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Goal

National music standards will be taught, learned, and expanded upon, through the hands on experience of learning to play and create music on a real fretted instrument, the ukulele. While all of grades K through five will enjoy learning to make music on these instruments, and would be able to continue with this each year, I will specifically target the fifth grade to take our strumming to new heights! The fifth grade culminating activity will be an inclusive generational performance with our two community business partners, the Marco Island Strummers Band, and local professional musician, JRobert.  

What will be done with my students

Imagine a room full of engaged students joyfully strumming on ukuleles while singing melodies, and joined together with a band of adults and a professional musician! This reality is almost in my grasp thanks to a great joint start from a community business partner, the Marco Island Strummers, and the Fine Arts Coordinator from CCPS! Together, they have generously donated twelve ukuleles towards my vision, but, eighteen more are needed for a complete class set of thirty instruments to accommodate all of my students. I have the amazing opportunity to explore and create music of a diverse repertoire, put many of the National Music Standards into practical focus, teach musical background fundamentals, and incorporate life long character traits with my students, through the study of learning to play the ukulele. Some of the goals I have set for this project are that my students will embrace the National Music Standards in a creative way, and that the students themselves will compose their own original works. Additionally, we have the unique opportunity of presenting a performance which brings generations together, utilizing our community partners, the Marco Island Strummers, and JRobert. The Strummers, who enjoy inspiring students, is a band made up of retired adults performing in the Marco Island and Naples area, and JRobert, a local professional musician, who kindly volunteers to share his expertise and knowledge with us. I will primarily use a ukulele curriculum called, "Essential Elements - a Comprehensive Ukulele Method" by Marty Gross and published by the Hal Leonard Corporation. We will explore the history of the instrument, the types of ukuleles, proper positioning, tuning, notation, chord structure, beat, rhythm, and strumming. We will learn songs from different cultures, which in turn creates a bridge to making historical connections. The students will define criteria to critique their performance. Characteristics and behaviors displayed by successful musicians will be examined. We will learn that making real music must come from the heart and be expressive, otherwise, it's not music - it's simply just notes. I am so excited about the possibility of making this dream a reality! 

Benefits to my students

*This is a multi sensory approach to learning National Music Standards where the sky is the limit for creativity, multi cultural exploration, and building self esteem, poise, and perseverance.
*Interactive, hands on learning keeps the whole child engaged, and accommodates all learning styles.
*Listening for harmonious sounds allows for instant feedback for each participant, for both continued practice and praise, while developing an "ear" for music.
*Group and solo performance opportunities teach and incorporate numerous character traits.
*Students can write and create their own music.
*Bringing generations together for performance opportunities, both in and out of school where we can learn from each other, is a goal!
*The ukulele is an enjoyable, and relatively easy, real instrument to learn, and therefore, provides a great way to be musically involved.
*We will learn to share the joy of making music with other people.
*The skills and concepts taught and learned have many other applications. Some examples are, but not limited to: memorization, following directions, listening, cooperation, perseverance, respect, analysis, understanding music in a real life setting, learning performance techniques, etc. 

Budget Narrative

18 Rogue Hawaiian Soprano Ukuleles from Musicians Friend at (852) 272-1087 SKU 519269 at $34.99 each for a total of $629.82 

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