When Ali Prince discovered the ukulele she became curious.
“I just started picking away on it and looked up how to play online and taught myself,” Prince said.
A few years later, Prince began performing at various open mics and live music nights in Tofino.
“I loved performing and I wanted to share what I was learning,” she said.
Since then, performing live has become an enjoyable hobby for the 26 year old.
“It’s my passion,” she said. “It’s my happy moment.”
Tonight, (March 12) the Nanaimo native will be performing with David Bitonti at the Longwood Brew Pub. Prince will be covering songs from a wide range of genres, which include folk, grunge and rock on her ukulele.
“I am really excited for it,” Prince said. “I haven’t played at Longwood yet. I went in and attended one of their shows and it has a really cool little setup.”
Prince was born in Nanaimo but grew up in Ladysmith and moved to Tofino in 2011.
The Former Ladysmith Secondary School student said the music scene in Tofino was the perfect place for her to get started as a performing musician.
“It is so great because of the community there. Everyone really supports each other,” she said. “It was a great place to start out.”
Last September, Prince returned to the Harbour City and is just starting to familiarize herself with the city’s music scene, having recently performed at the Dinghy Dock Pub.
“Now that I am in Nanaimo I am really excited because there are so many more opportunities,” she said.
Although Prince, who is working on original material, hasn’t been performing live for very long, she enjoys the feeling of taking the stage.
“I just have such a fun time up there,” she said. “Most people get pretty afraid and nervous but kind of thrive off it and I get a big adrenaline rush after and it just keeps me on a natural high.”
Prince performs at 8 p.m. at the Longwood Brew Pub. There is no cover charge. To see all of Prince's covers, visit www.youtube.com/user/aliprince88x