Frank Carella (Frankie Four Strings)

My love for music began when I was only 5 years old.  My dad owned The Topper Tavern and once a week he would bring home records that came off the jukebox.  Later we would listen to the songs on a small 45-RPM record player.

I began piano lessons in 3rd grade.  Sister Vergilia was my first music teacher.  The lessons cost $2.00 and she did not care if you practiced because she, herself could not teach or play the piano.  My friend, Gus Santa Maria took lessons at Jenkins Music Company and taught me some rock and roll riffs.  This satisfied my mother.  Gus later was a member of the legendary Doo-wop Group, “The Uniques”.

Music was king during my high school years.  My Dad managed the Mardi Gras Jazz Club on 19th and Vine.  On Saturdays, he would let me go to the Matinee’s and meet the musicians.  They booked the biggest names in Jazz: Count Basie, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and other great artists.  This is why I developed a love for jazz.  I went to Rockhurst High School, after school I would walk to Quigley’s Music Store and hang out.

The owner, Art Jolleff, turned me on to the vibraphone.  He wrote a marimba method book and always had used vibes and marimba’s for sale.  Art also turned me on to a piano teacher who taught me song writing.  I started writing songs with John Garica, the lead singer of The Del Rays.  I entered a national songwriting contest and finished third.  I got a nice trophy but not a recording contract.

Somewhere between high school and college, I began playing guitar.  I had a black guild acoustic.  I would hang out at the Vanguard Coffee House on Friday and play Volker Park on Saturday and Sunday. What could be better than that?

I graduated Cleveland Chiropractic College, got married, had 3 children and 2 dogs.  I did not play much until my son Frank’s 11th birthday.  I bought him a guitar and paid for 4 lessons.  He did not like to practice so I took the lessons.  His teacher, Bill Jamerson, taught me a riff I had been trying to learn for 20 years. I started playing again but became obsessed with playing jazz.  I enrolled in Music Theory courses at Park College and later got a certificate in Jazz Studies at Baker University.

Professionally I started learning Hypnotherapy at weekend seminars in New York City.  At night I would schedule lessons with jazz masters; Joe Pass, Bucky Pizarelli, Sal Salvador, Ronnie Lee and Gene Bertoncini.  They would teach me for 1-3 hours then we would jam or I would go with them to a gig.  I also attended Jamey Abersol’s Jazz Camp and a summer session at Berkley College of Music.  At best I was a mediocre jazz guitar player who suffered from performance anxiety.

In the early 90’s I opened Max Groove Music and Art.  The store was named after KC Jazz Piano Legend, Max Groove.  We sold acoustic guitars, music accessories, vinyl and CDs, and signed prints by LeRoy Neman and Peter Maxx.  I started collecting guitars, especially custom-built Arch Tops.  I developed an Adult Guitar Method that accelerates learning.  I taught it very successfully for 1 or 2 years.  I got a bad case of burn out and quit music and the music business.

In 2008, I read an article in the Kansas City Star about a ukulele club “The Ukesters”.  I thought the article was interesting so I kept a copy.  Later that year I saw a film clip of Warren Buffett playing the ukulele.  These events led me to decide to play the “uke”.  I joined The Ukesters and felt this was the way to both social and financial success.  Achieving Mr. Warren Buffetts level of success is coming slower than expected but the social riches are enormous.  The Ukesters are a wonderful group of recreational musicians who enjoy both playing ukulele and entertaining at concerts and events.

Uke-ism is the last stop on my musical journey.  I have several tenor ukuleles made of different woods; koa, mimosa, mango, spruce, mahogany, maple, and cedar.  I hope to attend a Ukulele Festival this year and acquire a custom-made uke.  I am currently in the process of transposing B-Flat songs to ukulele keys.

Sincerely,

Frank Carella aka Frankie “Four Strings”