Author Archives: Anne Ku

About Anne Ku

Anne Ku is a composer who teaches the ukulele and piano.

My girl band, the Lo Lo’s

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Anne Ku

Once upon a time, five teenage girls formed a band to compete in a talent show at their high school on Okinawa. Their band performed “Our Lips Are Sealed.” They wore shiny purple blouses and sleek black slacks. They put … Continue reading →

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Charlie on the MTA for ukulele

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Anne Ku

Newcomers to Boston will soon learn that nearly every Bostonian knows the song “Charlie on the MTA.” There will be an aha moment when they realise that the card they use to enter the metro system is the Charlie Card. … Continue reading →

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Do Wah Diddy for ukulele – video tutorial

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Anne Ku

At the request of my ukulele students, I recorded my first video tutorial. The song “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” is ideal for beginners as it gets them to practise frequent switching between the easy chords of C and F. It … Continue reading →

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Business models: my grandfather the entrepreneur

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Anne Ku

Over the years, I subconsciously collected stories of successful business models with a view to writing and publishing an e-book to share with like-minded individuals. Here’s the story of my late grandfather who built a successful English school in Taiwan.

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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

The last degree of separation is about writing my dissertation for my master’s degree in music. Continue reading →

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