{"id":3869,"date":"2025-11-05T13:14:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T19:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stringsbymail.com\/articles\/?p=3869"},"modified":"2026-05-15T01:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T06:38:22","slug":"young-taiwanese-musician-bringing-ukulele-to-the-masses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stringsbymail.com\/articles\/young-taiwanese-musician-bringing-ukulele-to-the-masses\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Taiwanese Musician Bringing Ukulele To The Masses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ross Boissoneau<\/p>\n\n

Born in 2007 in Taiwan, Feng E began playing ukulele after piano lessons failed to take. He did have a bit of an excuse, as he was only 4 when he started piano. He was only 5 when he turned to the diminutive four-stringed instrument, but with encouragement from his dad he began a lifelong love affair with the uke. Today he boasts over 600,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of views on the social media channel.<\/p>\n\n

He owes it all to his kindergarten teacher, who noticed that his finger development was slow. He couldn\u2019t draw a straight line or form a ball out of clay. Upon the recommendation of the teacher, his father urged him to play the piano, but the youngster lacked both interest and aptitude. \u201cMy father actually felt it was a regret in his own childhood not to have studied piano and built a solid musical foundation, so he wanted me to learn,\u201d Feng E says.<\/p>\n\n

When his father then introduced him to the ukulele, he also resisted. But his resourceful dad eventually found a way to convince him to practice: he offered to play Legos with him after each lesson.<\/p>\n\n

\"Feng

Feng E<\/p><\/div>\n\n

Only 13 years later, Feng E has become a star in the world of ukulele music, performing and winning competitions around the world, from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China to Hawaii. In 2017, he was the only competitor on Asia\u2019s Got Talent to get the Golden Buzzer from producer David Foster. In 2018, a video of Feng E playing Tommy Emmanuel\u2019s arrangement of \u201cClassical Gas\u201d by Mason Williams went viral (the treat at the bottom of this article), and he was invited to perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2020, Feng E made it to the quarter-finals of America\u2019s Got Talent. <\/p>\n\n

Today the 18-year-old performs his arrangements of popular tunes and original compositions to audiences across the globe. Typically, his shows are solo ukulele affairs, though he\u2019s comfortable playing with other musicians. He also continues to build his worldwide audience via social media, and the number of his plays on YouTube continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n

With his busy schedule and the fact he lives halfway around the world, the easiest way to conduct an interview was via email. He answered questions as below:<\/p> \n\n

SBM: Why did the ukulele appeal to you more?
\nFeng E: It\u2019s small, but it holds incredible musical potential.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: And why does the ukulele still appeal to you now?
\nFeng E: Because it pushes me to be creative within a limited tonal range. There\u2019s also the challenge of shaping a melody before the very short sustain fades away, which I find exciting.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Is your family musical?
\nFeng E: Not exactly. My father is a cinematographer and my mother is a nurse.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Besides piano and ukulele, what other instruments do you play?
\nFeng E: Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and more recently I\u2019ve been exploring analog synthesizers.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Why did you choose to tour instead of just posting videos on YouTube or other platforms?
\nFeng E: There are times when the impact of music simply can\u2019t be transmitted online. The live experience is still something very special, and it can\u2019t really be replaced.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Do you prefer rearranging familiar music for listeners, or writing your own?
\nFeng E: I enjoy writing my own songs. I\u2019ve already finished the material for my next album, which is currently in production, and I\u2019ll be bringing those songs with me on tour.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: What are your goals, musically and otherwise?
\nFeng E: To make an album I\u2019m truly proud of and to create performances that I genuinely love.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: What instruments work well alongside the ukulele?
\nFeng E: I\u2019ve played with all kinds of instruments\u2014from rock bands to string ensembles to traditional Asian instruments. Because of its bright high frequencies and dynamic attack, the ukulele often cuts through and takes the lead in those settings.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Do you collaborate with other musicians, or do you mainly perform solo?
\nFeng E: Both. I formed a math-rock band in Taiwan, and I\u2019ve recorded ukulele accompaniments for a number of singers. But I also love playing solo, and that\u2019s what I\u2019ll be bringing on tour in the U.S.\u2014a powerful solo ukulele performance.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: What kind of ukulele do you play?
\nFeng E: The Enya Feng E e6 signature model. It\u2019s the result of a long collaboration with Enya and is designed to meet all my needs on stage\u2014from feel to pickup configuration to the wood itself. Everything about it is exactly what I want for live performance.\n<\/p>\n\n

\"Feng

Feng E<\/p><\/div>\n\n

SBM: What kind of wood is your instrument made of?
\nFeng E: It has a koa top, with a maple body and neck, and an ebony fretboard.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Can you explain why you chose that combination?
\nFeng E: I love the midrange of koa, but I don\u2019t like the typical all-koa setup that\u2019s so common on ukuleles\u2014it often sounds too muddy and boomy. That\u2019s why I chose to balance it with maple.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: What strings do you use?
\nFeng E: Ernie Ball<\/a>! They\u2019re the best.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Why not switch to guitar now that you\u2019ve grown and your hands are bigger?
\nFeng E: I actually do play both acoustic and electric guitar in addition to the ukulele.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: What does a typical day look like for you?
\nFeng E: After finishing projects like arranging, songwriting, or recording, I usually work on my own ideas. Sometimes I\u2019ll practice new techniques I\u2019ve been experimenting with.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Why should someone come see your show?
\nFeng E: It\u2019s rare to see such a refined ukulele performance. (Though maybe I shouldn\u2019t be the one saying that!)\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: In some of your videos, when you play in the park, people around you don\u2019t seem to react. Is that a cultural thing?
\nFeng E: Yes\u2014people in Taiwan tend to be more shy, sometimes even a little indifferent.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: What kind of music do you listen to? Who are some of your favorite artists, and why?
\nFeng E: I listen to all kinds of music, but recently I\u2019ve especially been into Julian Lage and GoGo Penguin.\n<\/p>\n\n

SBM: Where do you see yourself and your music in 5 to 10 years?
\nFeng E: I want to be a performer as successful as Tommy Emmanuel, have a great band of my own, and also create film scores for projects I love.\n<\/p>\n\n

\n

Ross Boissoneau is a regular contributor to Something Else! Reviews, Northern Express and Local Spins. He’s written for the All Music Guide, Jazziz and Progression Magazines, and is a member of the Downbeat Critics Poll.<\/i><\/p>\n\n

\"Ross<\/p>\n\n

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