The Ukulele Girls want to make people happy through music

SINGAPORE — Sometimes chance meetings can lead to bigger things. Especially if you’re Kaylin and Tian, the musical duo known as The Ukulele Girls.

Back in 2008, Kaylin Toh had just graduated from university and was looking to further her studies. “I wanted to learn about positive psychology — I graduated in Psychology so I wanted to know more,” she said.

It just so happened that Daphne Tian was working for Positive Psychology Centre and was looking for volunteers to help out at an orphanage. “I told Kaylin about the trip and she said yes,” said Tian, 30. “She came along to help me set up and we were bonding; and I took my ukulele along.”

“I had wanted to learn the ukulele,” said Kaylin, 27. “So when she took it along for that trip, I was like, ‘I want to play’. I never got a chance to touch one until that trip.”

Why the ukulele, or uke? Mostly because of its size. “I always wanted an instrument that I could carry with me when I travelled,” said Kaylin. “And I enjoy writing music and playing music, so I wanted an instrument that was easy to take along. It’s also a very happy-sounding instrument. It’s about making people happy.”

“We travel a lot and every time I travel, I bring out the ukulele and it brings people together, like magic,” said Tian. “It’s such an amazing experience to be overseas and bonding over music, even though you don’t speak the same language. You really bond with people over music.”

The pair started jamming and learning how to play songs like Zombie by The Cranberries, Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Then in 2009, they were asked by the owners of Going Om to play at the cafe. It would be their first public gig. “It was so horrendous,” said Tian.

“Terrible,” agreed Kaylin.

“We had no idea about sound systems or sound design. So our first gig was incredibly shrill. It sounded so awful,” said Tian.

“But I remember at the end of the set, people came up to us and they said, ‘Wow, I really love you guys, you guys should just keep singing together’,” laughed Kaylin.

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