Category Archives: review

Ukulele: ticket to ride

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Anne Ku

Little did I know that buying my first ukulele and learning to play it would change the direction of my life.

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It’s so easy to fall in love but breaking up

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Anne Ku

During the four hour mash-up medley marathon, I conferred with six other ukulele players that mash-ups shouldn’t just be about songs that have similar chords or rhythms. There has to be a rhyme and reason to choosing songs for a … Continue reading →

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Songs I lead

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Anne Ku

I’m building a playlist of songs I can confidently and competently lead a ukulele group. The secret to successful song leading is to do it in a key with the entire melody falling within my most comfortable vocal range. In … Continue reading →

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Compromised and impersonated on Facebook

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Anne Ku

Yesterday, two friends from high school sent me private messages asking why I had contacted them to request friendship when we were already friends on Facebook. I was not hacked but “compromised” — that’s the word. Regardless, it was quite … Continue reading →

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Nontraditional students and their struggles: the pursuit of degrees

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Anne Ku

In the UK, older students are called “mature students.” In the US, anyone over 25 studying for their first degree falls into the category of “nontraditional students”. In the Netherlands, it is uncommon to see a mature, nontraditional student at … Continue reading →

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The last degree of separation

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Anne Ku

Each time I left my job to study for a degree, it felt harder than the previous. I call the latest my last degree of separation, for truly it was more arduous than I had ever expected — a physical … Continue reading →

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Autumn Leaves in G minor with French

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Anne Ku

Autumn: leaves are falling and turning colour. The summer has ended, and soon my stay in London will, too. My research into the paradox of simplicity that commands the sound of 3,000 voices and instruments (Irish Hooley, Dun Laoghaire, August … Continue reading →

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Ukulele repertoire: song sheets for amateur music making

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Anne Ku

Ever since getting introduced to the ukulele on Maui, I have been curiously witnessing and participating the rituals of ukulele groups and clubs in Maui, Boston, London, and Amsterdam. The ukulele allows self-accompaniment for singing without a conductor or leader. … Continue reading →

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The freedom and friction of fiction writing

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Anne Ku

“Pick up a postcard on your table and write your address on it. Take what you’ve learned in this conference and write to your future self. Which words of encouragement would you impart?” Among the postcards of city scenes and … Continue reading →

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Anita Shreve, I never got to meet her

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Anne Ku

A pop-up window flashed “Anita Shreve dies at 71″ while I was on FaceTime. Suddenly, I felt a pang of regret. I’m attending a major writing conference in Boston next week. I’ve moved to New England, where Shreve had set … Continue reading →

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