This document discusses how to enhance general music education through the use of ukuleles. It provides background on the history and origins of the ukulele. It then outlines how ukuleles can be used to engage students and teach musical concepts across different grade levels. Specific recommendations are made regarding ukuleles to purchase, lesson plans, resources, and ways to fund a ukulele program.

1. Enhancing General Music Through The Ukulele

2. ! Shelbi Busche
! 2014 Graduate of North Central
College (Naperville, IL)
! K-12 Music Education Degree w/
Choral Emphasis but was in Band all
4 years as well
! NAfME Board Secretary,Web Tech
Guru in Women’s Chorale, &Vice
President of Concert Winds
! K-5 General Music Teacher at
Western Avenue Elementary School
& K-1 at Fabyan Elementary
(Geneva, IL)

3. ! In 1879, 400 Portuguese immigrants
traveled 4 months to get to Hawaii
! Originally called the “Machete”
! Changed to “Ukulele” which means
“Jumping Fleas” when landing in Hawaii
! Fun Fact: Hawaiian Music Education
Majors are required to play the ukulele

4. ! The ukulele is extremely inexpensive.
! The ukulele easily engages students
because of how “cool” it is.
! The ukulele allows for quick results.
! The ukulele has the ability to teach every
NAfME Standard.

6. ! IMAGINE: I can come up with my own
musical ideas.
! PLAN & MAKE: I can organize and develop
artistic ideas and work.
! EVALUATE: I can evaluate, improve, and
perform my own artistic ideas.

7. ! UNDERSTAND: I can show I understand
musical concepts through performance.
! REHEARSE: I can evaluate and rehearse to
improve my performance.
! CONVEY: I can communicate the meaning
of a piece through my performance.

8. ! SELECT & ANALYZE: I can select music for
a specific purpose and describe how the
musical concepts fit that purpose.
! INTERPRET: I can identify and explain the
expressive qualities in music.
! EVALUATE: I can evaluate music or a
performance to determine if it fit its
purpose.

9. ! PERSONAL EXPERIENCES: I can combine
and relate knowledge and personal
experiences to make art.
! HISTORY & CULTURE: I can demonstrate
and explain how the music relates to
history and culture.

10. ! Need Geared Tuning Pegs

12. ! Aquila or Worth

13. ! Mahalo – Beginner
! Kohala – Beginner
! Luna – Intermediate/Advanced
! Kala – Advanced

14. ! Grants (donarschoose.org)
! PTO
! Music Boosters
! Music Budget
! Note: If you buy 30 Colored Mahalo
Soprano Ukuleles for $35 each from
Amazon, the total is $1080.

15. ! Students are assigned numbers

16. ! The numbers keep students accountable

18. ! Students use two hands at all times
! We call the ukulele’s “Uku-babies”
! Open case while it is on the ground
! Never touch the tuning pegs
! When placing ukulele on ground, we place it
“string-side down”

19. ! Keep ukulele close to body
! Left-Handed students get to choose

20. G E C A

23. Grade Solfege
Plucking
Chords
Strumming
Parts
Kindergarten Mi, So none Unison
1st Grade Mi, So, La none Unison
2nd Grade Do, Mi, So, La none Unison
3rd Grade Do, Re, Mi, So, La C Major Two-Part
4th Grade Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So,
La
C Major, F Major Three-Part
5th Grade Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So,
La,Ti, Do
C Major, F Major,
A minor, G7
Four-Part

24. ! Playing one string at a time with your
fingers & thumb

25. ! Make sure to explain finger numbers
! “Monster Bunny”

26. ! Kindergarten: By-Lo
! 1st Grade: Doggy Doggy
! 2nd Grade: Mr. Frog
! 3rd Grade: Rocky Mountain
! 4th Grade: London Bridges
! 5th Grade: Chopsticks

27. ! Playing all four strings at the same time
! Strum down with the first finger nail
! Strum up with the pad of the first finger
! Strum where the neck meets the body

28. C Major F Major
A minor G7

29. ! Color Code when students will strum a
certain chord
! Any popular song can be adapted for the
different grade levels
! Here is an example of “When I’m Gone”

30. 3rd Grade

31. 4th Grade

32. 5th Grade

33. ! Jake Shimabukuro
! James Hill

34. ! The Ukulele:A History
! Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1
! Ukulele in the Classroom Series
! Peace Love Ukulele
! The Daily Ukulele

35. ! http://www.theukulelesite.com
! http://www.ukuleleintheclassroom.com
! http://www.ukuleleyes.com
! http://ukulelehunt.com
! http://ukuleleunderground.com
! http://www.gotaukulele.com

36. Websites
! http://www.allukecando.com
! https://www.facebook.com/WestAveMusic
! https://twitter.com/WestAveMusic
! http://www.pinterest.com/WestAveMusic
! http://www.geneva304.org/ShelbiBusche.aspx
! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/
Shelbi-Busche
Email
! shelbi.busche@gmail.com
! sbusche@geneva304.org