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Classical Ukulele: Redefining The Ukulele, Samantha Muir

The 21st Century Guitar

Developed in Hawaii after 1879, the ukulele was first used as a strummed instrument to accompany the human voice and traditional hula dances of Hawaii. During the 20th century, as the ukuleleʼs popularity spread, it achieved notoriety amongst comedians and entertainers. Since the millennium a new generation of players have sought to define the ukulele as a serious instrument. The classical ukulele approach emerged in 2004 and until recently focused on creating arrangements. As the first person to do a PhD on classical ukulele, my research is forward looking in its aim of creating new contemporary classical works, and backward …