Author Spotlight: An Interview with Ukulele YouTube Star Emily Arrow
Meet the author behind the Kid’s Guide to Learning the Ukulele
Hello! Hello! This is Emily Arrow. She brings children’s books to life with the strum of her ukulele named “Bow”. With her background in music education, she is revolutionizing how children connect with music and literature on her well-known YouTube channel.
After graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Emily started teaching elementary school music classes in Los Angeles. It was there she realized picture books along with her ukulele could help teach children to read. Now a full-time singer and author, Emily has flourished into a multi-award-winning artist. She travels the United States to visit schools, libraries, bookstores, festivals, and theaters to see children all over the country who jump for joy at the name Emily Arrow. An official Kala Brand Music Co. artist, Emily is constantly in motion collaborating on songs with picture book authors and hosting live YouTube shows, all while she wrote her own book, the Kid’s Guide to Learning the Ukulele.
We had a quick chat with Emily while she was on tour about how she shares her ukulele magic with young musicians. See her interview below!
Kid's Guide to Learning the Ukulele
The ukulele is the perfect first instrument for kids! Inside this beginner’s guide, you will find:
- Instructional guide for kids
- 24 easy-to-learn songs, games, and activities
- Introduce children to music and the benefits of playing an instrument
- Kid-friendly fun facts on the uke’s history, fundamentals like tuning and holding positions, basic chords, and more
- Charming illustrations and diagrams with easy-to-follow instructions for parents to teach their children
Beginner’s Ukulele Giveaway!
Five lucky winners will be selected to win a Kala Brand Ukulele and Emily Arrow’s new book, Kid’s Guide to Learning the Ukulele! Contest ends January 31, 2020. Click here to enter to win!
So you started out as a music teacher. I’m sure you played a lot of different instruments. What led you to the ukulele as your instrument of choice?
My favorite thing about the ukulele is its size and portability which makes it an incredible teaching instrument. Because of it’s relatively “small” size, it’s also a bit softer in tone and doesn’t overpower my singing voice or the voices of kids. So after many years of playing and teaching on both piano and ukulele, the ukulele won me over for good.
Do you have any famous musicians that inspire you?
One of my favorite ukulele-driven musicians is Ingrid Michaelson, whose strumming patterns have always been a huge inspiration. Songstresses Joni Mitchell and Maggie Rogers inspire my writing style and The Weepies inspire my approach to perform.
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