The Mustache - a ukulele rock opera

This is the final project from my Spring 2009 ukulele class. I've been lucky enough to have students who've stuck with me for one, two and three years. So I wanted to do something really ambitious since I'm not sure when I'll ever get such a good mix of students again. So we wrote and recorded an original rock opera. With the exception of the last song, which I co-wrote with one student, the kids came up with all the lyrics and all the chords. They do all the singing and rhythm uke parts. I added the other instruments and some lead uke except on the last song where one of my girls plays lead. They are all in the 3rd through 5th grade.

the story:
One day, a young man named Herman notices that his mustache is long overdue for a trim. He shaves it off entirely and, being lazy, leaves it on his bathroom floor. Meanwhile, his best friend Phillip, a great lover of sweets, has eaten all the cookies in his parents' cookie jar. Outraged, his parents throw Phillip out of the house, who then seeks out Herman. While visiting Herman, Phillip sees the mustache left on the bathroom floor. Mistaking it for an ice cream sandwich, he eats it. A little later, Phillip's remorseful parents call him and invite him back home. While preparing for bed Phillip glances in a mirror and sees that a mustache has grown on his face, the very mustache that he ate earlier. Ignoring it, Phillip goes to sleep and has a nightmare.

In the nightmare, Phillip dreams of an evil mustache named Franklin. Franklin plans to spawn a billion mustache babies with which he'll take over the world. Phillip is terrified and the morning brings relief when he wakes up from his ordeal.

Upon waking, Philip hears a voice which he soon realizes is coming from his mustache. It turns out the Franklin the mustache is a reality. However, Franklin appears kind and helpful, acting as a life coach for Phillip. With the mustache's help, Phillip quickly completes his daily chores.

Just as Phillip is feeling confident, Franklin strikes and shows his true colors. As payback for his help, Franklin expects Phillip to help him in his quest for world domination, thus fulfilling the predictions of the nightmare.

Phillip is scared and concerned when he comes up with a last minute plan to divert the mustache's evil plot. True love, thinks Phillip, will distract Franklin's ambitions. The two travel to Coney Island, where Franklin meets Beardalina, the Bearded Lady. Since Beardalina has a beard but no mustache, she finds a perfect counterpart in Franklin. The two are married and live happily ever after while Phillip, now mustacheless, returns to his normal life after learning an important lesson: don't eat ice cream off the floor.

Songs:
1. Overture
2. 165 Cherry Tree Lane
3. The Nightmare
4. I'm Here to Organize Your Life
5. Do What I Say
6. The Ballad of Beardalina

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ukulele
• rock
• opera
• uke
• mustache

[DogLover6540]

ya i was phillip yay

[thingsBIGthe]

Hi Sam!

[glovestrong48]

holy moly, that's brilliant and creative for their age.(what are the ages anyway?)

Besides that, I highly applaud your efforts.

[thingsBIGthe]

3rd-5th grade

[angharadbii]

woooooo

go Irene and everyone else who waz in it!!!!!!!  =D

[ChocoChickenLollipop]

@PontiusPython its in ny. i the mustache :3 my bff DogLover6540 was phillip <333333

[RachieDoodles182]

soooo cute!

[PontiusPython]

So cool - what state is this school in? I wish our public schools here in Utah had such amazing classes!

[UkeliDokeli]

I agree :) that was really awesome! Those kids are talented. You all did a good job.

[ChocoChickenLollipop]

*points to three years* MEH! THAT IZ MEEEEE!