Portland, Oregon is home to many talented ukulele teachers, and we’ve had the privilege of having all of these talented musicians host jams with Tigard Ukulele Group. Avery Hill is a well-known instructor who has been teaching for around 9 years. Brian Fergus is an extremely experienced teacher, with a reputation for being patient and knowledgeable. Dani Joy is a highly experienced player who offers lessons for both beginners and advanced students. All three Portland-area teachers are highly qualified to help their students learn this fun and rewarding instrument.
When looking for a ukulele teacher, it is important to find someone who is a good fit for your individual learning style. Some teachers are better at teaching beginners, while others specialize in teaching more advanced students. It is also important to find a teacher who makes you feel comfortable and who has a personality that you can get along with. Portland is lucky to have such a variety of talented ukulele teachers, so take your time and find the one that’s right for you.
Avery Hill
Avery Hill is a ukulele teacher and performer. She has a gorgeous dreamy voice and is a great songwriter. She always wanted to be a teacher, but didn’t come to it in the traditional way. After teaching English to all ages in Germany and environmental education to elementary students, she found her true passion in music education. She started Song by Song in late 2016 and hasn’t looked back since. Her experience as a Kindergarten student teacher and as a 3rd and 4th grade classroom teacher helped her to fine-tune her methods and make them even more effective. She is constantly amazed by the progress her students make and the joy they get from making music. During COVID, when she stopped in-person instruction, she developed an extensive set of self-paced courses.
Brian Fergus
Brian Fergus of Woodstock Ukulele Studio is a really fun, friendly, and experienced ukulele teacher. Brian is a lifelong musician and music educator, and is Professor Emeritus of Music at City College of San Francisco, where he taught from 1987-2014. He teaches in-person music lessons in his studio in Portland, and group lessons at the Pioneer Center in Oregon City. Brian teaches all levels, and specializes in the James Hill method for learning to read and arrange music for the ukulele. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, Brian can help you improve your skills and take on new challenges. Contact him today to schedule a lesson!
Dani Joy
Dani Joy is a Portland, OR-based ukulele teacher and musician. A 2010 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with a degree in Illustration, Dani’s dad Stu Herreid gave her a ukulele soon after she graduated from college. The gift opened up an unexplored world of jazz and endless possibilities on four simple strings for Dani. She dove head first into learning music, exploring variations of finger style techniques left over from her days of studying Classical Guitar. In 2015, Dani released her debut album Drop in my Flower, a collection of six original songs co-written with GRAMMY artist Daniel Ho. She endorses Romero Creations and Ohana Ukuleles, and sells them with her partner Perry Stauffer at their music store Starlight Ukes in Portland OR. During the pandemic she and her partner Perry started an online music academy. The Starlight Ukulele Academy is an online resource of learning for adults across the country and the globe. You can find info on upcoming classes here: Starlight Ukulele Academy – Upcoming Classes (starlightukes.com)
Conclusion
When looking for a ukulele teacher, you’ll want to consider their qualifications, teaching style, and experience. All of the teachers mentioned in this article are highly qualified, with years of experience teaching the ukulele. They all have their own unique teaching style, which can be a important factor in deciding which teacher is right for you.
