What we’re about
Kia Ora,
This is a group for those of you living in Auckland who would like to get-together with other music lovers in a cozy and safe setting to develop new musical skills together (specifically, ukulele playing, general musicality, listening skills, harmony singing and group improvisation) while having fun with sharing songs we love and know (or have yet to discover).
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Payment of $25/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly to the account below.
Sonia's account:
ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number: 01-0205-0083380-00
Bulk purchase discounts are available as follows:
$120 for 5 sessions ($5 discount)
or
$200 for ten sessions ($50 discount).
Sessions bought in bulk do not need to be consecutive, but please keep track of your own attendance diligently as it would be complicated for me to do so instead. Thanks!
Booking is required via the events on this page. There are 20 spaces max in each class available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
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A little more info:
My name is Sonia and I am a Franco-American singer and musician from Paris, France. I've been living in Auckland for the past seven years and started off working both as a musician and as a reliever in an Early Childhood Education Centre in Mt Eden. As a number of ECE teachers, students, parents of young children and others had expressed a desire to learn the basics of Ukulele playing and various songs with me, I started offering some affordable small group lessons near my home in Mt Eden approximately 5 years ago. These classes have since then expanded and grown into the classes offered on this Meetup page & a now award-winning ukulele & singing performing group called 4 Strings Sing: www.meetup.com/4-strings-sing-auckland-based-ukulele-performing-ensemble/ :) For the past few years, music (performance and teaching) has been my full-time occupation.
Alongside these group classes, I offer individual lessons to children and adults in music (beginner ukulele and/or guitar, beginner-intermediate singing), French conversation and sometimes, a combination of the above (music in French). The ages of my current students range from 6 to 86! Pricing for private lessons is $70 for a one hour lesson at my home.
My desire in creating these weekly community-based group classes is to make music more accessible and affordable for anyone who wishes to connect through music with themselves, their family, friends and/or community. Music is a beautiful language for communicating emotions and ideas; I believe it should be available for everyone to use and enjoy.
The lessons will cover some or all of the above (depending on the group's wishes):
- ukulele tuning
- games to develop musicality
- voice & body warm-ups
- learning chords and riffs on the ukulele
- learning a collection of songs and children's songs (voice & ukulele)
- musical improvisation as a group
- singing tips
- song requests from the group
- harmony singing
My musical background is in choir singing, world music a capella singing, singing harmony and/or lead on stage and recordings, guitar playing, songwriting, a 9-month course in 'sound, voice and music healing' (at CIIS in SF, US), street music and ukulele playing. I am a member of the Auckland-based eight-piece guitar ensemble Gitbox Rebellion https://www.gitboxrebellion.nz/ and have been performing with various groups and solo as a singer/guitarist/ukulele player since my move to New Zealand.
Please get in touch if you are interested in taking lessons (group or individual) so we can work out a suitable schedule according to your availability and my own...
Individual lessons at my home in Mt Eden are priced at $70 for an hour. The group lessons are designed to be the more affordable option.
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INFORMATION ON THE GROUP CLASSES LOCATION -
Though my two-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in 2021, I was invited back as of last year to host my ukulele classes in one of their wonderful venues. The Auckland Beginner Ukulele & Singing group sessions will therefore continue to be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry will be through #6 Nixon Street.
OC @ The Nix is a centrally located, ultra modern creative space on the corner of Nixon and Chapman Sts, just two minutes' walk from the K Rd and Great North Rd Intersection. Just walk in straight off the street. Look for the yellow Ockham Collective sign at 6 Nixon St. It's a large and comfy space with alcoves, sofas, kitchen etc.
Hooray and ngā mihi nui to the Ockham Collective team for their hospitality.
BOOKING & PRICING:
Booking is required. There are 20 spaces max in each class available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Please book your space for each class you'd like to attend by signing up for the events on this Meetup page.
Pricing is $25 per person per class. Please pay in cash on the day or online, as detailed further above (discounts available for bulk lessons purchase).
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Thanks & hope to see you soon!
xoxo Sonia
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Uke & singing lesson: Total BEGINNERS + Seasoned BEGINNERS Sat May 18th at 1PMOckham Collective at The Nix, Auckland
Hi and welcome to the Auckland beginner ukulele & singing lessons!
There are various levels of classes offered on Saturdays & Sundays. This Saturday 1PM class is for both Newcomers/total beginners and the more seasoned beginners. The class times will be a bit changeable this year as I play in various bands with weekend performances, so please do sign up weekly via Meetup to make sure you have up-to-date times. Thanks!This Beginners/seasoned beginners class is intended for those with little or no experience with the ukulele AND those with a little more experience. We will start from scratch, learn basic knowledge needed to get acquainted with the ukulele and start to gain an understanding of how music works - become comfortable strumming and fingerpicking some very simple songs and singing along as you play, in the safety of a friendly group setting.
The seasoned beginners in the group will be offered a wider range of chords, introduction to tab, more strumming patterns, more elaborate song parts, etc.
ACCESS: LOCATION
Though my 2-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in 2021, I was invited last year to return to the O.C. spaces as an alumni to host my uke classes in their venues. A big thank you to the O.C. for having me back! I'm very grateful. Sessions will therefore be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry through #6 Nixon Street.BOOKING & PRICING:
Payment of $25/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly to the account below.Sonia's account:
ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number: 01-0205-0083380-00Bulk purchase discounts are available:
$120 for 5 sessions ($5 discount)
or
$200 for ten sessions ($50 discount).
Sessions bought in bulk do not need to be consecutive, but please keep track of your own attendance diligently as it would be complicated for me to do so instead. Thanks!Booking is required. 20 spaces max in each class available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
***
• What we'll do
We'll be learning to tune the ukulele with a clip-on tuner, exploring basic music theory (no rocket science, just enough to get you started), learning chords, strumming patterns and songs. When time allows, we may venture into the realm of playful group improvisations! :)
One of the challenges of playing uke and singing is the art of putting those together, so we'll spend time getting to know the phrasing of songs and developing your ability to synchronize singing & playing so you can build skills andconfidence to perform in front of an audience someday, if you wish to do so (not obligatory). As I am experienced in choir singing, we will also look at some harmony singing.
• What to bring
A ukulele! Many of my students find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele. I also recommend a clip-on ukulele tuner (the simpler, the better - more fancy buttons can lead to more confusion).
If buying a new ukulele, I would advise a Makala or Kohala as the cheapest to consider. Anything cheaper and it's buyer beware - they can be difficult to tune and don't produce such a nice sound. Kala is good but a little more expensive. As regards size, I'd recommend a concert or tenor size to produce a good sound. Try the instrument before buying, if possible: try Lewis Eady, Rockshop, Music Planet, KBB Music, Music Works or Bungalow Bills. Most shops have a range of instruments and can advise you based on your budget and future plans.
Click on the following articles for suggestions for buying a ukulele if you do not have one:
- www.takelessons.com/blog/types-of-ukuleles-z10
- www.ukuleletricks.com/5-best-ukuleles-to-buy-for-beginners
Note about left-handed ukulele: my suggestion would be to buy a normal (right-handed) ukulele. This just means your fretting hand (the left hand) will be more agile than the average right-handed player (whose fretting hand would be their weaker one, the left). I think the ukulele is a wonderful instrument for helping us all to develop ambidexterity.
Learning to tune your uke will be a key skill to learn. I'm happy to answer questions on that at the start of the lesson. A well-tuned ukulele will make you want to play more frequently.
Also, it will be much easier to play the notes / chord shapes on uke if the nails on your left hand are not too long.
• My invitation
Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. This is specifically a beginner's class and everyone is musical in my opinion. It's just a matter of exposure, experience and practice. I intend for these group lessons to be educational in a fun and relaxed kind of way. My intention is to create a "safe zone" for musical play and growth in good company.Thanks for being part of this group and hope to see you soon!
xoxo Sonia
- Auckland Uke and Singing: INTERMEDIATE class SUNDAY May 19 at 11AMOckham Collective at The Nix, Auckland
Hi and welcome back to a new year with the Auckland beginner & intermediate ukulele & singing lessons!
Please note:
There are various levels of classes offered within this Meetup group.
This Sunday's class at 11am is intended for those of you who are already familiar with basic major and minor chord shapes, have learned some strumming patterns including the "island strum" (also known as calypso) and the "chuck" strum, can play simple songs on the ukulele and feel keen on advancing a bit faster than in a group for beginners, but not quite ready to join the "4 Strings Sing" performing ensemble group that some may wish to join later - you can find out more about that here: https://www.meetup.com/4-strings-sing-auckland-based-ukulele-performing-ensemble/I'm looking forward to meeting each of you and sharing music together. This one-hour lesson will take place most weeks (usually Sundays) until mid-June. Please feel free to write me some suggestions if there are specific songs you dream of learning :) I have put together a 2023/2024/2025 Student Survey for this purpose so please feel free to fill this out to let me know more about your musical interests and aspirations. Thanks!
STUDENT SURVEY LINK
https://us21.list-manage.com/survey?u=7b8f0ec6845e7d0c5e9d4da2b&id=67174b8412&attribution=falseACCESS: GROUP CLASSES LOCATION
Though my 2-year Ockham Collective artist residency officially came to an end in 2021, I was invited last year to return to the O.C. spaces as an alumni to host my uke classes in their venues. A big thank you to the O.C. for having me back! I'm very grateful.. The Auckland Beginner Ukulele & Singing group sessions will therefore be held in a lovely big ground-floor space called Ockham Collective at The Nix, on Nixon Street in Grey Lynn. Entry is through #6 Nixon Street.
BOOKING & PRICING:
Payment of $25/person/class can be made in cash on the day or directly to the account below.Sonia's account:
ANZ Freedom account
Name: Ms S Wilson
Number: 01-0205-0083380-00Bulk purchase discounts are available as follows:
$120 for 5 sessions ($5 discount)
or
$200 for ten sessions ($50 discount).
Sessions bought in bulk do not need to be consecutive, but please keep track of your own attendance diligently as it would be complicated for me to do so instead. Thanks!Booking is required via the events on this page. There are 20 spaces max in each class available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
***
• What we'll do
We will be exploring the basics of music theory around this instrument (no rocket science, just enough to get you comfortable with starting to play by ear and how to decipher tabs or easy music scores) and the voice, as well as learning a vocabulary of chord shapes, strumming patterns and a variety of songs in different genres. We will occasionally venture into the realm of playful group improvisations.
One of the main challenges of playing ukulele and singing is the art of putting those two together, so we will spend time getting to know the phrasing of various songs and developing your ability to synchronise your singing and playing so you can build up the skill and confidence to eventually perform in front of an audience, if you ever wish to do so.
As I am experienced in choir singing, we will also look at some harmony singing on some of the songs.
• What to bring
A ukulele! Many of my students also find it helpful to have a strap on their ukulele.Please tune your ukulele before the start of the lesson using an electric clip-on ukulele tuner, a tuner app on your smartphone or your ear (for those feeling very confident). A well-tuned ukulele will tend to make you want to play more frequently...
It will be much easier to play the notes / chord shapes on uke if the nails on your left hand are not too long.
• Important to know
Please don't shy away from this learning experience by fear of not being good enough. We are all on a learning journey, myself included. Everyone is musical in my opinion. It's just a matter of exposure, experience and practice. I intend for these group lessons to be educational in a fun and relaxed kind of way. My intention is to create a "safe zone" for musical play and learning in good company.Thanks for being part of this group and I hope to see you soon!
xoxo Sonia
