Last month we got the conversation started around using breakout rooms in our virtual classroom platforms. This month, we have a few more ideas that you can test out with your students. Let's jump right in!

This post was written by Cynthia Kinnunen, a music educator in Guelph, Ontario and part of Uketropolis, online ukulele lessons for all.

Team or Partner Challenges

Don't...

James Hill interviews Ukulele Funbook author Zsolt Schäfer on the Uketropolis Podcast: click here to listen!

We’ve all been working hard to manage through this pandemic. As a teacher and a parent, I have found myself challenged regularly to keep my students and my own kids learning and growing. Now might be just the right time for a little creative break and we’ve...

Music teachers have always been innovative. Now that we’ve been thrown online for much of the past year, we’ve been trying to figure out how to create opportunities for musical engagement with our students in virtual settings.

One opportunity that has emerged – and continues to evolve – is breakout rooms. These are possible in several conferencing platforms being...

Jazz ukulele might feel out-of-reach for many students, especially those who are just starting out, perhaps with an online beginner's course for ukulele. But is there a way for us to enjoy the magic of ukulele jazz chord progressions without turning our fingers into a Twister game? The answer is YES with the magical G minor (Gm) chord!

When we discover an easy lesson that has...

Whether we’re trying to get a room full of 11-year-olds to belt out Rocky Mountain, or coax a group of adults to join in with Up Above My Head, some of the same activities and approaches can help! 

Our students have no problem strumming and picking but how can we encourage our more reluctant students to let loose and sing?

There were some great ideas discussed in...

The feeling of... suspense.

• What is a sus chord?
• A chord-melody...

The first Uketropolis interview! Meet Eve Goldberg, musician, activist, teacher and songwriter. Find out more at www.evegoldberg.com.

A selection of calming ukulele songs designed to soothe and relax! We all know that music has a lot of power. It can influence our mood, our mental health, our physical well-being, improve brain function, strengthen motor skills… the list goes on and on. As teachers and leaders, we see these benefits in our ukulele lessons and communities every day.

By Cynthia Kinnunen

These days,...

1) Why rolling a chord can save your bacon. 2) Why The Ukulele Way is colour-coded and what the colours mean. 3) How to "sleuth out" the key of a melody when you only have the notes to work with.

1) If you're busy learning the ukulele online then this is why you should practise with your eyes closed. 2) Simple music theory that can really help. 3) The two ways – yes, there are only two – to create chord-melody arrangements.