By Allison Perrine
SEA BRIGHT – A 13-year-old with a strong connection to music and surfing has teamed up with a Sea Bright business owner to help support the surf shop while it is closed through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to middle-schooler Zoe Herishen, anyone who purchases a ukulele from Lucky Dog Surf Co. of Sea Bright can take free virtual lessons with her through Zoom or FaceTime. Zoe has been playing for five years and is currently sponsored by Kala Brand ukuleles.
“When I was 6 years old, I was really into rock ‘n’ roll and got a guitar. But I’m very small; my fingers are so small I couldn’t play the guitar,” Zoe said, explaining how she got into the ukulele. “I kind of fell in love with it from there.”
Zoe met Melissa D’Anna, owner of Lucky Dog, on a flight to Florida for a Surf Expo about two years ago. They have kept in touch since and have collaborated and hosted several ukulele workshops for beginners at Lucky Dog, which happens to sell Kala Brand ukuleles.
“I wasn’t sure how it would go because she is so young. It was open to adults and kids alike,” said D’Anna. But the 13-year-old “commands the room” and is a great teacher. “She explains everything really well and people listen. I was super impressed,” she added.
Zoe was scheduled to host a few ukulele lessons this summer, but then COVID-19 struck and canceled those plans. The virus has had a huge impact on the small business world in the U.S. as well as thousands of individuals, including Zoe and her family, who live in Bergen County. In the past few weeks, Zoe’s grandmother and uncle died of COVID-19, and her grandfather has been hospitalized with it, though he seems to be recovering, said Zoe.
From these tragedies, Zoe wanted to offer people a distraction from the reality of the world today. That’s why she now offers free 30-minute ukulele lessons through Zoom or FaceTime to anyone who purchases an instrument from Lucky Dog during the business closure. She has hosted two lessons so far and according to Zoe, they have gone well – despite some technical glitches and lagging.
“They were both fast learners,” she said.
And according to D’Anna, most of her ukuleles in the stores have now been sold; she started with about 15 and now has about three left in stock. Other items are being purchased more often than normal from Lucky Dog, like wetsuits, surfboards and skateboards, she said. Currently, anyone interested in shopping from the store is able to do so with curbside pickup or delivery options, by visiting luckydogsurf.com or visiting its social media platforms.
But D’Anna’s biggest worry lies ahead.
“I am concerned about May, June, July – I’m a seasonal business. If I don’t make money then, I’m kind of screwed,” she said. She applied for two small business loans to help ease the burden and help her get through the coming months, but has not yet heard if she secured them.
Zoe’s mom, Tracey Barton-Herishen, said she is happy that her daughter decided to do something positive during a time like this. “It’s kind of a win-win for everybody, I feel. It’s keeping her busy and doing something creative and teaching other people, and at the same time not only helping out Melissa’s small business but the ukulele company as well – getting more people involved in the instrument.”
The article originally appeared in the April 30 – May 6, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
