Author Archives: Anne Ku

About Anne Ku

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

Classical guitar: intimate, personal, and vulnerable

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Anne Ku

There is something intimate, personal, and vulnerable about sharing a space with a musician — unplugged. Such is the case of experiencing the classical guitar, which is a rare thing on Maui. Once a year Ben Verdery draws students and … Continue reading →

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Jukebox Piano Class: Stand By Me for Easy Piano

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Anne Ku

I should call my piano classes “Jukebox Piano Class” because I take requests. Nothing motivates a new musician more than being able to play something he or she likes. Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” is one of these requests. … Continue reading →

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Elegant but easy to play music from “Still Alice”

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Anne Ku

I listened to the soundtrack to the film “Still Alice” on Youtube because I missed its premiere at the Maui Film Festival last December. I became mesmerized by the simplicity and beauty of the various short pieces played on piano, … Continue reading →

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How to write music people want to play

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Anne Ku

Times have changed. Perhaps it’s the instant gratification of search engines and the availability of free online videos. To write sheet music that people want to play, it has to be readable, printable, and playable.

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Maui Wordcamp: a WordPress conference in paradise

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Anne Ku

The subtitle is hard to resist. Paradise. Conference. WordPress. For $35, you get a T-shirt, lunch and refreshments for two consecutive days. I registered when it was half-full and eagerly looked forward to it. Part of me feared that it would … Continue reading →

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Learn Piano

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Anne Ku

You can learn to read music, play all 88 keys of the piano, and get started on a piece you’ve always wanted to learn in just three lessons. I’ve seen it happen. For just $99, you get 3 x 2 … Continue reading →

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Mandarin course on Maui 顧恩以教中文

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Anne Ku

I have been telling the same story for years. Chinese is much easier than English. Or rather, Chinese grammar is much easier than English. Or better, Chinese grammar is nearly non-existent.

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The two Cs

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Anne Ku

My dad warned me about the two Cs when I was leaving home for college. “Beware of chemistry,” he said.

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Shock via social media

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Anne Ku

News travels fast on social media, particularly shocking news about death.  Initially it goes like this: “Have you heard?” “Did you know?”

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The making of a fan

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Anne Ku

As a musician, I was not aware of how to turn my audience into my fans until I became a fan myself. As a fan, I want to support the musician or musicians I’m a fan of. I want to … Continue reading →

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