Ukulele Bands Start Up at Melrose Elementary Schools

The sweet sound of the C-Chord can be heard strumming across town thanks to the innovative Ms. McEntee and her fellow Melrose music teachers who are starting Ukulele Bands at all Melrose Elementary Schools this year. With an Innovation Grant from the Melrose Education Foundation, the ukulele pilot program has started at the Winthrop School and will be rolled out at the other elementary schools in the coming months. 

With this new opportunity, students will have another entry point to learn about and appreciate music through the ukulele. Currently, students learn how to read music and distinguish between pitch and rhythm through singing. Ms. McEntee says, “the ukulele presents an opportunity for students to engage in a new and exciting way.” The music department also believes that the Ukulele Bands will act as a feeder program for chorus, orchestra and band classes offered at the middle and high schools. 

The Melrose Education Foundation provides this grant and many more like it thanks to generous donations from local individuals and businesses. Donations are put to work immediately, providing funds directly to teachers to bring innovative learning opportunities to their students. The Melrose Education Foundation is proud to support Ms. McEntee and her music colleagues along with 95 additional Melrose educators who are impacted by grants in the 2021/2022 school year.