A drenching, cold rain fell on Vashon last Thursday, but in the studio above Vashon Island Music, the spirit of Hawaii filled the air as members of the Vashon Island Ukulele Society started to play.

“This land is your land, this land is my land, from California to Vashon Island,” nearly 20 people sang as they strummed the classic folk song —  with a local twist.

Many islanders know the ukulele society, now five years old, from its performances around town and lively appearances in the Strawberry Festival parade. Typically, 10 to 15 people attend its regular sessions, but in an effort to cast a wider net, the group hosted an open house for other ukulele players — and would-be ukulele players. Five new people attended last week, and at the close of the session, one woman remarked about the wonders of the uke.

“Your blood pressure instantly lowers,” she said.

To attend its twice-monthly practices, people should know their way around the ukelele at least a bit, said group leader Karen Eliasen, who owns the music store, but more important than skill is one vital prerequisite: a good attitude.

That’s what it’s about. We spend 25 to 50 percent of our time laughing,” she told those gathered. “If you have played with a group before, you know that’s what happens. The line between playing by yourself and with a group isn’t linear, it is exponential, and this group is … beyond exponential. It’s so fun.”

Before they launched into song, Eliasen reviewed just three chords, encouraging the newest players with their newfound knowledge.

“You will not believe the number of songs you can play with those three chords. Those first three chords will open the door to an entire oeuvre,” she said.

Vashon Island Music has carried ukuleles since Eliasen bought the business 11 years ago, and they were a hit right away.

“The first year I got a message that I was selling more than any other independent retailer on the West Coast outside of Hawaii,” she said.

She calls the ukulele — which in Hawaiian means “jumping flea” —  the perfect instrument for islanders. They are not expensive, are easy to play, provide an excellent antidote to stress and fit easily in even the smallest cars, ideal for playing in the ferry line.

“Bill Gates said a computer on every desk. I say a ukulele on every lap,” she added.

As the number of ukulele players grew on the island, Eliasen said the need for a group was clear, and she set about creating one.

A handful of people attended the first gathering, including Sharon Danielson, who has been part of the group ever since.

“I was hooked that first time I went,” she recalled. “It was so much fun, and the people were so fun.”

Danielson had played the piano earlier in life, she said, but never a stringed instrument and was surprised how easy it was to learn.

“It’s such a happy instrument,” she added. “You can’t help but be in a good mood when you play it.”

Noting that many in the group are middle aged or older, she spoke to the instrument’s fountain-of-youth properties.

“I am going to be 67 on April 14,” she said. “It just keeps you going.”

George Lewis, one of the elders in the group, plays a prized 60-year-old ukulele he received when he was a boy growing up in Hawaii. He has always had music in his life, he said, and previously played the cornet and harmonica. When this group formed, he pulled his old ukulele off an upper closet shelf and taught himself to play again.

“It took some endeavor on my part,” he said, “and that is always easier to do in a group.”

Society member Lynanne Raven has the distinction of writing new lyrics for “Surfin’ USA” —  another song in the group’s diverse repertoire — while she was mowing her lawn.

Raven has been playing with the group for just two years and joined after buying a ukulele in Hawaii and practicing on her own.

“I walked in there not knowing a soul. I did not even see a face that was recognizable,” she said. “And everybody was totally welcoming.”

It is that sentiment — of making music in a friendly environment — that members echo over and over again.

“It is a source of renewal and stress abatement,” Lewis noted, adding that he appreciates the society’s esprit de corps.

The youngest member of the group, Hailey Quackenbush, 20, experienced some of that spirit when sidelined by cancer last year. The society sent cards and photos of its gigs.

“They kept me in touch and up to date,” Quackenbush said. “I think they should be recognized for how nice and supportive they are.”

Now, glad to be back and playing again, Quackenbush speaks to the merits of the uke itself: “Even if you are playing a sad song, you cannot be completely sad. Even if you are having a bad day, you can cannot be having a completely bad day.”

The growing popularity of the ukulele on Vashon mirrors the increasing popularity of the tiny instrument that has taken the globe by storm in recent years.

In fact, in 2010, a documentary called “The Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of a Musical Underdog” chronicled the instrument’s resurgence.

Canadian ukulele virtuoso James Hill, who was given a school-issued ukulele at age 8, is among those featured in the film and says the ukulele creates community. In fact, he states, when people go to a ukulele performance, they often bring their own ukuleles along and wait to join in, something that does not happen at the symphony.

“Nobody brings their oboe,” he said.

Accordion master and ukulele player Nova Devonie, who gives ukulele lessons on Vashon, says that some people cannot shake their vision of the ukulele as a corny instrument, played by the likes of Tiny Tim as he tiptoed through the tulips.

But filmmaker Tony Coleman says that image has receded as current musicians have showcased its attributes. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” topped the charts in the 1990s. In 2002, Paul McCartney performed a concert in tribute to the late George Harrison, who was a big ukulele fan.

After that, Coleman says, the ukulele began to inspire a whole new crowd of musicians, ranging from Pearl Jam’s Eddier Vedder, whose CD “Ukulele Songs” was released in 2011, to, of course, the members of the Vashon Island Ukulele Society.

To join the society, which people are welcome to do at any time, they may want to purchase a ukulele, which Eliasen sells at her store, with starter models costing about $100. It is possible to learn a lot online, though Eliasen said she believes a few lessons are a good idea, even if just to learn how to hold the instrument properly and avoid developing bad habits. Devonie, who offers lessons once a month on the island, has a more relaxed view — at the risk of talking herself out of work.

“Honestly, I do not think you need a lesson if you just pay attention and use common sense,” she said. “You can make a chord without even putting a finger on the strings.”

As a musician on the road, she has been lucky enough to hear ukulele virtuosos, including Hill, and notes that amazing music can be made on the little instrument with just four strings, but people will reap its benefits long before they hit virtuoso status.

“If you play the ukulele, the day’s burdens will fall away, and you will be filled with joy,” she said.

The Vashon Island Ukulele Society meets from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of every month in the studio above Vashon Island Music. The cost is $3 for one session or $5 for both. For more information, contact karen@vashonislandmusic.com or call Vashon Island Music at 463-0552.