Teaching Kids to Play Ukulele

myrnaukelele

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I knew there was a reason to collect Makala Dolphins (aside from the fact that I want one in every color!). I am fortunate to be a school librarian in a Middle School known for its Fine Arts Program. All 6th graders take a music class(band/choir/orchestra or piano). The piano teacher has started sending students to the library to learn ukulele:eek:
And they are clamoring to come(and not just so they can get out of class)! I leave my three Dolphins and my Flea at school. I can only teach the last period of the day and only four students at a time. But is is SO rewarding! I take the first 10 minutes to explain a bit about the tuning and strumming and to show them C-F-G (they totally get I IV V chords since they already play piano). Give them an easy 3 chord song and come back 20 minutes later to hear them play it through. We're rotating through the class so eventually all students will have a chance to learn. A grant has been written for a classroom set of ukuleles. It's just so fun to see how excited these kids are about learning to play the ukulele!!
Yes math and science and reading are important. But music and art also belong in our public schools.
 
What a great story. Thanks for sharing it. Those children are very fortunate.
 
I knew there was a reason to collect Makala Dolphins (aside from the fact that I want one in every color!). I am fortunate to be a school librarian in a Middle School known for its Fine Arts Program. All 6th graders take a music class(band/choir/orchestra or piano). The piano teacher has started sending students to the library to learn ukulele:eek:
And they are clamoring to come(and not just so they can get out of class)! I leave my three Dolphins and my Flea at school. I can only teach the last period of the day and only four students at a time. But is is SO rewarding! I take the first 10 minutes to explain a bit about the tuning and strumming and to show them C-F-G (they totally get I IV V chords since they already play piano). Give them an easy 3 chord song and come back 20 minutes later to hear them play it through. We're rotating through the class so eventually all students will have a chance to learn. A grant has been written for a classroom set of ukuleles. It's just so fun to see how excited these kids are about learning to play the ukulele!!
Yes math and science and reading are important. But music and art also belong in our public schools.

What school district are you with? I am with Iditarod Area School District. I have been teaching six 3rd-6th graders how to play some christmas carols for our christmas show. In january, I am starting a uke club with the middle school kids. I still need to get some more ukes. I only have 6 for the kids.
 
Myrna, that is fantastic! Way to go for sharing your love of the ukulele. If there's anything I can help out with, let me know. I have a spare tuner laying around if you want, too.
 
Wow WTG! I've dreamed of teaching sick kids to play the uke for a while now. I am a hospice nurse, so it's a possibility! Keep up the good work...
 
Cool, way to go Mynra! That is so neat that they have the basics and "get it" right off the bat.

Keep us posted on the grant.
 
What school district are you with? I am with Iditarod Area School District. I have been teaching six 3rd-6th graders how to play some christmas carols for our christmas show. In january, I am starting a uke club with the middle school kids. I still need to get some more ukes. I only have 6 for the kids.

John - Sounds like your Christmas show will be really cute. Nice to hear you're starting a student uke club. I guarantee it will be a big hit! I'm teaching 7th and 8th graders and they are loving it. How many middle school students do you have? Do you have a District music person who might help you find instruments (or someone who knows how to write grants who might help out)? I'm in the Anchorage School District. We have 680 kids in our school but I'm only working with a couple of classes of piano students (about 50 kids in all). We have 30 ukes (a classroom set) on order- the piano teacher is a great grant writer. Until they come I'm teaching 4 students at a time.
 
What a great story. Thanks for sharing it. Those children are very fortunate.
Thanks rocko- I wish ALL public schools would recognize the importance of music and the arts- and commit to fund them! Our area high school band and choir are fabulous because our kids start learning music in middle school. And many of our orchestra kids go on to play in the Anchorage Youth Symphony.

Myrna, that is fantastic! Way to go for sharing your love of the ukulele. If there's anything I can help out with, let me know. I have a spare tuner laying around if you want, too.

Soo - that is so sweet of you to offer. I helped write the grant and it stipulated that each uke needed to come with a tuner and a second set of strings. So I think we're good there but I appreciate your generosity.:)
 
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Wow WTG! I've dreamed of teaching sick kids to play the uke for a while now. I am a hospice nurse, so it's a possibility! Keep up the good work...

Oh go for it Nickie! “Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”
You keep up the good work as well.:)
 
Cool, way to go Mynra! That is so neat that they have the basics and "get it" right off the bat.

Keep us posted on the grant.
Thanks van- it really makes a big difference in their learning curve. We can concentrate on strumming and picking patterns and chord shapes without me having to teach them music theory. I'll post a picture when we get the ukes.

Not sure of your wood working skills but maybe the Youthalele would be good...
glass- thanks for the info:)
 
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