Funded Jun 14, 2014Thank you for contributing to "Over the Rainbow: Ukulele Utopia!" With your help, we were able to get 23 new ukuleles into the hands of students at my school. From the moment the first shipment of ukuleles arrived, my students were asking when they would get to play them! They were thrilled to open the cases to find the beautiful mahogany Kohala ukuleles, along with the digital tuners and instructional booklets.
The students that had played ukulele last year immediately noticed the upgrade in quality. They commented on the improved tone quality, the geared tuning machines that make for easy adjustment of string tension, and the digital tuners which enable them to easily tune their own instruments. As a result, my students have begun tuning independently much sooner than they would have otherwise. This means less time spent on tuning and more time spent learning to play!
The students had their introduction to the instruments by learning about basic care of the ukulele, the different parts of the instrument, and the proper instrument hold and playing technique. Once these basics were covered, the students began learning to play chords and songs. An easy song that all of the students can now play is the classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." We are enjoying taking turns strumming the chords and singing the lyrics to this international hit!
As a result of this grant, each student in my 7/8 grade music class now has a ukulele that they can use in class. They are developing confidence in their playing abilities as they grow more familiar with their new instruments. They are learning new chords, new songs, and the skill of accompanying themselves by playing chords while singing a song. They are excited about learning songs in other styles, challenging themselves to learn new chords in order to learn harder songs. It is exciting to see such growth taking place when they've only been playing the instruments for five weeks!
Thank your again for your generous gift! With your donation you have made a difference that is already beginning to show in the lives of my students. You have provided my students with an amazing opportunity to develop their musicianship and tools of personal expression with the accessible yet enchanting ukulele.
Throughout the rest of this school year, four other classes in grades 4-8 will use these instruments, so that in total this year more than 130 students will benefit from your generosity! Each additional year, another group of at least forty students will get to join those already playing. You should be happy to know that your gift of music will be a gift that will keep on giving! We're making the world a better place together, one ukulele at a time, in this "Ukulele Utopia!"”
With gratitude,
Mr. Hoover