Falling in uke again: Four-stringed couples therapy

Lil' Rev serenades ukulele stars Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee--days before their wedding--at the Uke New Jersey 3 festival. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Lil' Rev serenades ukulele stars Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee--days before their wedding--at the Uke New Jersey 3 festival. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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Video: Lil’ Rev serenades uke Power Couple Sarah Maisel & Craig Chee

By Kevin Coughlin

It’s cheaper than couples therapy, with a better prognosis for long-term bliss.

We’re talking ukuleles.

Jim and Liz Beloff  got married in 1987, and this cute little four-stringed instrument has been their baby almost ever since.

Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee  met three years ago, via the uke. They are getting hitched in Hawaii this month, and plan to sing and strum happily ever after.

At last weekend’s Uke New Jersey 3!  festival in Morris Township, both couples gave performances that made everyone believe in harmony — on and off-stage.

“The ukulele completely changed my life… it turned my life around,” said Maisel.

Lil' Rev serenades ukulele stars Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee--days before their wedding--at the Uke New Jersey 3 festival. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Lil’ Rev serenades ukulele stars Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee–days before their wedding–at the Uke New Jersey 3 festival. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

The Alabama native had moved to California after college in 2004, making costumes for a playhouse in La Jolla. She was lonesome, and depressed.  Someone mentioned a “crazy pizza place” where ukulele players gathered.

“It was the happiest place,” said Maisel, whose only prior experience with stringed instruments involved a violin.

(On the first Wednesday of every month, Anthony’s Pizza in Morristown is pretty happy, too, thanks to the Morristown Uke Jam.)

Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee in their last 'solo' gig, Uke New Jersey 3!  Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee in their last ‘solo’ gig, Uke New Jersey 3! at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Soon Maisel was taking group classes every week.

“I had this whole new family, always throwing little jams,” she said.

A luthier introduced her to Chee.

“Festivals kept hiring us separately, and we found ourselves performing a lot together,” Maisel said.

One thing led to another, and pretty soon Chee moved from Oregon to California.

Together, they have toured Australia, Japan, Europe and North America.

New Jersey was their last gig as “solo” artists.

Video: Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee make beautiful music together

Jim Beloff and Liz Maihock met at a party. He was doing ad sales for a major publishing house; she designed graphics for movies. (She created the Tri-star logo, with the winged horse Pegasus.)

A ukulele figured prominently in their first date. (See video below.)

STILL SINGING A HAPPY TUNE: Jim & Liz Beloff. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
STILL SINGING A HAPPY TUNE: Jim & Liz Beloff. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

In the early ’90s, Jim, a guitarist who had been a college intern for Leonard Bernstein, bought a uke at a flea market in Pasadena.

When he couldn’t find any sheet music, he and Liz started churning out song books. And performing. And collecting ukuleles.

The late Beatle George Harrison once paid a visit to check out their collection.

“It’s a very social instrument, once you find out how much fun people are having,” Liz Beloff said. “It promotes singing.”

And romance, evidently.

MORE FROM ‘UKE NEW JERSEY 3’

Video: Hopeless romantics Jim & Liz Beloff play ‘their’ song

Liz & Jim Beloff of Clinton, CT, have educated a generation of uke players with their songbooks. Jim writes, Liz illustrates. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Liz & “Jumpin’ Jim” Beloff of Clinton, CT, have educated a generation of uke players with their songbooks. Jim writes, Liz illustrates. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

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