Ukuleles in the Classroom

Our mission is to provide ukuleles, books, and teacher scholarships in order to help the local schools' music programs to teach music to the children in our community.

 

The Need

If you ask adults what one thing they wish they had done when they were young, most will say that they wish they had learned to play a musical instrument.

We would love to offer comprehensive music education to all of our children, but...

    • many parents can’t afford the combination of lessons & instruments required to give this opportunity to their children.
    • our school music programs are under-funded and limited.
    • our current school music programs do not have an on-going course of study that facilitates extensive music theory education for every student

The Ukulele Answer

The ukulele is a great instrument on which to base a music program because...

 

    • the uke is already kid-size, so it can be used early-on in the elementary schools
    • it is fully chromatic & facilitates long-term advancement & challenge
    • it is inexpensive (a very playable ukulele & case is available for $50-80)
    • it allows the player to sing while playing
    • there is a well-tested course of study available.
    • training is available for music teachers yearly at the Langley Ukulele Camp

Ukulele in the Classroom is a sequential, performance-based ukulele method through which students explore elements of music including melody, harmony, rhythm, form, tempo, dynamics, and tone. Areas of skill include singing, picking, strumming, ear training, sight-reading, improvising, music theory, harmonizing, arranging, and more.

 

Langley Ukulele Association - Our Role Model

The school system in Langley, BC uses the ukulele nearly exclusively as their music educational instrument. They have a proven course of study followed by the music teachers that include coverage of music theory, harmony, voice, improvisation and accompaniment. Students follow this course beginning in grade 3, continuing through high school. Many leave high school with a knowledge of music theory that matches their knowledge of core subjects like English and History. To help motivate students, and to offer further opportunity to them, "Honour Groups" have been established. The best student performers audition to join the "Honour 'A' Group", also known as the Langley Ukulele Ensemble. The Langley Ukulele Ensemble is widely renowned, travelling & performing all over the world. We want to implement this successful program throughout the schools in the Gorge.

 

Currently in Our Schools

We are already experiencing the success of a pilot program implemented at Westside Elementary, under the direction of Larry Wyatt. He uses the course of study published from the founders of the Langley program. In his fourth year, he now has 51 kids in his ukestra!

 

With the proceeds from the 2009 Gorge Ukulele Festival, we have spread the pilot program to both Westside and Wy'East Elementary Schools.

 

Next Steps

The next steps of this project are to spread this program to the rest of the schools in the Hood River School District. This step includes outfitting each music program with a set of classroom ukuleles (approximately 20 per school), student books and training and materials for each of the music teachers.

 

In addition, Gorge Ukuleles will be providing scholarships to send music teachers to the Langley Ukulele Teachers' Festival, held in late September every year.

 

In 2010, our goal is to begin to spread this successful program to nearly communities including The Dalles, OR.