Behind the Music: An Interview with Mrs. Bayer

Every year, the 5th grade at Horizon has a concert to show off their skills in singing, ukulele, and other instruments. The downstairs concert is on May 1st at 5:30, and the upstairs one is at 6:30. The concert is about one hour long. We interviewed our music teacher, Mrs. Bayer, and asked her about this upcoming event. 

Why do you like the ukulele? 

The ukulele is a good starter instrument. It can be challenging, so it is good for kids to learn to overcome obstacles. It is a great instrument for 5th graders to play and practice independently, teaching them a new skill.

 Do you like teaching it? Why? 

I do like teaching the ukulele. It is challenging for skills and teaches us to achieve our goals and master obstacles. I love teaching it, but do not like tuning it.

 How do you feel about having the ukuleles incorporated into our concert?

 I am excited because we learn new instruments, a unique and exciting skill to share with families. It is also a good opportunity to incorporate ukuleles into our concert. 

Why did you decide to teach and learn the ukulele? 

I taught myself to play the ukulele. I first decided to do it because I went to a music workshop and liked the idea. A music workshop is a place that gives teachers ideas. I started playing the ukulele during COVID-19, and it interested kids. The ukulele began to become popular, so I wanted to teach it. Once I started to play it, kids began to ask their parents for a ukulele, so I started to teach it. 

 How did you come up with the idea of doing the ukulele?

I got the idea from going to a music teacher workshop to teach the ukulele at a school. We got a PTO grant at my old school, got some ukuleles, and started jamming! Then I started a ukulele club, and everyone liked it, so I taught it in front of everyone. Now, I teach 5th-grade music and teach them the ukulele. And now, more and more music classes in the country are learning the ukulele!