Ukulele, The The ukulele is a type of four-string guitar – apparently Portuguese in origin – which found its way into the Pacific and, renamed, became the Hawaiian ‘ukulele’. One story has it that the Hawaiians actually had a stringed instrument similarly named, but it had already passed into musical extinction. Its history and arrival in the Pacific might make an interesting study. Musically though it is a much underrated instrument with the potential to provide relatively simple accompaniments to classroom music. Perhaps the outcome of a project researching its history could also involve students learning to play two or three chords and accompanying class singing. Untuned Percussion Venues for Music Education Vietnamese Folk Songs for Class Percussion Walking Song, The Web Links West Indian Music and Dance This website might be a helpful start as a resource: West Indian Music and Dance. The Caribbean has been the source of much contemporary music and is well worth musical investigation. Not only have the genres of music spread around the world some, like reggae, have become the vehicles for protest against oppression and racism. There have also been amazingly innovative musical instruments recycled from other’s scraps! Of particular interest are ‘steel bands’. Whale Song What Went Down? Whatcha Gonna Do Today? Wild Boys Word Music