[et_pb_section fb_built="1" custom_padding_last_edited="on|tablet" admin_label="About section" module_class="sigmund_cute_slider" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="78px||0px|||" custom_padding_tablet="60px||20px||false|false" custom_padding_phone="" collapsed="off" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" disabled_on="off|off|off" admin_label="Row" _builder_version="4.16" max_width="1175px" custom_padding="0|0px|50px|0px||" custom_padding_tablet="0|0px|30px|0px|false|false" custom_padding_phone="" use_custom_width="on" custom_width_px="1175px" collapsed="off" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.17.4" text_font="||||||||" text_font_size="18px" text_line_height="2em" header_font="Atma||||||||" header_text_color="#E57D37" header_font_size="48px" header_line_height="1.7em" header_2_font="Lato|700||on|||||" header_2_text_color="#c4c4c4" header_2_font_size="21px" header_2_letter_spacing="3px" text_orientation="center" module_alignment="center" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="0px||||false|false" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" text_font_size_tablet="" text_font_size_phone="14px" text_font_size_last_edited="on|desktop" text_line_height_tablet="" text_line_height_phone="1.6em" text_line_height_last_edited="on|phone" header_font_size_tablet="38px" header_font_size_phone="37px" header_font_size_last_edited="on|phone" header_line_height_tablet="" header_line_height_phone="1.3em" header_line_height_last_edited="on|phone" header_2_font_size_tablet="21px" header_2_font_size_phone="16px" header_2_font_size_last_edited="on|phone" header_2_letter_spacing_tablet="" header_2_letter_spacing_phone="2px" header_2_letter_spacing_last_edited="on|phone" header_2_line_height_tablet="" header_2_line_height_phone="1em" header_2_line_height_last_edited="on|phone" header_text_shadow_style="preset5" header_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0.04em" header_text_shadow_vertical_length="0.04em" header_text_shadow_color="#B0CBF3" global_colors_info="{}"]

About The Awesome Ukulele Academy

The Short Version

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.16" _module_preset="default" text_font="||||||||" text_font_size="18px" text_line_height="1.6em" text_orientation="justified" width="80%" width_tablet="100%" width_phone="100%" width_last_edited="on|phone" max_width_tablet="" max_width_phone="" max_width_last_edited="on|tablet" module_alignment="center" custom_margin="35px||35px||true|" custom_margin_tablet="0px||0px||true|false" custom_margin_phone="" custom_margin_last_edited="on|phone" text_font_size_tablet="16px" text_font_size_phone="14px" text_font_size_last_edited="on|tablet" text_line_height_tablet="1.6em" text_line_height_phone="1.4em" text_line_height_last_edited="on|tablet" global_colors_info="{}"]

Since 2016, Matt Parkin has been teaching people from all walks of life – often those who have never played an instrument before – a simple, fun process that gets them playing the songs they love on the ukulele, regardless of experience or age. (Matt’s musical bio is way too long but can be emailed upon request 😁 ).

In 2020, the world-wide pandemic led to the setting up of an online workshop that mirrors Matt’s teaching technique along with a follow-on programme using platforms that are readily accessible to anyone with a device and internet connection. The Awesome Ukulele Academy was born.

Matt and Team Awesome are passionate and absolutely dedicated to helping new ‘ukulele-ists’ learn together, stay inspired, and feel supported so that they can develop a deep sense of satisfaction from learning to play and are able to share their music with the people who they love. We have fun!

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_toggle title="Click to read The Long Version" closed_toggle_background_color="#ffffff" admin_label="Long version Toggle" _builder_version="4.17.4" _module_preset="default" title_text_color="#b7b7b7" title_font="Lato|700||on|||||" title_text_align="center" title_font_size="20px" title_letter_spacing="2px" width="80%" module_alignment="center" hover_enabled="0" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"]

I spent a great deal of my youth playing the bass guitar in lots of noisy rock bands, touring all over America and Europe, making records back when they were released on vinyl, and was even on ‘Top of The Pops’!

I became a music teacher, with 3 children of my own, and worked at my local school. Part of my role was to teach the ukulele to young children, which I did in a whole-class setting as well as 1:1. I spent 5 years developing a simple process that enabled the kids to learn their first musical instrument and gain confidence, nurturing a sense of accomplishment from what they had achieved.

The pandemic changed the focus of my work to the virtual classroom and I could see how my accelerated method of learning worked just as well online. I opened up the door to my Kool Kids Club in September 2020 – an online community for children to learn the ukulele as the first instrument. What really surprised me was that it worked even better than face-to-face. Due to the community and accountability of the online group, what would normally have taken the entire academic year for them to achieve, now took 3 months!

But it was always the adults that fascinated me…!

The older someone is, the less likely they are to have had any formal musical education at all. I spoke to people who thought they were too old, or that it was too late for them, or that they would find it too hard, or that it would take too long. And that broke my heart. Music is for everybody and everyone should be able to play the songs they love, get enjoyment out of making music, and be able to share it with the people that they love.

And I also discovered that people really wanted to learn a new skill, bring music and creativity into their lives, and feel a sense of satisfaction at having done that. But many lacked the confidence or needed support to create the habits that are needed to succeed.

In 2021, I set up an online workshop that mirrored my teaching technique along with a follow-on programme using platforms that are readily accessible to anyone with a device and internet connection. The Awesome Ukulele Academy was born!

Matt and Team Awesome are passionate and absolutely dedicated to helping ‘ukulele-ists’ learn together, stay inspired, and feel supported so that they develop a deep sense of satisfaction for learning to play and, most importantly, have fun while doing it!!

[/et_pb_toggle][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built="1" custom_padding_last_edited="on|tablet" admin_label="Compact Team Person Module - Sigmund" module_class="sigmund_hover_effect sigmund_compact_team" _builder_version="4.16" background_color="#f9fafc" custom_padding="70px|0px|89px|0px||" custom_padding_tablet="40px||30px|" custom_padding_phone="" collapsed="off" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row column_structure="1_3,1_3,1_3" use_custom_gutter="on" gutter_width="2" admin_label="Team #1" _builder_version="4.16" max_width="1180px" use_custom_width="on" custom_width_px="1180px" collapsed="off" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="1_3" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="44px|||14px" custom_padding_tablet="0px|||0px" custom_padding_phone="" custom_padding_last_edited="on|tablet" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_cta title="Our team" admin_label="Our talented & experienced team title " _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Atma|600||on|||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#0097AA" header_font_size="21px" header_letter_spacing="1px" header_line_height="1.3em" body_font="Lato|500|||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#6e6b7d" body_font_size="36px" body_line_height="125%" use_background_color="off" text_orientation="left" background_layout="light" max_width="349px" max_width_tablet="100%" max_width_phone="" max_width_last_edited="on|tablet" custom_margin="||0px|" custom_padding="||0px|" body_font_size_tablet="30px" body_font_size_phone="26px" body_font_size_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_promo_description="margin-left: 0px;" custom_css_promo_title="padding-bottom: 6px;|| margin-left: 0px;" global_colors_info="{}" button_text_size__hover_enabled="off" button_one_text_size__hover_enabled="off" button_two_text_size__hover_enabled="off" button_text_color__hover_enabled="off" button_one_text_color__hover_enabled="off" button_two_text_color__hover_enabled="off" button_border_width__hover_enabled="off" button_one_border_width__hover_enabled="off" button_two_border_width__hover_enabled="off" button_border_color__hover_enabled="off" button_one_border_color__hover_enabled="off" button_two_border_color__hover_enabled="off" button_border_radius__hover_enabled="off" button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled="off" button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled="off" button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled="off" button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled="off" button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled="off" button_bg_color__hover_enabled="off" button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled="off" button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled="off"]

"Our talented & experienced team - what would I do without them..."

[/et_pb_cta][et_pb_text admin_label="text" _builder_version="4.16" text_font="||||||||" text_text_color="#898698" text_font_size="16px" text_line_height="160%" max_width="300px" max_width_tablet="100%" max_width_phone="" max_width_last_edited="on|tablet" global_colors_info="{}"](uttered by Matt Parkin on a regular basis!)[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_3" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="0px|||0px" custom_css_main_element="margin-bottom: 0 !important;" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_team_member name="Matt" position="The Boss Man and Inspirational Teacher" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/matt.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name="Bry" position="Membership Coach & Entertainment Officer" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/bry.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name="Nicola" position="Social Media Manager" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nicola.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name="Laura" position="Editor" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ldm.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_3" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||0px" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_team_member name="Sabina" position="Support Manager" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/sab.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" locked="off" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name="Teresa" position="Mindset Coach" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/teresa.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name="Jonathan" position="Singing Coach" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jon.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name="Holly" position="Illustrator" image_url="https://theawesomeukuleleacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sad-bunny-scaled.jpg" admin_label="Compact Team Person Image 90 x 90 pixels" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Roboto|500|||||||" header_text_align="left" header_text_color="#6e6b7d" header_font_size="20px" header_line_height="120%" body_font="Roboto||||||||" body_text_align="left" body_text_color="#04b4c6" body_font_size="16px" body_letter_spacing="-0.08px" body_line_height="140%" background_color="#ffffff" custom_margin="||28px|" custom_padding="21px|20px|17px|35px" custom_padding_tablet="" custom_padding_phone="25px|25px|25px|25px" custom_padding_last_edited="on|phone" custom_css_main_element="float: left;|| width: 100%;" custom_css_after="content: %22%22;|| display: block;|| width: 100%;|| height: 100%;|| position: absolute;|| top: 0;|| left: 0;|| box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 6px #04b3c5;|| transition: 0.3s;|| z-index: -1;|| opacity: 0;|| transition-delay: 0s !important;||visibility: visible;" custom_css_member_image="float: left;|| margin-right: 6%;|| margin-bottom: 0!important;|| width: 28%;" custom_css_member_description="float: left;|| width: 66%;" custom_css_title=" margin-top: 21px;|| padding-bottom: 4px;" custom_css_member_position="position: relative;" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_vertical="30px" box_shadow_blur="70px" box_shadow_color="rgba(233,237,242,0.4)" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_team_member][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]