Community & Connection through learning to play the Ukulele
Hi, I’m Mackenzie.
When I moved back to Austin as a remote worker, I attempted to piece my social life back together after the global pandemic and found myself quite lonely. And, I was not alone. 1 in 3 Americans find themselves feeling lonely everyday, and loneliness has been linked to severe declines in mental and physical health. In short, it’s as bad for you as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
One day, in early December 2022, a neighbor knocked on my door and invited me to her Christmas Ukulele sing-along. Since I had learned some ukulele after a paint-a-ukulele corporate event while sheltering in place- my curiosity was piqued. I arrived to a joyful and rambunctious group of older ladies in their 50s-70s singing and strumming their little hearts out for our whole neighborhood. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Before I knew it, I was spending every Wednesday afternoon jamming out with this sassy group of older ladies. They took me to the Austin Ukulele Society where I met hundreds of other ukulele enthusiasts of all levels and walks of life, strumming and humming along together in unison.
This was the inspiration for Music Box Events: a company founded to build community, improve health and spread joy by painting and learning to play the ukulele.
We plan to kick-off in March 2025 with 2 initial event packages:
“UkeBox Parties” — paint-n-play parties where you get to paint your very own ukulele, string it up and learn to play a short song
“Rockstar Lessons” — start with a paint-n-play and continue with 5 weeks of beginner ukulele lessons. Perfect for after-school programs, assisted living facilities and community programming.
So get ready to paint, play, smile, and make music together- with Music Box Events!
