Learning the Ukulele at Southwest Elementary

In the April 27 issue of Journal West, reporter Lisa O’Donnell writes about students at Southwest Elementary learning to play the ukulele.

Here is an excerpt:

Their tiny fingers pressed down on the third fret of the tiny instrument to make a C chord.

Amy Goldwine, the music teacher at Southwest Elementary School, cradled her own ukulele. She wore bright-patterned skirt to reflect the instrument’s Hawaiian heritage.

She showed them a strumming motion.

“We can play a whole song,” Goldwine said.

Soon, 12 third-grade students, with ukuleles resting on their laps were making music, the bright, crisp sound of the strings filling the classroom.

“Frosty weather, snowy weather, when the wind blows, we all go together,” they sang, their fingers gliding over the ukulele strings.

By outfitting her music classes at Southwest with ukuleles, Goldwine is introducing her students to an instrument that is experiencing a revival, after years of being viewed as a toy, something less serious than, say, a guitar or violin.

“It’s lately been on the rise,” Goldwine said.

She said she got the idea to bring ukuleles into her classroom after attending a national conference for music educators that included a few sessions on ukuleles.

For the rest of the story, go to Winston-Salem Journal

The photographs are by Journal photographer Bruce Chapman.