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Original Post By:
tclouie
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Date: 1/22/2015 10:40:46 PM
(Updated: 1/22/2015 10:42:36 PM)
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Hi there,
I am a fourth grade teacher trying to introduce the ukulele to my students. I have done some great holiday programs with children playing instruments, including piano and recorder, while I accompany on the uke. Kids love creating music, and they're good at it -- our school is already famous for having its own "Little Kids Rock" rock band. I also play guitar, Irish bouzouki, and ukulele for a Celtic-American folk band, and I find that the uke is a great banjo substitute, and is also good for any tropical or seafaring song.
This year, my grade level colleagues requested that I teach the uke during mixing time. So OK, I put a project proposal on DonorsChoose. But I really haven't gotten many nibbles. One factor may be that the lowest-priced uke is about thirty dollars, and requesting funding for 25 ukes (a class set) costs over $800 with tax! I'm thinking of posting a downsized project with only 10 ukes, and if I bring the three that I own, I can just have the kids share. But other than that, does anybody have any fundraising suggestions? Has any other teacher in this forum tried to raise money for instruments?
http://www.donorschoose.org/project/ukuleles-for-fourth-graders/1442145/?challengeid=219481&rf=link-siteshare-2015-01-teacher_profile-teacher_1246744 |
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Posted By:
East Mountain
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Date: 1/24/2015 1:55:27 AM |
Look for a ukulele group in your area (or maybe your Celtic folk band?) who would be willing to do a benefit show. Perhaps host it as a simple dinner show.
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Posted By:
Geoff Rezek
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Date: 1/25/2015 9:29:57 PM |
I will happily donate 12 beginner soprano ukuleles directly to the school next week. I will contact you for the shipping info.
"Ukuleles are the Best"
Geoff Rezek
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Posted By:
joe persons
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Date: 1/29/2015 10:37:22 PM |
tclouie-
I'm not sure what part of the country you are from, but in the Sacramento, CA area I was able to connect with a wonderful group of folks called Ukes For Schools. They set me up with a class set of ukes for my elementary after school program. There are other folks across the country who do this also. My Uke club is comprised of 4th, 5th and 6th graders. And hats off to Geoff Rezek! Your goal is half met!
Ukulele people are the best,
Joe
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Posted By:
Christie
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Date: 2/1/2015 2:07:22 AM |
To Mr. Rezek,
Thanks for continuing to spread the ukulele love! It's a bit contagious.
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Posted By:
katpiercemusic
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Date: 2/3/2015 6:03:06 PM |
I did just that a couple of years ago. Depending on the group of kids I do more or less ukulele. I spent some of my own money, and part of my school budget, and then crowd sourced my friends. Some of them had extra ukes that they could donate. Some bought ukes new. I have enough now that most years I can have students share one uke for two students. The student that's not playing is either singing, playing a different instrument, or watching their buddy to help them with problems. Each year I try to get one new uke, or supplies like strings. I figure this way I'll at least keep even.
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Posted By:
katpiercemusic
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Date: 2/3/2015 6:04:40 PM |
And wow! I just saw Geof's generous offer! You are a prince, sir!
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Posted By:
tclouie
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Date: 2/6/2015 12:33:31 AM |
Yes, Mr. Rezek is a prince! And a super nice guy. The ukes arrived yesterday -- nice brown wood finish, bright sounding strings, and Mr. Rezek threw in these great state-of-the-art clip-on tuners, which are very easy to assemble and use and have a nice simple screen display that kids will appreciate. By June, every fourth grader in this school will write a thank-you letter to Mr. Rezek, and by the year 2025, every kid in the local neighborhood will know how to play a uke. :) I'm still many, many years away from retirement, but no matter what happens, these ukes will stay at the school. (I just bought a label-maker today -- on each one, I'll slap a sticker saying "PROPERTY OF MIRAMONTE ES" and another one saying "GIFT OF G REZEK.")
Thank you one and all for your suggestions -- since Mr. Rezek already brought me more than halfway there, I'll probably try out some of these strategies.
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