Andrew Molina’s Ukulele Academy

[Veritas99]

Looks like Andrew Molina finally launched his online ukulele course.

Andrew Molina Ukulele Academy

He’s mentioned it a few times in his podcast so I’ve been interested in seeing what he would offer. There are three membership levels, with the top (and most expensive) Prestige level including one-on-one lessons and assistance if you’re recording an album. The offerings at the Basic and Elite levels look somewhat similar to Craig and Sarah’s Artistworks course although not quite as many lessons yet. I imagine he will add on more as things progress and, to be fair, it does seem like plenty to get started.

I really like Andrew’s playing so if anyone decides to sign up, please let me know your impressions.

 

[Joyful Uke]

I hope that someone signs up and gives us their impressions.
I didn't see any samples of the lessons, so it's hard to guess if it's the right type of course for me.
Maybe I just overlooked any samples, though.

 

[necessaryrooster]

Kinda cool that he's not charging per course, just one blanket fee for the whole thing. I might sign up next month and give it a shot once I have some more free time to actually utilize something like this. If I do, I'll come back and update this thread (or start a new one) with my impressions.

 

[rainbow21]

Kinda cool that he's not charging per course, just one blanket fee for the whole thing. I might sign up next month and give it a shot once I have some more free time to actually utilize something like this. If I do, I'll come back and update this thread (or start a new one) with my impressions.

When I look at the linked site, cheapest is $37.99 a month. Two other tiers at $49.99 and $199.99 per month. Not a single use fee that I can find.

 

[necessaryrooster]

Maybe I misunderstood. I'd clicked on the basic course (the $37.99) and at the bottom it says "You will get access to the full Open Library which ranges from beginner all the way to advanced."

Maybe that just means beginner to advanced within the basic course?

 

[rainbow21]

Maybe I misunderstood. I'd clicked on the basic course (the $37.99) and at the bottom it says "You will get access to the full Open Library which ranges from beginner all the way to advanced."

Maybe that just means beginner to advanced within the basic course?

Or maybe you have the month to consume as much of the entire content as you can. Then if you need more time, pay for an additional month. Looks like the middle "elite" membership actually includes some interactions like a zoom Q&A and video submission feedback.

 

[chris667]

I don't begrudge anyone a living, but $45.59 a month for a link to some videos is rather too rich for me.

There is just too much competition on Patreon.

 

[Joyful Uke]

There are less expensive options, but I also look at as: What would the cost be for an in-person lesson from an instructor? (I honestly have no idea, and I'm sure it depends on the instructor.) I'm guessing that a lesson or 2 from a decent instructor would cost as much or more.

For $45.59, you could spend one month going through as much of the material as you can, (i.e. potentially worth more than a lesson or 2 from an in-person instructor), and then end your subscription if it's not worth it to you. If you had a month that you could devote a lot of time to it, you'd probably get $45.59 worth of instruction out of it. (Like for those of us who might have some time off during the upcoming holidays, we might be able to focus a little more on a class then.)

But, a sample lesson or 2 would be nice so it would be possible to figure out of their teaching style works for you, and it the content of the course is appropriate for what you want to learn.

We're fortunate to have a lot of options out there, easily accessible from the comfort of our home, at varying price ranges, from free YouTubes to a pricey lesson with someone like Jake Shimabukuro.

 

[Veritas99]

Looks like he just posted a couple of sample lessons, one on a technique and one more of a playing tip.

Thumb brush technique
Exposing your weak points

 

[Joyful Uke]

Thanks for posting those. I'm looking forward to watching those.

 

[rainbow21]

Looks like he just posted a couple of sample lessons, one on a technique and one more of a playing tip.

Thumb brush technique
Exposing your weak points

Looks like a bunch of short videos, under two minutes. Clicking on basic has two preview beginner videos. My initial impression is not good. On the tuning and holding the uke video, extent of tuning is "tune it G, C, E, A" (paraphrased, but that is it). Same with holding the uke.

 

[Luke Plays Uke]

I beta’d the course and like it. Talking to Andrew, it’s set up more like how they learn in Hawaii so there’s less of an emphasis on strumming patterns or chord charts and more about watching his fingers and listening to apply it yourself to get beyond the first four frets. It doesn’t outright focus on theory so much (at least in the beginning) but I found myself trying to move what I was learning to other songs. Once I figured that out I really started to enjoy it because it was more like learning tools than learning things that feel more… locked into one song if that makes sense.

He’s also got a cheat sheet that blew my mind.

But take all that with a grain of salt. I’ve taken a couple lessons from Andrew and really like his instructional technique. I also like most of the ukulele courses I’ve paid for because there’s always something to glean from them!

 

[VegasGeorge]

Molina is a great player, but taking lessons from him isn't going to make you a great player. If you're going to be a great player, you will find your way with or without him. If you're like me, and are struggling just to be a somewhat competent player, then the most important thing is to find someone who is a great teacher. A mediocre player is about the best I could realistically hope to become. If I could just find an already mediocre player who happens to be a great teacher, then I'd be so happy to take lessons from that person. Just a bit of wisdom from someone who has taken a whole boatload of music lessons over the years.

 

[eb357]

I have been taking private lessons from Andrew Molina since October of 2014. Not only is he a top notch ukulele performer, he is equally an excellent instructor. He has a passion to help people learn the ukulele. He simplifies complex material in an easy to understand method. Although I have taken lessons from him all these years, I decided to sign up for his ukulele academy elite membership. I have taken many ukulele courses through the years and I am a level 3 certified instructor with James Hill. I found his online academy to be extremely organized, easy to understand for a beginner and challenging for the intermediate to advanced student. I highly recommend this online academy.

 

[Teddy]

I have been taking private lessons from Andrew Molina since October of 2014. Not only is he a top notch ukulele performer, he is equally an excellent instructor. He has a passion to help people learn the ukulele. He simplifies complex material in an easy to understand method. Although I have taken lessons from him all these years, I decided to sign up for his ukulele academy elite membership. I have taken many ukulele courses through the years and I am a level 3 certified instructor with James Hill. I found his online academy to be extremely organized, easy to understand for a beginner and challenging for the intermediate to advanced student. I highly recommend this online academy.

New account - only post - just fyi

 

[rainbow21]

New account - only post - just fyi

I would not call out this poster since this post is informative and on topic. I hope if Andrew is very good, that he selects some sample lessons from each level for others to try. The two I saw were not very convincing.

 

[Teddy]

Not saying they're wrong or bad but just giving perspective. I've been guilty of replying to some of the recent spammers (not this account) and totally over look their post history.

I just find it a little odd that someone has played for at least 7 years, and just now came to the forum to make this one post...

Maybe a burner but again just trying to give some perspective.

 

[chris667]

@eb357 I hope you understand the skepticism.

If you are in regular contact with Andrew Molina it would be worth giving some feedback to him. I'd love to hear what he has to say about the course.

Might encourage some of us to sign up!

 

[VegasGeorge]

I didn't mean to imply that Molina isn't a great teacher. He may be, for all I know. I just looked at a few of his youtube vids. I liked his playing, but was unimpressed with his communication skills. Of course the teacher/student relationship is highly personal, and someone else might think he's the cat's meow.

 

[AMolina]

Looks like Andrew Molina finally launched his online ukulele course.

Andrew Molina Ukulele Academy

He’s mentioned it a few times in his podcast so I’ve been interested in seeing what he would offer. There are three membership levels, with the top (and most expensive) Prestige level including one-on-one lessons and assistance if you’re recording an album. The offerings at the Basic and Elite levels look somewhat similar to Craig and Sarah’s Artistworks course although not quite as many lessons yet. I imagine he will add on more as things progress and, to be fair, it does seem like plenty to get started.

I really like Andrew’s playing so if anyone decides to sign up, please let me know your impressions.

Hi there, It seems there is a little uncertainty regarding the course. No problem, I would be happy to clear up any questions you have!