“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” Victor Hugo

There is an unmistakable magic to creating your own music. And although it’s easy to believe that you don’t have the talent to play an instrument, Daphne Roubini of Ruby’s Ukes knows that not only is it possible; once you pick up a ukulele, it’s inevitable. The Ukulele, four-strings of easy-to-play, sweet-sounding joy, has experienced a global revival.

Thanks to Daphne and the team at Ruby’s Ukes Ukulele School in Downtown Vancouver, thousands of new musicians now understand why. Ruby’s Ukes’ workshops, ‘Uke Can Play’ and ‘Ukulele Express’, are beginners and intermediate courses that have launched countless musical journeys for people who once thought they didn’t have the ability to pick up an instrument and play.  At Ruby’s Ukes they quickly learn they can.

“Our workshops work because they’re so much fun,” explains Daphne. “People help and learn from each other. It doesn’t matter what level you’re on. When people are sharing the moment, you’re playing with new friends. No one feels exposed or under pressure.”
We look forward to seeing you, and hearing you play, soon.

Ruby’s Ukes is, at face value, a Ukulele School in Vancouver. Once experienced, it becomes clear it’s so much more.

“Soon after I started Ruby’s Ukes I noticed that my students weren’t just blossoming as players. They started telling me that they were feeling so much happier. It was more than looking forward to the class. They were feeling better about their everyday lives.”

That’s Daphne talking about the power of the ukulele. She should know. She’s seen it happen hundreds of times.

Ruby’s Ukes workshops can have that kind of effect on people. These are group experiences, where strangers quickly become friends, bonded by their discoveries as learning together sees chords turn into songs and into performances. Every class is uplifting, inspirational and, above all, FUN!

Learning the ukulele gives people the chance to become their own musician, with all the creative freedoms that brings. As Daphne will tell you, the ukulele delivers more than the sum of its parts. Spiritual? Emotional? Even physical benefits? With Ruby’s Ukes, anything’s possible.

“Learning to play the ukulele challenged us to stop and listen to each other. We learned, we laughed and we had a sense of accomplishment, as we strummed and created beautiful music together. This was just what the doctor ordered!”
Liz Choquette, Vancouver Coastal Health

“How do we take care of ourselves as medical professionals working in the midst of pain and suffering day after day? At our first meeting Daphne introduced me to the sweetest of all instruments, the ukulele. What a magnificent discovery!  On hearing the first song Daphne sang and played for me, I felt my heart immediately soften and open. I knew then that the ukulele is an instrument of the heart. Now every night, before I go to sleep, I sit in bed with my ukulele and sing two or three songs to honour the moments of connection in my day, the good and the difficult, and then drift off to sleep with my heart wide open. The insomnia I have lived with for quite a few years has literally vanished! My deep thanks to Daphne for the inspiration to bring the ukulele into my life. “
Janie Brown, RN, MSN, MA, Executive Director, Callanish Society

For more information, please contact Daphne Roubini by email (rubysukes@gmail.com). Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are very friendly.

The Georgia Straight | Full page Interview with Daphne Roubini by Mike Usinger

Listen to “Four little Strings”
the CBC National radio documentary featuring Ruby’s Ukes, and award winning reporter Pamela Post’s personal Uke journey and the healing aspects of the Ukulele,   on ‘Living Out Loud’, as well as North by North West . Here’s the link for you the enjoy!