Katie & Aaron Talk Music Over a Ukulele& Bongos Rehearsal

From actor Katie Canavan

If you haven’t heard – I will be playing a completely unoriginal ukulele set at our fundraiser this Thursday, August 6th, at the Spot. Get there at about 7:15 to catch me playing some covers, backed percussively by Aaron Dean.

Aaron and I got together on Saturday to play some music and prepare for the fundraiser. Since I first picked it up in January, I have had a fiery passion for the ukulele. Maybe it’s because it’s so small? So easy? Either way, it’s been fun and I’m addicted to playing covers on my tiny instrument. Not to give anything away, but we play quite a few upbeat pop songs, including “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”

The latter, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” holds a special place in my heart. Within our rehearsal process for Heist, we have talked a lot about music. About expressing your emotions more deeply using music and letting music do the talking when you feel as if you’ve run out of things to say. This song – WYSLMT – is a perfect example of music that captures a moment in history, and uses the melody and lyrics to express the contradiction between inner and outer self. Although at first glance it appears to be a sugary pop ballad sung by teenage girls, a close examination of the lyrics reveals a narrative that almost everyone has experienced: the uncertainty of love and affection within the bloom of teenage sexuality. This deeper message shrouded in upbeat guitar and tight harmonies tugs at my heartstrings. I love few songs as much as pop songs with sad lyrics. This is the kind of song I can use in my acting. This is the kind of complex emotion that music makes more accessible. This is where I turn when I’m having trouble opening a door to a character.

I hope you’ll be able to come out on Thursday and see what Aaron and I have done with “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” and 6 other pop & indie favorites. Although we only worked on it for about 15 minutes, it’s worth a listen. Plus we will be dressed as beatniks, and how could you pass up a black beret?