But instead of passing on the challenge, she took it in her stride.
‘‘I gave it a go and the kids sitting with me were really helpful, trying to give me some tips.
‘‘The girls asked if it was hard for me to play the ukulele and I said: ‘Well I don’t know, because I’ve never played one before’.
‘‘I’ve got the left hand to do the chords and I strum with the other — it’s all good.’’
She said it was so much fun she was seriously thinking about continuing to play the ukulele.
‘‘They make such a cool sound and everyone here is having so much fun. It’s awesome.’’
About 500 pupils from schools around Dunedin were packed into the Tahuna Intermediate School hall for the eighth ukulele jam, organised by Music Education Otago.
Another 500 will be there again today for the continuation of the event, organiser Alison Caldwell said.
Children and their teachers had been learning pop songs and traditional songs from different countries, and met at Tahuna to sing and play together, with an emphasis on fun and communal music-making, she said.
