……. is a group learning approach to playing popular music on the ukulele in a fun, social setting! Ukestra makes sounding great on the Ukulele easy from the beginning, while developing skills and confidence in both singing and playing. Ukestra Music is arranged in differentiated parts to suit all players from beginners to advanced, enabling everyone to play a part with ease.
The Pop-Up Ukestra is an experience of Community Music making involving intensive learning on the Ukulele over a short period of time. Embedded in the execution of 2 -3 songs, we cover:
Melody ~ notes, scales, riffs, solos & chord melody Rhythm~counting, timing, speed, strum and plucking
Singing ~ warmup techniques, chorus and lead singing
Tone ~ clarity and projection, use of thumb and consistency
Best Practice Learning ~ embedding song structure, memorise lyrics & good practice
Ensemble playing – dynamics, tempo changes, following a conductor and performing tips
For more info on getting a Pop-Up Ukestra in your community, please read on….
The Pop-Up Ukestra is a Ukulele Orchestra made up of the people in your town! So many people have a ukulele these days or are interested in giving it a try, everyone has a voice and who knows what other musical talents lie hidden. Ukestra is an engaging Community Activity for your next regional Event/Festival and can involve many different social/leisure groups, including senior citizens, schools & kindy’s, choirs, instrumental & uke groups, all together in one co-ordinated project. The Pop-Up Ukestra bridges differences of age, ethnicity & skill level and offers something quite unique yet accessible to a wider demographic, promoting linkages & relationships between social groups. The Pop-Up Ukestra also provides an entertaining Performance piece for your next Community Event.
A date is set and a local facilitator puts the word out through radio & newspaper interviews, local street banners, contacts made to schools, music clubs, senior citizen groups, even your local choir, theatre, inviting all to participate regardless of previous musical experience. You may already have a uke group keen to be re-inspired, learn some new tricks and up the game a little. People just may want to sing, play percussion or just watch, which is welcomed. We usually have a couple of spare ukes for any newbies.
We plan for 3 consecutive rehearsals and a performance event, all of which are open to the public. Our aim is provide a fun, social and intensive learning environment to master 2 – 3 popular & relevant songs as an Ensemble. working together to perform locally. For a few days, the Pop-up Ukestra brings your community together to rehearse, build new musical skills, sing, perform and get together socially in new ways ….. and it’s great fun and builds links for all age groups!
Ukestra music is carefully arranged into parts of varying skill levels ~ beginners with a one chord strum ~ intermediate with simple chords & riffs ~ advanced players, solos & advanced riffs. All ages from 8 – 88 are encouraged and there are parts for lead singers and other instrumental soloists as well. The ideas is to pick a part that challenges you but doesn’t make you uncomfortable- the idea is to have fun! Because we are a mini orchestra, you don’t have to play everything to still be part of it – you get to choose what you take on. The music is taught off the page but participants take a folder of the music home to practice. Best practice learning techniques are embedded in these practice sessions where we work through the basic plucking, strumming chords, vocal parts. People are offered scaffolding for practicing at home and private coaching sessions in uke or singing are also available for the duration.
Surprisingly good! The performance is not supposed to be perfect as Community music is a ‘give it a go’ scenario. Saying that, the performances always do sound good because there is nothing like a performance goal to motivate practice. Besides, only the better players are amped including a Uke Bass and good lead singers, so the audience effect is enhanced and it becomes an entertaining, even infectious event. Performances can be held at a Festival finale or the local market, pub or community hall.
The Pop-Up Ukestra offers ‘safety in numbers’ for those that just want to have a go. Music and performance is often intimidating for people which we well understand and make the process as reassuring as possible with lots of repetition and clear learning scaffolding. The core idea behind the Pop-Up Ukestra is about ‘everyone’ being able to connect with music in the body, with ourselves and each other, participating and trying something new and having fun & socializing.
Anu Grace is a fully accredited James Hill Ukulele Teacher and has taught Uke in NZ and Australian schools and community groups for over 15 years. She has been a professional musician for over 30 years, most recently with Jazz band Chocolate Fish in NZ, her original 5 piece band Halelujah Baby in TSV and currently her Folk /Jazz duo called LUX NOMAD with Laurie Bycroft. Anu writes much of the material and currently specialises in writing historical songs about the people she meets when travelling. Together they have recorded 3 albums and are travelling Outback /regional Australia/NZ, spreading the joy of uke and community music making.
Contact Anu Grace through the website with plenty of lead-up time before your event as there is a lot of planning involved. Together we can come up with a suitable plan, budget, choice of music & performance venue etc. You can also text Anu on 045858 6648 or phone the landline on 07 4721 3462 in Australia.
RADF and Pulse grants like to fund this kind of community access activity as well.
Townsville Pop-Up Ukestra ready to perform!
Kids love Ukes. We can bring a Ukestra to your school which is educational and fun. We enjoy teaching kids the happiness of Ukulele.
Ukestras are entertaining and make for great audience participation!
Clarissa the Cheshire Cat & Ralph the very naughty dog will entertain kids with favourite stories and songs and even get them strumming along to their favourite nursery rhymes.
Lux Nomad & DragonUke Show are touring NZ from Jan- March 2018. The Re-Connect Tour will be revisiting places & people we met last year and sharing new songs and stories written about them! Look at our 'Whats on' page and subscribe to our newsletter for tour dates and locations.
Anu Grace Music is interfacing James Hill's 'The Ukulele Way' Course, to make it available for Distance Education groups in a full yearly schedule as well as one-off creative activities for Cluster meets and Outreach events.
Make an enquiry on our Contacts page below to enquire about having The Pop-Up Ukestra come to your town.