J. Chalmers Doane (born 1938) is a Canadian educator and musician who spearheaded the use of the ukulele for music instruction in the Canadian school systems.

Educator

John Chalmers Doane was born in

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

, Nova Scotia in 1938. Doane earned his teaching certificate in 1961 from the

Nova Scotia Teachers College The Nova Scotia Teachers College (NSTC) was a normal school located in the Canadian town of Truro, Nova Scotia. History The Nova Scotia Teachers College was founded as the Provincial Normal School by an act of the Nova Scotia House of Assem ...

(NSTC) and then a bachelor of music education from oston Universityin 1967 studying the

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

. While serving as supervisor of music for the

Halifax Regional School Board The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (formerly the Halifax Regional School Board) is the public school district responsible for 136 elementary, junior high, and high schools located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The current Regional E ...

from 1967 to 1984, Doane changed the school music program when he began using the ukulele as a practical and economical method of teaching instruments and music for both children and adults. This unconventional approach was quickly proven through the success of Halifax school bands and orchestras in concerts and competitions across Canada. Doane created the ''Guide to Classroom Ukulele'' in 1971. The British Columbia schools used Doane's system to teach music and as a result, the

Langley Ukulele Ensemble The Langley Ukulele Ensemble is a ukulele ensemble from Langley, British Columbia in Canada. The ensemble is internationally renowned and considered to be one of the top ukulele performing ensembles in the world. They were prominently featured in t ...

came into existence. He improved on the system and created the ''Teacher's Guide to Classroom Ukulele'' in 1977. After leaving the Halifax School Board in 1984, Doane served as a professor of music education at his alma mater, the

until his retirement in 1993. The best known student to come out of Doane's program is James Hill, who plays the ukulele throughout the world and worked with Doane to revise the ukulele teaching system. Doane and Hill collaborated to create the Ukulele in the Classroom program in 2008. Doane was awarded an honorary

doctor of fine arts Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) is a professional doctoral degree in fine arts. It may also be awarded as an honorary degree. Description Doctoral programmes leading to DFAs in the UK are of equivalent level to a PhD, with the same requirement to demon ...

from St. Mary's University in 2003. His daughter

Melanie Doane Melanie Doane is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and music educator. Early years Daughter of J. Chalmers Doane, a music educator and member of the Order of Canada, Doane learned many instruments at a young age, including piano, bass gui ...

is a noted Canadian pop singer and songwriter, and his son

Creighton Doane Creighton Doane is a Canadian drummer and songwriter, best known as a longtime member of the rock band Harem Scarem. The son of music educator J. Chalmers Doane and the brother of singer-songwriter Melanie Doane, his first significant musical proj ...

is a drummer and songwriter known as a collaborator with his sister and as a member of the rock band

Harem Scarem Harem Scarem is a Canadian hard rock/melodic hard rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Harem Scarem initially (the early 1990s) achieved popularity in their native Canada and Japan. The band was active from 1987 to 2008, and again from 2013 after ...

. Doane himself has recorded a number of albums since 1973, many featuring original compositions or arrangements, mainly featuring Halifax students, but also in the 2000s with his own group, the Chalmers Doane Trio.

Awards

* 8 February 2005 – Doane was invested as a member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. * 2008 – The Learning Partnership honored Doane as a champion of public education * 2010 – Doane was inducted into the

Order of Nova Scotia The Order of Nova Scotia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The order was instituted through the ''Order of Nova Scotia Act'' on 1 June 2001, with the first appointments beginning in 2002. The order is int ...

.Order of Nova Scotia – Chalmers Doane
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Writing

* Classroom Ukulele Method (Waterloo 1971) * Ukulele Encore (Waterloo 1975) * The Teachers' Guide to Classroom Ukulele (Waterloo 1977) * Functional Piano (Waterloo 1980) * Classroom Ukulele Method: Hawaiian Version (Halifax 1988)

Discography

* Ukulele Yes!, 1973, Audat Records, 477-4012 * Ukuleles on Tour, 1974, Audat Records, 477-4016 * Ukulele Magic, 1975, Halifax School Board C-142 * An Introduction to Ukulele Basics with J. Chalmers Doane, 1976, Wat WR-9 * Ukulele Solos, 1976, Wat CSPS-1015 * Musical Ride, 1978, Wat WR-17 * Halifax Ukuleles and Fiddles, 1979, Wat WR-20 * Ukulele Express, 1979, Wat WR-19 * Ukuleles East, 1982, Wat WR-8025 * Uke Trio, 1982, Wat WR-8024 * Live At The Soho Kitchen, Chalmers Doane Trio, 2001 * Farm Sessions Vol II, Chalmers Doane Trio, 2006

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doane, J. Chalmers 1938 births Boston University School of Education alumni Canadian music educators Canadian ukulele players Living people Musicians from Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Teachers College alumni Academic staff of Nova Scotia Teachers College People from Truro, Nova Scotia Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Nova Scotia