How is the Ukulele received and perceived in Canada?

Hi all

For my final thesis, I am writing about the surging popularity of our wonderful instrument. I was thinking of doing a case study on Canada, and how elementary schools use ukes to teach music to kids. Does this effect the way the uke is perceived in the larger music culture in Canada?

Would love to hear from my fellow bros and sis' in Canada!

the ukulele education system has little or no impact in the music culture of Canada apart from the current resurgence/fad aspect which is pretty much everywhere. The elementary school/Chalmers Doane education system was used in the 1970's in Nova Scotia on the East Coast and currently in parts of British Columbia on the west coast. The Langley Ensemble, from Langley B.C. still exist and I believe came out of the Doane system. School music programs are starting to rediscover the uke, but for the most part have never heard of Chalmers Doane, his system, or the Northern brand triangle ukes that he designed and had made in Japan in the 1970's. James Hill is also a product of the Langley group and Chalmers Doane's methods. But his popularity is not in Canada.

Hi Daniel!! I think that in BC and Nova Scotia, uke must be quite well perceived since they have James Hill and a whole bunch of people promoting it.

Here in the province of Quebec. I'm the first person to start an organized club here. And I have to say that there's a real and big interest from people for that kind of things. I try to promote it the best I can and the response is very good! Since everything is centralized in the club, the members can take classes and we have a classifieds place where people can sell their ukes, etc...

So I try to create a mini commnunity where everything that concern uke passes thru us. And what's cool is that all the members are implied in the decisions that the club is taking!!

So that's how we promote uke here compare to some persons that promote uke only by selling ukes!!!!

Hope that help for your thesis!!

By the way, we have a kind of mini uke show this week-end!!

In Toronto we have Corktown weekly jams. Everyone there is super nice and they hold a ton of events. http://www.torontoukes.com/

The Ukuleles in the Classroom program is coming back in Canada.
The Collingwood Public Library has three ukes for members to borrow and learn on. Other libraries are watching to see how popular the program is (the ukes are out on loan constantly and you have to put your name in, weeks in advance, to get one).
More and more music stores are adding more ukes to their lineup. I was in Steve's Music, in Toronto, Saturday and they were entirely sold out! Every model, every make - gone. And they're the largest music retailler in Canada. I was in Barrie two weeks ago and spoke to four music dealers. Most were either sold out or down to their last few instruments and waiting for more.
There are uke clubs and jams springing up everywhere in Canada.
Vive le uke!

Everybody's learning and playing the ukulele in Canada:

http://www.ukuleleintheclassroom.com

http://www.chalmersdoane.com

http://www.ukuleleyes.com/issues/vol9/no1/index.htm

ricdoug said:

Everybody's learning and playing the ukulele in Canada...

Click to expand...

Apparently often with D6 tuning too, according to Ukulele Yes.

The uke is alive and well in London, On.
We have a group S.O.U.P. (Southern Ontario Ukulele Players). Get togethers are every Monday night for two and a half hours.
Anybody in the London area could email me megavox@live.ca

Bill
Keep Strmmin'

VERRRY interested in your research

Hi! I am a prof teaching music methods to undergrad and grad elementary classroom teachers. This last two years and specifically this year, I taught this class using the James Hill method. I have very limited class time but in 8 hours of instruction they could play Acadian Lullaby in two parts with some strumming background. It was ragged but there. I was so proud. I would love to know what you find so put me on the research list when you publish!

Thanks and good luck!

Sharon Porter
Eastern Oregon University

Daniel - Is this a masters thesis? Phd? Undergrad? What discipline are you in? Music? I suggest you contact James directly; he's a nice guy and might be able to give you some tips of where to start. If you are coming at this from an ethnomusicological perspective (which it sounds like you might be), let me know; I can connect you with some good profs in the field here in Canada.

Ian - James and the his education initiative do encourage using D tuning. But it is by no means set in stone nor is it necessarily the tuning in which ukulele is taught at schools. I have taken James's course and have been to one of his jams/workshops; both times we used C-tuning...He always has hand-outs/music for C and D tunings.

Sharon - that is so cool! You should come up and do the institute with James this summer. I happy that his method is being used and disseminated right from teacher training. I hope that more of what you're doing catches on in universities/teachers colleges here in Canada. Maybe I need to go back to school and get my M.A./PHd and do it myself...!