kELLE jOLLY
Reading, Rhythm & Storytelling
About the Artist
Kelle Jolly, known as the "Tennessee Ukulele Lady," is an award-winning musician, storyteller, and teaching artist who inspires students through music, storytelling, and cultural arts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education with a concentration in Voice from South Carolina State University and a Master of Arts in Communication and Storytelling Studies from East Tennessee State University.
Kelle has been a featured performer at Dollywood's Flower & Food Festival and is the founder of the Women in Jazz Jam Festival and Ukesphere Knoxville Ukulele Club. She has taught in schools, arts residencies, and community programs for decades, helping students build confidence, creativity, and cultural understanding. An international performer, Kelle has appeared in Japan, the Bahamas, TEDxETSU, the Levitt AMP Music Series, and festivals across the United States. Her work has been featured in Ukulele Magazine, and she specializes in engaging workshops that celebrate folk music, history, and storytelling.
Learn more at kellejolly.com.
RESIDENCY OFFERING: Lady Fay Ukulele: Reading, Rhythm & Storytelling
Bring literacy to life through music!
k - 5th Grade
In this interactive 3–5 day residency, award-winning teaching artist, author, storyteller, and music educator Kelle Jolly, the "Tennessee Ukulele Lady," uses her children's book Lady Fay Ukulele to inspire a love of reading while introducing students to the joy of making music.
Through engaging read-alouds, storytelling, beginning ukulele instruction, singing, movement, creative writing, and collaborative performance, students strengthen reading comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, listening, and communication skills while building confidence as readers and performers. Along the way, they explore the rich connections between literature, music, and Appalachian and African American cultural traditions.
Designed for grades K–5, this arts-integrated residency aligns with the North Carolina Arts Education Standards in General Music and supports English Language Arts through authentic, hands-on learning. Students conclude the residency by sharing their new skills in a joyful classroom or school performance that celebrates creativity, literacy, and the power of storytelling.
Residency Highlights: Interactive author visit • Beginning ukulele • Storytelling • Creative writing • Reader's Theater • Student performance
TIMELINE
Day 1: Meet Lady Fay – Every Story Has a Song
Students are introduced to Lady Fay Ukulele through an engaging author read-aloud that invites them to predict, question, and connect with the story. Together, students identify the story's characters, setting, problem, and solution while discussing how music helps tell stories and express emotions. Students are introduced to the ukulele, learn about its history and parts, practice proper playing technique, and establish a steady beat through movement, body percussion, and rhythm games.
Day 2: Rhythm Readers – Reading with Expression
Students revisit Lady Fay Ukulele through Reader's Theater, discovering how rhythm, pacing, and expression improve reading fluency. They learn beginning ukulele chords and accompany repeated phrases from the story while exploring how rhythm patterns support language and memory.
Day 3: Music Tells the Story
Students examine how composers and storytellers communicate emotions. They identify mood changes throughout the story and match musical elements such as tempo, dynamics, and rhythm to the characters' experiences. Students begin composing simple rhythmic patterns and create original sound effects and musical accompaniments for scenes from the book.
Day 4: Our Stories Matter
Inspired by Lady Fay's journey, students become authors and songwriters. They write a new adventure, create an additional page, or compose a new verse for the story. Students use beginning songwriting techniques to add rhythm, repeated phrases, or simple melodies while practicing revision and peer feedback.
Day 5: Lady Fay Celebration
The residency concludes with a joyful literacy celebration where students share everything they have learned. Families, teachers, or other classes are invited to experience a performance. Students reflect on how reading, music, and storytelling help them express themselves and connect with others.