Ukulele Ensemble/Club
PMT Ukulele Club is geared towards students grades 2 – 5, grades 6-8, Grades 9-10 or 11-12 who would like to learn how to play the ukulele in a fun environment with peers. Why the ukulele? Ukulele is one of the friendliest instruments for children and beginning musicians. It’s lightweight, easy to hold and carry, and the strings are easier to depress compared to guitar. The chords are also less complicated than guitar, which makes learning chords easier with only four strings. Ukuleles are a great primer for future string instrument exposure!
While this will not be weekly music therapy group sessions, learning an instrument in a social setting under the guidance of a music therapist can be beneficial to participants. Children with different needs and abilities might not get the appropriate music skill instruction in a traditional lesson or large classroom setting. As music therapists, part of our job in supporting students who are interested in learning a new instrument is to create, adapt, and modify not only the materials being used but the musical elements to best fit the child’s needs and abilities. A variety of music styles will be incorporated such as folk, improvisation and pop. Instructor will use a variety of learning methods while fostering social skills development amongst classmates. Sheet music will be supplied by instructor. Club members will be encouraged to respect peers and the sounds that are created. Audio/visual consents for recorded music making will be available for intermittent updates emailed to guardians from the instructor. Students may bring their own every ukulele week or receive an instrument for $30 at the first club meeting. One scholarship will be available per club to cover the cost of a student’s instrument.