Our Associates
John Kelly
Wirral Ukulele Fanatics / Saga and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
“As a Ukulele tutor I am confident in recommending Octopus ukuleles to my students as they are well made, reasonably priced and have proved to be durable. Octopus manufacture their instruments from various tone woods in Soprano, Concert and Tenor sizes, suitable for all budgets and abilities.”
John has a confident, well organised, outgoing and fun style of teaching ukulele to both beginners and improvers. His teaching style is flexible as the need arises and he recognises the importance of beginners gaining confidence and enjoying the learning experience. John prepares his ukulele lessons in a structured but simple format.
John ensures all lessons are inclusive and free of jargon, allowing novices and those who have never played a musical instrument to feel comfortable, helping them to gain confidence quickly. Lessons are prepared to include well known songs and simple chords; this allows guests to learn without having the need for any knowledge of musical theory. John has experience of teaching all age groups, those who have English as a second language and often those with missing or arthritic fingers!
Paul Davies
YouCanUkulele
“I’m absolutely delighted to be working in association with Octopus Ukuleles! They are by far the best entry level ukulele I have come across. The quality of Octopus ukuleles is amazing considering the price and I would highly recommend them to anyone starting out their journey with this fantastic instrument!”
Paul has been tutoring ukulele in schools, corporate & mental health since 2009. He also the lead singer in the band UkePunk!
Al Start
Go Kid Music
“What's not to love? I would be happy to recommend Octopus to any of my students”
Go Kid Music produces albums, digital, books and live music events for families who are looking for great children's music. We also write songs for school topics and produce digital song packs for primary school (first grade) teachers and preschools (kindergarten).
Margie Jammie
Ukulittle
“I am thrilled to collaborate with Octopus Ukuleles! Octopus extensive range is impressive and guaranteed to satisfy players of all ages and abilities at a very affordable price. I teach very young children, including preschoolers and the Octopus soprano body shape and proportions are perfect for them as they can hold it more easily. With its low action only a little pressure is enough to produce a bright and clear sound, making it an ideal first choice for learners developing fine motor skills. I’m particularly impressed with the reliability of the machine head tuners, it makes learning to tune easier and the instrument stays in tune longer. They are very friendly and colourful, such a brilliant match for my Ukulittle® brand and beyond!”
Margie Jammie is a London-based music teacher who set up the North London Ukulele Club in 2013 to inspire learners of all ages to play the ukulele. As the owner of Ukulittle® she has created a unique child-centred, pre-school ukulele brand and method that gives priority to self-expression as well as technique. Children build up their knowledge and learning of the ukulele in a creative and fun way during their early years – a child can start at 3 years old – follow up during transition into reception and primary school age years and continue to flourish onwards and beyond.
It works on the basis that all children have different learning curves, inclinations and aptitudes regardless of their age and plays to their strengths, building confidence and a can-do attitude. Margie’s mission of enabling more young children to benefit from it resulted in the creation of a fun-packed innovative book series: My First Ukulittle Story-Song-Books with each story supported by a companion video plus extra tutorial videos. The free introductory pack will be launching in Autumn 2021.
Elaine Hayward
Ukuellie
“I learned how to play on an Octopus soprano ukulele and now provide them for my students. These ukuleles are well made, have a pleasant tone and are very reasonably priced. I find them easy to teach with because of the good playing action and smooth finish. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Octopus to anyone beginning to learn this lovely little instrument!”
Elaine teaches ukulele on Marella and Fred Olsen cruise lines. She has also been teaching online during Covid lockdowns. When not teaching, she also likes performing
David Gray
Music with Mr Gray
“Octopus ukuleles have never let me down. They’ve always been my first choice when recommending ukuleles to pupils and schools. They have a lovely tone, maintain their tuning well and are such a great price for such an amazing little instrument. They were my first ukulele and I hope they’re yours too!”
www.youtube.com/musicwithmrgray is a YouTube channel dedicated to creating play alongs on a variety of instruments including the ukulele. The play alongs are designed to help children progress on their instruments in school and at home.
Patrick McKenzie
Plucky Goat Music School
“I have been using Octopus Ukuleles for around 7 years now and have found that every single one I have played has the same bulletproof construction, quality components and high standard of finish. I have yet to find any ukulele at this price point which matches up to the durability and tuning stability of these instruments. I recommend Octopus Ukuleles to all my students and they have never been disappointed!”
Plucky Goat Music school is a new project founded by musician and former primary school teacher Patrick McKenzie. Our lessons are designed to be fun and accessible to all, starting from the very basics. We encourage all of our students to perform and collaborate, building confidence and creativity while working as a team.