About the Program
‘UKULELE VOYAGE’ is an intensive, in-school music education program developed by Sistema New Brunswick and designed to support the learning outcomes of the New Brunswick music curriculum for Grade 5 learners.
Through this program, learners take part in a diverse collection of musical activities, inspiring them to continue their musical journey into middle level music ensembles such as ukulele orchestra, concert band, and orchestral and choral programs.
UKULELE VOYAGE is designed to be delivered by the classroom educator or music specialist, supported and encouraged through their engagement with ukulele virtuoso James Hill, Sistema NB Teaching Artists, and the Tutta Musica Orchestra, including intimate sessions in the classroom and specially designed school concerts.
We are pleased to provide you with information, compositions, recordings and other educational resources to encourage your ‘ukulele voyage’.
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For more information, please contact:
Sistema New Brunswick: info@nbyo-ojnb.com
James Hill: www.jameshillmusic.com
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Why Ukulele?
The ukulele is more than a charming, portable instrument—it’s a powerful tool for developing music literacy in the classroom. Designed around ensemble-based learning and “hands-on” music making, UKULELE VOYAGE uses the ukulele to introduce key musical concepts like melody, harmony, rhythm, and form in a way that is immediately accessible and fun.
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Through a carefully structured progression of 36 lessons, students build real musical skills: reading standard notation, improvising within scales, arranging simple compositions, and performing multi-part orchestral-style pieces. The ukulele makes abstract ideas like voice-leading and intervals tangible, and its bright, engaging sound motivates young learners to persist and succeed.
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By using Canadian linear D tuning on concert-sized instruments, and teaching in a group setting that mirrors an orchestra, UKULELE VOYAGE helps students experience the joy of collaboration, the discipline of ensemble work, and the pride of performance. It’s a gateway to deeper musical study—and a bridge to middle school music programs.
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About the Creators
Sistema NB
Making a difference through music
The New Brunswick Youth Orchestra began in 1965, the first provincial youth orchestra in Canada. Today it is one of the largest youth music programs in Canada having earned a reputation for innovation and leadership.
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The mission of the NBYO is to ‘inspire children and youth to achieve their full potential through learning and performing orchestral music’.
NBYO programs are aligned in five categories: local children’s orchestras; regional youth orchestras; provincial youth orchestra; professional orchestra; festivals/events – including, POPs NB, Musical Theatre, and others.
NBYO tours throughout New Brunswick each year, commissions original works, engages well known guest conductors, artists and clinicians and tours internationally. The NBYO enjoys large and growing audiences and has won numerous awards and prizes. Recognized as one of the largest and most accomplished youth orchestras in Canada, in the past year, NBYO orchestras presented more than 149 concert events with more than 80,000 patrons in attendance, in concerts in New Brunswick, Canada and internationally.
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Social Outreach and Innovation
The NBYO has also been a social innovator, launching Sistema NB in 2009, a free daily after-school program that uses music and the orchestra as a means to create social change for children who otherwise would not have the opportunity.
Today, Sistema NB engages more than 1,100 children, 3 hours daily, 5 days/week, in nine orchestra centres throughout the province. Sistema NB is the largest program of its kind in Canada. In March 2015 the NBYO received the Prime Ministers Award for Social Innovation for the work and leadership of Sistema NB in Canada.
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James Hill
James Hill is an award-winning Canadian ukulele virtuoso, educator, and composer known worldwide for redefining the potential of the ukulele. A product of Canada’s renowned school ukulele program, James has gone on to perform internationally, co-author the Ukulele in the Classroom method series, and launch the JHUI teacher certification program. His innovative approach to music education has inspired thousands of students and teachers alike. As a key collaborator on UKULELE VOYAGE, James brings unmatched artistry, pedagogy, and passion to every chord.
TUTTA MUSICA
The teaching artists of sistema nb
Tutta Musica is New Brunswick’s newest professional symphony orchestra.
The group consists of the 60 musicians who are the Teaching Artists of Sistema New Brunswick – a highly successful program of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.
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These talented men and women are graduates of some of the finest university and conservatory music programs in North and South America. As a full-time, professional orchestra, this group offers something that has not existed in New Brunswick until now.
The name, Tutta Musica, means “all music,” and strives to make live music more accessible, more engaging, and more relevant than ever before to more people throughout the region.
Tutta Musica Orchestra delivers an energizing, interactive dimension to musical shows and engages classically trained musicians in all forms and types of musical arts – blues, rock and roll, Acadian music, opera, fiddlers, folklore, South American Latin music, and more. Tutta Musica collaborates with artists in creative writing, comedy, theatre, and dance and will create original content, featuring New Brunswick themes, culture, and people.
Tutta Musica enriches an already vibrant Atlantic Canadian arts and music scene, as inspiring teachers, and inspirational performers.
The Music Director and Conductor of Tutta Musica is Antonio Delgado.
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PROGRAM Resources
DOWNLOADS
Below you’ll find a curated collection of materials to support your UKULELE VOYAGE journey. These resources are designed to equip educators with everything needed to implement the program: a comprehensive handbook, a 36-lesson education unit, multi-part orchestral scores, rehearsal audio, and skill-building exercises. Whether you’re teaching melody, harmony, or improvisation, these materials provide a practical, flexible toolkit aligned with the New Brunswick Grade 5 music curriculum.