learning about the healing effect of music self-played.