CAMDEN – A  hearty group of ukulele players gathered at K2 Music in Reny's Plaza for a monthly jam session. From Montville to Boothbay and points in between, they came to play and play they did, including a rendition by the UkeRocks! strummers from Rockland with their theme song, Rockland Maine.

It was a great time to find out about a Uke Festival in Belfast on June 2 and pick up a few pointers about ukuleles and their phenomenal popularity in the Midcoast, as well as across the nation.

Jeff Weinberger, of Bay Chamber Concerts and Midcoast Ukes said the festival is the 5th annual Belfast Ukulele Festival and will be held June 2 at Steamboat Landing in Belfast.

"It's a beautiful place right on the water," said Weinberger. "We're having a big pre-festival party the Friday before at Searsport Shores that is free. Gerald Ross is going to be the main star of the festival and he'll be at the pre-party."

"It's a wonderful setting around the campfire," he said. "And it's free. They do a lot of music events there. One of the owners plays the mandolin and they are great people."

Gordon Page, of UkesRock in Rockland, said their group will play at the Maine Lobster Festival.

"It's a soft booking," he said. "We have the date, but not the time yet and we're going to do a couple of Masonic dates in Rockport."

There are three sizes of ukuleles. Finding a fit for you to be comfortable playing it is important in choosing one.

Mac Economy, of K2 Music, said even though there are three sizes, they are all tuned exactly the same.

"The soprano, which is the little one and the one you think of, was the first one ever created," he said. "The middle size is a concert ukulele and is the middle size. And last is the tenor, which is a little bigger still."

Economy said that as the ukulele gets larger, the volume grows.

"The necks are a little longer so it's much easier to put your fingers and hands on," he said. "The concert size is the most popular here in the Midcoast. It sells almost 10 to one."

You can even get a ukulele that looks like a banjo.

"And it's called a banjo ukulele," he said. "It's tuned like a ukulele, but it has the plucky sound of a banjo because it has that head on it. It's fun to play and has a good sound."

Economy said there is a baritone ukulele, too.

"It's tuned like the last four strings on a guitar," he said. "It's tuned lower, so you have to read out of a different piece of sheet music because it's transposed differently. "

He said: "You don't have to take lessons to learn how to play any instrument. The ukulele is the easiest instrument to get playing quickly, that's why it's so popular. It's a little easier than a guitar because you only have four strings and they're nylon strings, so they're easier to push down."

Harvey Curtis, of K2 Music, said it is easy to learn to play a ukulele.

"All you really need to do is just pick one up," he said. "There are books, groups you can join and videos online, and you can even take lessons if you want."

Curtis said: "People just like to get together and play. It’s a way to have fun and an easy way to get into playing music and people in general just like music, especially when it's your own."

The ukulele is a phenomenon all over the country.

"It's everywhere, literally everywhere," he said. "It shows no sign of slowing down which is great. People used to say it was it was the gateway to playing guitar and I don't believe that. It's gone way beyond that. It's a legitimate instrument."

Here are the words to UkesRock! theme song, Rockland, Maine. It's to the tune of John Denver's, Country Road, just in case you want to sing along. The lyrics were adapted by Anne Cogger.

Almost heaven, Rockland, Maine
Lobster Festival, Farnsworth Art Museum
Lobster Rules here, Blues Fest in the breeze,
The Breakwater it stretches, out into the sea.

Rockland, Maine, heart of the coast
Oceanside, foggy shores
Ukes are strumming over Main Street,
Let ukes rock forever more.

All my memories, gather round her
Ancient schooners, sailing on blue water
Café Miranda, music at the Strand
Project Puffin Center, life here's pretty grand.

Rockland, Maine, heart of the coast
Oceanside, foggy shores
Ukes are strumming over Main Street,
Let ukes rock forever more.

I hear the foghorn in the morning hours it calls me
Atlantic Baking bread, Rock City Joe
Driving down the road I get a feeling
That this place will always be my home, be my home.

Rockland, Maine, heart of the coast
Oceanside, foggy shores
Ukes are strumming over Main Street,
Let ukes rock forever more
Let ukes rock forever more.