THE ROSE GARDEN SERENADE – A Ukulele Slow Rag by “UKULELE MIKE” . . . . included in the Solo Ukulele Instrumentals (fingerpicking) collection Enhanced edition . . . . now reduced to just $20.00

After composing THE KEYPORT RAG several weeks ago I became inspired to explore the Ragtime genre even more and THE ROSE GARDEN SERENADE was born.  I’ve been intriqued by Ragtime music ever since I was in High School and I would play Scott Joplin rags on my piano day in and day out.  My favorites were Maple Leaf Rag, Easy Winners, The Entertainer and Sunflower Slow Drag.  Later in life I had an opportunity to visit the home of my mom down near Eugene, Oregon.  The current owners of the home invited us in to see and recall what it was like as a child growing up.  The most vivid memory I had of that house was the old upright player piano that sat in the corner of the living room.  We would come down to Leaburg, Oregon to visit my grandma and she would always let me take those piano rolls out and play them.  I was no more then 7 years old  at the time  but I would sit at the piano for hours pumping those pedals up and down to push air through the holes as they rolled over the device that moves the keys.  I couldnt remember what songs it played but I just knew I LOVED THEM!!! . . . They were bright and cheery and so different then what I would be hearing on pop radio stations at the time.  Coming home from that trip I shared those memories with my mom and she said the only song she could remember on that piano was something that had the name HELIOTROPE in it. . . Hmmmmm . . . I thought. . . I have that book of Joplin rags at home and it seemed to me there was a song in there with that name in it.  I went home and pulled the book out and sure enough . . . there was THE HELIOTROPE BOUQUET!!!. . . I practiced it for a couple of weeks then next time I visted my mom I nonchalantly strolled into the room where our family piano was and sat down and began playing it.  My mom was upstairs doing something and she immediately rushed downstairs exclaiming “That’s the song!!!! That’s the song I remember as a little girl” . . . Of course, I was so pleased with myself and it was like going thru a time machine . . . to a time in the distant past when things seemed so much simpler.  That song has remained in my consciousness all of these years so when I set about to compose a new Ukulele Rag. . . I channeled Joplin and his HELIOTROPE BOUQUET to compose THE ROSE GARDEN SERENADE.  It’s what Joplin would call a Slow Rag or “Slow Drag”  . . . In fact he’s  quoted somewhere that “Ragtime should NEVER be played fast” . . . A lot of ragtime performers do tend to play his rags probably much quicker in tempo then he conceived.  At any rate. . . I hope you enjoy this piece and now I’m going back to my ukulele cause I got an inspiration JUST this morning for yet another rag. . . Stay tuned.
“HAPPY STRUMMING” – UKULELE MIKE

My Mom in front of the Leaburg, Oregon home

Tablature for ROSE GARDEN SERENADE is contained in my SOLO UKULELE INSTRUMENTAL eBOOK Volume 1 – $20.00   . . .. It can be purchased by paying through the donate button on my website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com Once purchased, it will be personally emailed to you within the day

 Questions regarding any ukulele resources, please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com