Welcome to The Sum Of the Parts (Music)

The Home of Ukulele Orchestras in the Hunter Valley, NSW

We teach ukulele. More importantly, we help you connect to a community that values music in their lives. Apparently we here in the Hunter region do that differently to how they do it in other places.  Watch this 4 minute video to give you an idea of the sort of fun we have and the sort of things you can learn, and how…

We run eight 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, Kathy Wilson, Jack Hayden, Susan Gleeson and others. Every month there is a beginners ukulele workshop, with a Newkestra on Saturday mornings and Thursday nights 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.

Please feel free to stay around and explore our website. There’s lots of bits – for students and for ukulele teachers / leaders. Or stay on this page and watch and listen to a few more snippets of how, what and why we do things in the way that we do.

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…