Bios
Sonic Uke Ensemble
Tiny Size, Mighty Joy!
Emerging from the ukulele sub-culture of southern Ontario, the Sonic Uke Ensemble is a group of seasoned players that came together during the Covid lockdowns of 2021. Their video performances - showcasing their unique blend of vintage and more-contemporary material, served with a few laughs - have been entertaining thousands of viewers on-line. Their live shows are delighting audiences with their ukulele skills and vocal arrangements, along with a few surprises!
Paul Goossens
Musical director, ukuleles, vocals
Born and raised in the North-East of England, Paul developed his musical skills with contemporaries Sting, Neil Tennant and Mark Knopfler, who all turned out to be much more talented. He has performed on some of the world's smallest stages and played with – and quickly dropped by - some of the UK's greatest luminaries, such as Eric Burden, Brian Johnson and Rick Wakeman. The zenith of his career was performing "Fox on the Run" with The Sweet's Brian Connelly, who drank himself to death shortly after. When not playing ukulele, he is a reputed songwriter and producer, amassing an impressive collection of rejection letters from all the major labels, as well as many of the world's finest artists.
Sue Cutler
Concert/soprano/banjo/bass ukulele, vocals
Sue discovered the joys of playing ukulele more than 15 years ago, after playing guitar for several years. Sue was an active member of the Corktown Ukulele Jam in Toronto for 9 years before moving to Kitchener. She is also half of the Pluckin’ Cutlers, who have been featured performers at various Toronto and KW stages. Sue co-hosted the Midland Ukulele Festival in 2019 and has been co-host of the Waterloo (Region) Ukulele Performance Stage (WUPS) for more than 5 years. Sue is also a member of several other ukulele groups in Waterloo Region.
Bob Cutler
Tenor/baritone/banjo ukulele, vocals
Bob has played ukulele for more than 20 years after having played banjo, mandolin and other instruments for many years prior to discovering the joys of the ukulele world. Bob was a member of the Don Valley Boyz, a Toronto bluegrass band, for 15 years, and was an active member of the Corktown Ukulele Jam in Toronto for 9 years before moving to Kitchener. Bob is also half of the Pluckin’ Cutlers who have been featured performers at various Toronto and KW stages. Bob co-hosted the Midland Ukulele Festival in 2019, and conceived of and has been co-host of the Waterloo (Region) Ukulele Performance Stage (WUPS) for more than 5 years. He is also a member of several other ukulele groups in Waterloo Region.
Abby Goodrum
Vocals
Born and raised in Texas, Abby grew up singing gospel music in church and listening to cajun, dixieland, blues and country music on the radio. She attended Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas (whose alumni include Roy Hargrove, Erica Badu, Norah Jones, Sandra St. Victor, and Edie Brickell). Abby was a member of the school’s Jazz Singers ensemble and began performing locally at clubs on Greenville Avenue. While attending the University of Texas in Austin, she fronted the blues band Jake and the Javelinas, and played at the Cactus Café and Club Foot. She continued to play music off and on with various bands over the years including more recently The Dirty Choir, Barrelhouse, and Dr. Dr. A full-time tenured professor, she continues to work on her jazz and blues repertoire by participating in the Jazz for Adults program, and indulges her love of singing a broad range of music by performing with the Sonic Uke Ensemble.
Dan Kelley
Ukuleles, vocals
Dan is a recently retired Music teacher who has developed a deep appreciation for the ukulele. The uke became his saving grace during lockdown, allowing him to explore a wide variety of genres. When not performing on his ukulele, Dan can be found performing or directing plays throughout the Waterloo-Wellington area, and as far away as Scotland and the Caribbean. Dan hails from Guelph where he lives with his partner and two cats.
Sean Stokholm
Bass ukulele
Sean has been performing around Southwestern Ontario for over 30 years as a singer-songwriter and member of the ‘punkgrass’ band, The Pollinators. He’s released two solo albums: Devils, Do-Gooders and Me (which featured Paul on drums!) and Half Cent Hope. He is notably the world’s tallest freestanding uke bass player, and was recently ranked second for most potty mouthed.