I am a musician and retired dermatologist who, for the last several years, has become quite passionate about playing, and teaching others to play, the ukulele. It is the easiest instrument to learn to accompany singing. It is also quite small and therefore “kid friendly.”

I teach ukulele to sixth grade students at the Gideon Welles School in Glastonbury. I have also led teacher workshops in Connecticut and Massachusetts, presented a ukulele workshop at the 2003 CMEA conference in Hartford, and given two eight-week adult ed courses per year in Glastonbury for the past seventeen years. My daughters and I have performed for twenty-five years as the musical family group Pride and Joy and Dad, taking a break only for college (theirs, not mine!). We are now called Dr. Uke and Daughters. My accompaniment for the group is now, exclusively, on the ukulele. We recently have performed at clubs in New York City, and have several videos on YouTube. I lead the Glastonbury Ukulele Band, the Glastonbury Ukulele Club, and Glastonbury's BIG SING, a monthly, community-wide singalong.

Because I would like the younger generations to become acquainted with this instrument, and, hopefully, learn to play, I give presentations to student assemblies, and hands-on workshops to teachers, especially music teachers.

The lecture/demonstration/singalongs have been quite well received by the students, who are intrigued by this small instrument that can play folk, pop, rock and jazz music. Teachers have enjoyed learning to play so that they can incorporate it into their classroom musical activities.

Please contact me if you are interested in a presentation to elementary school students, or in a teacher workshop.