Welcome to The Sum Of the Parts (Music)

The Home of Ukulele Orchestras in the Hunter Valley, NSW.  

Newcastle is in lock down.

Zookestras are back!

When we can’t meet in person, we can meet online, and secretly, you can learn a LOT more.

Please join us online and keep playing, keep learning, and continue to see and chinwag with your fellow ukestrans, (and support our efforts to keep our community together through this hiccough).
 

Saturday mornings 10am-midday

Monday nights 5.30-7.30pm

Thursday nights 7-9pm

Feel free to join any of our Zookestras. Just click on the links above to get to the webpages for each class. Normal uketen fees apply.

Normally we would be running six weekly Ukestras (ukulele orchestras) and two choirs for all ages in the Lower Hunter. ‘We’ are Mark and Jane, and friends and co-workers – John Wallace, Ruth McCrae, Kathy Wilson, Susan Gleeson and Issy Baccarini. Every month there is also a beginners ukulele workshop, with a Newkestra on Saturday and Sunday mornings which teach the basics of ukulele musicianship.

Every week of the year (except maybe Christmas) The Sum of The Parts (Music) helps around 200 people (adults and kids) to make music and learn, together. Why do we do this? Because people need music in their lives, they need it to be fun, and people need to connect in healthy social situations and spaces. We help make this happen.

In 2017 we also started our incredibly popular One Song Sing – once a month, learn one song, in three part harmony, in one hour. We will resume these later in 2021 (we hope!).

Oh. And we also travel a bit, giving ukestration workshops and teaching others how to better connect others through music.

We hope to play music with you one day (and help you learn! and connect up with others) ….

Mark Jackson and Jane Jelbart

…making music part of your life…

Watch our video filmed February 2020 by Groovy Banana. It features many of our ukestrans (of all ages) from Port Stephens, Newcastle City and Lake Macquarie.