Today it was -30 celcius when I woke up. I often think about how strange it is to be a ukulele player in a climate that is so different than the warm sun of Hawaii. I am Swedish and although I don't really like the cold, I don't like the heat either. I don't dream of lying on a tropical beach when I dream of holidays. I dream of visiting great museums and art galleries. I dream of hearing musicians from other areas play in their style. I dream of seeing great architecure and experiencing new cultural vistas.

What does this have to do with the zen of ukulele? Well when I play I don't sit and dream of the islands or of some island girl in a grass skirt and cocoanut bra. I don't contemplate a lazy waterfront boardwalk nor a canoe or picnic with a lovely lady (although both would be nice). No I simply drift into the sound of the ukulele and the emotion that it brings. I hold it close and feel what it is saying and then I embrace it and free it for others to hear.