Ukuleles take centre stage

Marnoo Primary School students are continuing to develop their ukulele skills, participating in the 2018 Hills Ukelele Festival in the Dandenong Ranges.

At the festival, at Emerald Primary School, students participated in ukulele workshops, attended concert performances, joined in group strum-a-longs and performed on stage as a group and as soloists.

Marnoo principal Grant Fiedler said a highlight of the event was a talent quest involving solo and group performances.

Former Marnoo student Xander Gragasin won a ukulele worth $400 for his performance of Beethoven’s Für Elise.

Xander, who graduated from the school in 2017, decided to join the festival visit because he was a keen ukulele player.

Mr Fiedler said all the children did themselves and the school proud.

“Their participation in the various activities of the festival, which included performing on stage in front of a big audience, was excellent,” he said.

Mr Fiedler said because the festival was four and half hours’ travel from Marnoo, the school decided to make a camp out of the weekend event.

“At the campsite the children slept in tents, went for night bushwalks and ate marshmallows around the campfire, which they loved,” he said.

“The children also had a ride on Puffing Billy. It was a fantastic camp and I would like to thank all involved in helping make it a great success – especially the children.”