WEBVTT 00:00:03.149 --> 00:00:06.650 As difficult as the process was, I found that 00:00:06.650 --> 00:00:11.390 by opening myself up, I began to carve my own 00:00:11.390 --> 00:00:16.850 path more clearly. No matter what I do, whether 00:00:16.850 --> 00:00:20.269 that is performing or teaching piano or writing, 00:00:20.510 --> 00:00:24.850 being open, transparent, and vulnerable is the 00:00:24.850 --> 00:00:34.359 real key to connection. are creative, really 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:38.600 creative enough to create something that whatever 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:45.820 you desire. For me, creativity isn't about trying 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:49.579 to be original. It's where what naturally happens 00:00:49.579 --> 00:00:53.659 when you lead something with love and a desire 00:00:53.659 --> 00:01:01.340 to connect. Hello, everyone, and welcome to The 00:01:01.340 --> 00:01:04.799 Piano Pot. Today is extra special because I am 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:07.519 kicking off a brand new series called Encore 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.299 Conversations. This is where I bring back past 00:01:10.299 --> 00:01:13.359 guests for shorter, more personal conversations 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:16.959 so we can catch up, hear about their new projects, 00:01:17.019 --> 00:01:20.579 and reflect on how their journeys have evolved 00:01:20.579 --> 00:01:24.180 since the last time they joined us. To launch 00:01:24.180 --> 00:01:26.819 this series, I couldn't think of a better guest 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:30.840 than Jiyoung Kim. When June first joined me back 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:33.439 in Season 3, we talked about her debut book, 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:36.599 Whenever You're Ready, her mission to make concerts 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:40.140 immersive and personal, and her belief that music 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:43.560 is about building real human connections. She 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:46.700 spoke with such honesty and originality about 00:01:46.700 --> 00:01:50.140 her artistry, her challenges, and her philosophy 00:01:50.140 --> 00:01:54.120 of living fully, and so many of you reached out 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:57.340 after work to say how deeply her story resonated. 00:01:58.109 --> 00:02:01.250 If you missed that conversation or want a refresher, 00:02:01.370 --> 00:02:05.390 it's Season 3, Episode 14. You can find a link 00:02:05.390 --> 00:02:09.169 in the show notes. Now, June is back with her 00:02:09.169 --> 00:02:12.949 brand new book, Beyond the Keys, and her companion 00:02:12.949 --> 00:02:17.050 album, Radiance. Both reflect her signature authenticity 00:02:17.050 --> 00:02:21.150 and creativity, inviting us to experience music 00:02:21.150 --> 00:02:23.990 and life through the lens of love, resilience, 00:02:24.250 --> 00:02:27.509 and connection. I am so thrilled to have her 00:02:27.509 --> 00:02:30.650 back to help me launch this new series. So let's 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:34.250 dive right in. Here is my encore conversation 00:02:34.250 --> 00:02:41.509 with Jiyun Kim. Jiyun, welcome back. I'm so glad 00:02:41.509 --> 00:02:44.870 to be back. And welcome to the very first edition 00:02:44.870 --> 00:02:50.080 of our alumni series called Encore. conversations 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.780 and since this season is all about creativity 00:02:52.780 --> 00:02:55.780 and connection so i cannot think of a better 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:59.500 person to help us kick it off than you and you're 00:02:59.500 --> 00:03:02.080 the perfect person to ask and then the last time 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:06.099 you were here was season three almost three years 00:03:06.099 --> 00:03:10.180 ago two and a half and how have you been i have 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:14.560 been busy but well that's great that's wonderful 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:17.629 to hear So back then we talked about your first 00:03:17.629 --> 00:03:20.550 book, Whenever You're Ready, and your passion 00:03:20.550 --> 00:03:23.250 for connecting with audiences and engage in creative 00:03:23.250 --> 00:03:26.509 ways. And for those tuning in today who missed 00:03:26.509 --> 00:03:29.250 that episode, definitely go back and check it 00:03:29.250 --> 00:03:32.050 out. It's full of gems, just like her writing. 00:03:32.169 --> 00:03:34.750 So please go to thepianopart .com and find her 00:03:34.750 --> 00:03:38.449 episode, or you can check the description below. 00:03:38.909 --> 00:03:42.009 So I still remember attending your Carnegie Hall 00:03:42.009 --> 00:03:45.360 concert after the episode. That's about two years 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:49.000 ago. Right. Yeah. And you live in California, 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:51.460 but you flew to New York and then gave a wonderful 00:03:51.460 --> 00:03:55.919 concert. Unforgettable on so many levels. Well, 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:58.759 first of all, your concert was phenomenal. I 00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:01.349 mean, exquisite. And just like you promised in 00:04:01.349 --> 00:04:03.349 the episode, our conversation, that you had a 00:04:03.349 --> 00:04:07.449 microphone on stage and shared reflections between 00:04:07.449 --> 00:04:10.710 each piece, like your thoughts on the piece, 00:04:10.810 --> 00:04:14.030 composer. And it created such a warm and intimate 00:04:14.030 --> 00:04:18.389 atmosphere, although it's a Carnegie Hall. And 00:04:18.389 --> 00:04:22.329 then if I remember correctly, there was a QR 00:04:22.329 --> 00:04:27.600 code in the program? I don't remember. Well, 00:04:27.740 --> 00:04:32.420 that concert meant to have a big projection with 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:35.000 artwork. But since the Carnegie Hall, especially 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:37.819 the Wild Hall, doesn't allow or doesn't have 00:04:37.819 --> 00:04:40.660 the capacity on purpose to keep that traditional 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:44.959 look, I opted to have it on the program book 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:48.680 with the black and white photography. And so 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:51.399 people kind of enjoyed it. But at the end, I 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:53.930 thought... it worked out really well it created 00:04:53.930 --> 00:04:56.829 really such a almost like a candlelight effect 00:04:56.829 --> 00:04:59.449 with this gorgeous traditional setting of the 00:04:59.449 --> 00:05:02.970 Carnegie Hall with the tradition you know yeah 00:05:02.970 --> 00:05:06.930 yeah and then of course you know another thing 00:05:06.930 --> 00:05:10.610 was that the that's the day that we had a Canadian 00:05:10.610 --> 00:05:15.250 wildfire and that I am so sorry I was there I 00:05:15.250 --> 00:05:17.350 attended your concert but I had to leave because 00:05:18.430 --> 00:05:21.730 I got so sick running around the town. It was 00:05:21.730 --> 00:05:26.610 really a special day because I had in my imagination 00:05:26.610 --> 00:05:29.410 the perfect day, you know, of performance at 00:05:29.410 --> 00:05:32.310 Carnegie. And that was the second time I imagined 00:05:32.310 --> 00:05:35.069 the perfect scenario. But then the day, it was 00:05:35.069 --> 00:05:39.449 like haze. I couldn't even see, you know, three 00:05:39.449 --> 00:05:42.910 feet away because it was so foggy and everybody 00:05:42.910 --> 00:05:46.220 canceled. I think the broadcast. Broadway was 00:05:46.220 --> 00:05:51.439 canceled that day. So people ask, are your concerts 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:54.779 still on? Are you canceling? Like, no, I'm here. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:57.519 I'll give a concert. Whoever comes to the concert, 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:01.920 I'll give whatever I have. And so it was very 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:04.500 conflicted to mine because I wanted to be so 00:06:04.500 --> 00:06:08.100 perfect. Everything I prepared for so long. But 00:06:08.100 --> 00:06:11.699 then in the end, those challenges of the environment 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:15.519 that made me let it go. Like, you know what? 00:06:15.660 --> 00:06:20.319 Even the world crashes today. That I'm here today, 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:25.240 I play piano. So that was very meaningful in 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:29.459 many layers. But the concert hall was full. Those 00:06:29.459 --> 00:06:34.379 New Yorkers are no joke. No, we don't. We don't 00:06:34.379 --> 00:06:38.560 joke. So, I mean, filled with people. And so 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.480 many people went downstairs and greeted you. 00:06:41.579 --> 00:06:45.920 So it was just so wonderful. Now, here we are, 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:49.800 2025, celebrating your second book, Beyond the 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:53.980 Keys. And when we reconnected this time, you 00:06:53.980 --> 00:06:57.079 so kindly sent me this advanced reader copy. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:02.079 Oh, my gosh. I felt so special. And I have a 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:04.259 lot of sticky notes here because I loved some 00:07:04.259 --> 00:07:08.019 of the quotes and I just couldn't help. So this 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:10.500 book feels like a continuation of your first, 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:12.860 but even more intimate and personal as though 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:16.279 we're hearing your true voice more clearly than 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:21.189 ever. So tell us. What is Beyond the Keys? Beyond 00:07:21.189 --> 00:07:24.269 the Keys. Yeah, the Beyond the Keys is my dream 00:07:24.269 --> 00:07:28.509 come true, basically. It is about life as much 00:07:28.509 --> 00:07:33.350 as it is about music. The book holds 52 reflections, 00:07:33.649 --> 00:07:38.480 just like Piano Key has. 52 white keys or 52 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:42.240 weeks of the year that 52 has a lot of symbolic 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.220 meanings to many people and especially to me 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:50.180 and each one paired with my story and on my own 00:07:50.180 --> 00:07:53.360 recording through QR code and also artwork from 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:57.379 all over the world many collaborations with artists 00:07:57.379 --> 00:08:01.839 living in this time and it is a collection of 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:04.839 uplifting stories that take you behind the scenes 00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:08.379 of my life, classical pianist life, but also 00:08:08.379 --> 00:08:12.399 into my journey as South Korean immigrant or 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:17.199 entrepreneur or the artist who lived in my mid 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:21.680 -40s. But more than just stories, I really see 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:24.420 this book as an experience. I want it to be an 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:28.540 experience. I like to imagine that. at stepping 00:08:28.540 --> 00:08:32.200 into a cozy cafe together. And I will share a 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:35.899 story or two. There's a piano in the corner waiting 00:08:35.899 --> 00:08:39.440 for me to play. And on the walls, there are a 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:42.720 lot of artwork inviting you to pause or linger 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.460 or let them speak to you. And that's the spirit 00:08:46.460 --> 00:08:48.779 of the book. And you can take your time with 00:08:48.779 --> 00:08:51.879 it and read a chapter or two, listen to a recording, 00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:55.039 look at the artwork. Let it sink like standing 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:58.360 in front of those masterpieces. piece in a museum. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:02.120 And at its heart, I think Beyond the Keys is 00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:05.720 about connection through words, through music, 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:10.299 and the artwork. And I believe no matter how 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:15.080 advanced technology becomes, we always longing 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:19.379 that human touch of creativity to remind us of 00:09:19.379 --> 00:09:23.899 beauty and to give us perspective and to bring 00:09:23.899 --> 00:09:28.070 us back to this present moment. So for me, the 00:09:28.070 --> 00:09:32.210 life itself is always changing and transforming 00:09:32.210 --> 00:09:36.990 and we're all still growing and unfolding in 00:09:36.990 --> 00:09:40.750 like those trees. have many branches and still 00:09:40.750 --> 00:09:44.370 hold so many centuries of, of life and emotions. 00:09:44.570 --> 00:09:48.889 And so I hope this book is my way of sharing 00:09:48.889 --> 00:09:52.730 the stories in my experiences that shaped me, 00:09:52.809 --> 00:09:57.590 not just as a pianist, but as a friend walking 00:09:57.590 --> 00:10:01.870 alongside you that searching for the positive 00:10:01.870 --> 00:10:07.059 light, searching for the meaning in life. And 00:10:07.059 --> 00:10:09.960 while I was reading, I really, I can hear your 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:15.100 voice almost. I felt it was really about love 00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:19.620 and love for music, love for your career and 00:10:19.620 --> 00:10:22.980 life itself. I can really sense that and love 00:10:22.980 --> 00:10:27.559 for the people around you and near and far and 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:30.419 your past and present. And of course, love for 00:10:30.419 --> 00:10:34.740 yourself. I was truly struck by how candid you 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:37.879 were about that. real life challenges and hardships 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:41.179 you face also? Yeah, quite shocked. Wow, really? 00:10:41.379 --> 00:10:45.779 You go all the way. Wow, that's great. Now, each 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:49.080 chapter felt like a gentle reminder to live fully 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:55.000 and stay present. Am I right? Am I close to what 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:58.200 you intended? Yeah, for sure, for sure. That 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:01.299 might be my stories, but ultimately I think it's 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:07.700 everyone's story. I started to write newsletters 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:12.799 for my audiences about four years ago, just maybe 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:15.820 around the time that I released my first book, 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:19.240 Whenever You're Ready. So it was my intention 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:24.220 was connected with people beyond the stage, behind 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:27.480 the scenes of life. And, you know, that's how 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:30.399 my biweekly newsletter called Behind the Keys 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:34.080 started. And at first people read it as in a 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:37.720 way that to get closer to me and they following. 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:41.019 But over time, I realized that I wasn't just 00:11:41.019 --> 00:11:43.639 sharing music updates where I'm going to perform, 00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:48.480 but I was letting people into my life. the joys 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:51.299 and struggles and, you know, all of the stories 00:11:51.299 --> 00:11:56.139 that I encounter as just another human being. 00:11:56.620 --> 00:12:01.600 And then something beautiful happened. course 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:05.000 of the last four four years readers of my newsletter 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:08.940 started to write back they told me their life 00:12:08.940 --> 00:12:12.279 stories their reflections that become highlight 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:16.259 uh in their inbox too so that they said that 00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:19.220 my newsletter become a dose of inspiration they 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:22.769 always look forward to and Sometimes they're 00:12:22.769 --> 00:12:26.830 sharing their whole life stories in their email 00:12:26.830 --> 00:12:30.269 back. And even though I hadn't met most of them 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:34.529 in person, but I felt like I were becoming companions 00:12:34.529 --> 00:12:38.309 or friends in this journey of life. And that 00:12:38.309 --> 00:12:42.269 connection through words became just as meaningful 00:12:42.269 --> 00:12:45.690 as connection that I feel on stage through music. 00:12:45.929 --> 00:12:50.009 And then one morning I woke up and the idea that... 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:53.899 honestly felt like a jolt of electricity and 00:12:53.899 --> 00:12:59.440 thinking hmm what if i combine my writing and 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:05.460 my music in a same experience a book that included 00:13:05.460 --> 00:13:08.480 not only stories but also my performance and 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:11.320 perhaps through you know now it's technology 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:14.799 through qr codes so that readers could listen 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:19.159 while they read And then I could also release 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:23.080 my next album, which is Radiance, in the part 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:25.580 of the book. Wouldn't that be a really unique 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:29.700 way of releasing an album? Not only CDs or LPs 00:13:29.700 --> 00:13:32.279 or digital release on Apple Music and whatnot. 00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:37.379 And from that morning, I knew that... book publishing 00:13:37.379 --> 00:13:40.179 takes time I mean much longer than CD release 00:13:40.179 --> 00:13:43.539 it's maybe from the idea to realization maybe 00:13:43.539 --> 00:13:46.779 at least a year and a half if not two years and 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:52.200 I was couldn't wait to bring this idea into realization 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:57.460 a real book and I know that it will take a long 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:01.179 time and I wanted to share what my vision was 00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:04.059 but since I didn't have anything to share it 00:14:04.509 --> 00:14:08.590 I couldn't necessarily share much. And now this 00:14:08.590 --> 00:14:11.509 book that I'm holding in front of me physically 00:14:11.509 --> 00:14:15.590 and sharing with words, it really literally feels 00:14:15.590 --> 00:14:20.789 like a dream that it's living its own. And so 00:14:20.789 --> 00:14:25.889 this is, for me, is again, living thing that 00:14:25.889 --> 00:14:30.629 it will has its own life now because. My job 00:14:30.629 --> 00:14:34.309 is done after finishing this book. So it will 00:14:34.309 --> 00:14:37.330 live in someone's bookshelf or someone's nightstand 00:14:37.330 --> 00:14:41.250 or some bookstore or libraries. And whoever touches, 00:14:41.610 --> 00:14:45.389 they will have shared experience. But it's not 00:14:45.389 --> 00:14:50.629 same time concert, I feel. It's always shared 00:14:50.629 --> 00:14:55.029 time experience. But book or the album is always 00:14:55.029 --> 00:15:00.519 not... coherent time experience, but they will 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:04.000 experience even 50 years from now, they will 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.980 meet Ji -yoon in the mid -40s and have that continued 00:15:07.980 --> 00:15:12.059 conversation and the stories that I share, the 00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:15.000 music that I share, and that it will always have 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:18.360 that time capsule with it. And I find it is such 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:21.919 a beautiful way to have experience, maybe not 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:25.120 at the same time, but moving forward always. 00:15:25.980 --> 00:15:29.639 Now, you wrote the first book that was also authentic, 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:34.840 honest, and focused more on your career, how 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:38.159 you made your career happen. But this one is 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:42.039 really about your life. What made you decide 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:45.940 to really share the deepest and even hardest 00:15:45.940 --> 00:15:49.379 moment of your life with your audience? I don't 00:15:49.379 --> 00:15:53.299 know. That was. set decision that I thought, 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.340 okay, I'm going to open myself and to be able 00:15:56.340 --> 00:16:00.080 to share everything. And I don't think that was 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:02.559 definitely a decision. And it's still, it's challenging. 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:05.799 I think it's the most challenging part of writing 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:10.500 itself is how you need to be transparent. I remember, 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:15.620 always remember, one of several editors mentioned 00:16:15.620 --> 00:16:19.980 readers are smarter than you think. They always 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:24.899 know if you are writing from open heart and vulnerable 00:16:24.899 --> 00:16:28.179 place or you want to share only this part, but 00:16:28.179 --> 00:16:30.799 this part, no. I want to share this part. So 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:34.159 maybe they don't really feel it, but they can 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:39.500 sense it. And it's funny because when I first 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:43.840 made a draft for this book, I put one of those 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:47.460 hard... personal life stories with my divorce 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:51.279 or with the drug involved and all many hardships, 00:16:51.580 --> 00:16:55.539 even about my father, almost towards the chapter 00:16:55.539 --> 00:17:01.399 49, chapter 50. And I send it out to the publisher. 00:17:01.500 --> 00:17:03.840 This is my, you know, the draft, first draft. 00:17:04.019 --> 00:17:06.940 And the editor, whoever going through the first 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:09.680 time through, just reading it, just roughly reading 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:12.599 through it. She emailed me back maybe a couple 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:16.349 of days later. I feel like I'm betrayed by you. 00:17:16.470 --> 00:17:22.210 You can't do that. You can't put those hard personal 00:17:22.210 --> 00:17:26.390 challenges like that degree almost at the end. 00:17:26.490 --> 00:17:30.049 I feel like you're hiding, although you are not, 00:17:30.230 --> 00:17:32.809 but I want to read the whole book once again, 00:17:32.869 --> 00:17:35.930 knowing the fact. So you have to put place this 00:17:35.930 --> 00:17:41.490 one beginning, like I ask when, where, like chapter 00:17:41.490 --> 00:17:44.589 three or four. There's no way around it. You 00:17:44.589 --> 00:17:48.670 have to go in the head first, sharing those kind 00:17:48.670 --> 00:17:51.329 of stories. So then everything else you do makes 00:17:51.329 --> 00:17:57.609 sense. So then it really struck me. Ah, another 00:17:57.609 --> 00:18:00.990 realization that I unconsciously, I don't think 00:18:00.990 --> 00:18:03.109 I did it consciously, but unconsciously, I went 00:18:03.109 --> 00:18:06.130 like, I wrote it and I shared it, but I'm going 00:18:06.130 --> 00:18:08.289 to place in a little, you know, in a bookmark, 00:18:08.349 --> 00:18:13.339 you know, but then. This writing really meant 00:18:13.339 --> 00:18:17.079 that writing about fear, heartbreak, or something 00:18:17.079 --> 00:18:20.740 I would rather bury deep and never want to touch 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:25.059 it again. And other times it meant I need to 00:18:25.059 --> 00:18:28.339 slow down long enough to take a hard look at 00:18:28.339 --> 00:18:31.180 my life, what was really working and what is 00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:34.799 not working. And writing pushed me to be that 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:38.390 vulnerable, to put those truths. on the page 00:18:38.390 --> 00:18:41.690 instead of hiding from them. And as difficult 00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:45.470 as process was, I found that by opening myself 00:18:45.470 --> 00:18:50.150 up, I began to carve my own path more clearly. 00:18:50.289 --> 00:18:53.549 And a lot of therapists, if you are talking to 00:18:53.549 --> 00:18:57.529 therapy or, you know, those along the way, the 00:18:57.529 --> 00:19:01.450 best method that you can have for yourself, other 00:19:01.450 --> 00:19:03.829 than having someone else professional to walk 00:19:03.829 --> 00:19:08.529 with you, the path is writing because that. writing 00:19:08.529 --> 00:19:13.490 is giving your thought a clothing. If you don't 00:19:13.490 --> 00:19:17.069 give writing, if you don't write it out, your 00:19:17.069 --> 00:19:21.150 thoughts might bother you. But if you give kind 00:19:21.150 --> 00:19:24.170 of transparent thing, a clothing, then it becomes 00:19:24.170 --> 00:19:27.500 something that you can see directly. And that 00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:31.680 gave me that clear sense of who I am and where 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:34.799 I am. What is my weakness? What is my strength? 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:37.740 What could I do better? And why I started struggling 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:42.039 with certain things. And that honesty allowed 00:19:42.039 --> 00:19:45.519 people to connect with me in a deeper level because... 00:19:46.029 --> 00:19:48.930 It is their fear, too. It's a fear of losing 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:52.750 someone. It's a fear of, you know, aging. And 00:19:52.750 --> 00:19:55.309 all of the things that I mentioned, it's not 00:19:55.309 --> 00:19:58.250 my own struggle. It's the struggles that all 00:19:58.250 --> 00:20:01.329 humans probably have experienced, especially 00:20:01.329 --> 00:20:05.750 the loss of loved ones. And I hope that it also 00:20:05.750 --> 00:20:08.470 helped them to see the light within themselves. 00:20:08.809 --> 00:20:12.849 In that sense, the challenge became the gift. 00:20:13.009 --> 00:20:16.319 The more I opened. the more connection and meaning 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:20.299 I discovered, both for myself and for my readers. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:24.680 So people were saying sometimes, wow, Ji -yoon, 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:27.559 you're so courageous to be open like that. And 00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:32.099 I'm not doing it to be courageous. I'm doing 00:20:32.099 --> 00:20:36.970 it for the most to be clear for myself. to gain 00:20:36.970 --> 00:20:39.789 the strength to move forward with my life and 00:20:39.789 --> 00:20:42.769 find a better way to living. And by doing that, 00:20:42.890 --> 00:20:46.109 I think I'm giving a strength to other people 00:20:46.109 --> 00:20:48.710 who are living this life in their own way that, 00:20:48.769 --> 00:20:52.309 you know, it's okay. I think I can deal with 00:20:52.309 --> 00:20:57.789 this too. Well, beautifully said. And so by writing, 00:20:58.029 --> 00:21:01.549 what did you discover, especially about yourself? 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:10.160 I think the biggest thing I learned is no matter 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:13.460 what I do, whether that is performing or teaching 00:21:13.460 --> 00:21:18.019 piano or writing, being open, transparent, vulnerable 00:21:18.019 --> 00:21:23.220 is the real key to connection. In the past, I 00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:26.660 sometimes wish that I were that kind of performer 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:31.359 that whom every piece or every concert came so 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:33.940 effortlessly. They just have perfect technique. 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:36.319 Everything is just like, oh. Yeah, I will give 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:40.660 another concert or in life that I had. I wish 00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:44.019 that I had fewer personal challenges or less 00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:47.500 loss, less heartbreak. But then through writing 00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:51.519 these reflections, I realized that even those 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:55.859 painful parts of life have their place. They 00:21:55.859 --> 00:22:00.539 shaped me who I am today and ultimately for the 00:22:00.539 --> 00:22:04.680 better. And now. I no longer wish for an easy, 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:09.779 challenge -free path. Instead, I'm grateful for 00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:12.519 the tools that I have, which is writing, music 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:15.279 or art or the connection I built with people, 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:20.019 which gives me strength to weather life's storms 00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:24.960 and also embrace its joy when it comes again. 00:22:25.220 --> 00:22:29.599 And maybe the most surprising thing I've learned 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:33.720 Probably with this book is that I'm not only 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:39.660 a pianist, but I'm also truly a writer. This 00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:45.119 book helped me see that. Yeah, you've written 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:50.599 really well. So now we want to take a little 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:55.339 peek into your book. But when you sent me this 00:22:55.339 --> 00:23:00.759 copy. And I'm truly grateful. You put a little 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:04.579 message, very sweet message. You said, let these 00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:09.279 pages offer a moment of quiet, clarity, and calm. 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:15.079 Part book, part concert, part gallery for you. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:21.140 Yeah, so it is true. It's a book with a concert 00:23:21.140 --> 00:23:27.869 and gallery. So can you explain to us? you know 00:23:27.869 --> 00:23:31.430 this book is very different from so many other 00:23:31.430 --> 00:23:35.809 books it's a it's a memoir memoir but it's not 00:23:35.809 --> 00:23:40.210 just that so the structure of this book yeah 00:23:40.210 --> 00:23:46.509 um This is the book that I hope to be an experience, 00:23:46.910 --> 00:23:51.170 but where, how could I combine those three elements? 00:23:51.769 --> 00:23:56.069 When I gave a concert, previous concert project, 00:23:56.210 --> 00:24:00.670 which was a poetry in music, I wanted to collaborate 00:24:00.670 --> 00:24:06.569 poets with my music selections. But then I thought, 00:24:06.710 --> 00:24:11.490 hmm. I need a visual somewhere to hold the place. 00:24:11.730 --> 00:24:14.269 So that's where black and white photography came 00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:16.890 with it. And so those three combined. So when 00:24:16.890 --> 00:24:21.269 I thought of this book combining my stories and 00:24:21.269 --> 00:24:24.130 my music, which is these two elements that I 00:24:24.130 --> 00:24:29.670 created, and I love going to gallery or, you 00:24:29.670 --> 00:24:31.750 know, I have this cafe and there's a wall and 00:24:31.750 --> 00:24:35.410 something interesting. I look at it and every 00:24:35.410 --> 00:24:38.039 time I go to a museum, Even though I go to the 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:41.680 museum a thousand times, I always make a game 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:45.920 with myself. What is my top three of today? And 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:49.000 I will make sure I spend more than five minutes 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:54.400 for that very three, rather than looking at everything 00:24:54.400 --> 00:25:00.619 at once. And looking at the artwork for longer 00:25:00.619 --> 00:25:04.460 than five minutes, it's really a long time. But 00:25:04.460 --> 00:25:08.700 if you do, There's layers, almost like you let 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:12.099 it go and let it go more and let it go more. 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:15.099 And then you realize, oh gosh, there's a detail 00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:18.420 that I didn't realize. Oh wow, I didn't know 00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:21.240 that. I'm looking at this artwork maybe for 20 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:23.640 times already, but this is the first time I realized 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:27.200 something else. And I think those moments of 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:30.140 looking at the art or listen to the same piece 00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:33.220 a thousand times and when you go to concert and 00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:36.819 you... hear a different line that you never realized 00:25:36.819 --> 00:25:42.559 before. Those discoveries happens when you let 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:46.980 it happen. And that takes time. It takes an intentional 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:54.019 let it go and let it involve. So my intention 00:25:54.019 --> 00:25:58.960 of it is that this book, 52, are not to be spent. 00:25:59.900 --> 00:26:03.279 at one sitting. I wanted this, I mean, this book 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:06.079 is not really one to the next. It's not related 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:09.380 in a way other than it's my stories. And there's 00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:12.779 a story about how I became a cat person or, you 00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:15.160 know, sometimes it makes you chuckle and sometimes 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:20.619 it makes you ponder. Sometimes it makes you heartache 00:26:20.619 --> 00:26:24.960 with me. And those are stories. It takes time 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:30.329 for you to digest. And because ultimately I want 00:26:30.329 --> 00:26:33.710 you to think about your own life. So this may 00:26:33.710 --> 00:26:38.630 be at least 52 days, if not 52 weeks, we saw 00:26:38.630 --> 00:26:42.710 a whole year. I want you to truly take time. 00:26:42.769 --> 00:26:46.730 And if you could spend five minutes, listen to 00:26:46.730 --> 00:26:49.940 my performance because. There's a reason why 00:26:49.940 --> 00:26:52.339 I chose that particular performance for that 00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:55.319 essay. There's a reason why there's artwork paired 00:26:55.319 --> 00:27:00.279 with that music and that essay. It's not like, 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:02.160 okay, I like this artwork, I'm going to include 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:06.700 it. No, I actually had more than 300 artwork 00:27:06.700 --> 00:27:10.920 that I wanted to include. We ended up doing more 00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:15.319 than 300 because I got a rejection. I got no 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:19.779 or no response. The process of selecting artwork, 00:27:20.180 --> 00:27:24.299 paying license fee, contacting them, enthusiastically 00:27:24.299 --> 00:27:27.380 explain the project. But then what I got was 00:27:27.380 --> 00:27:30.920 a lot of times no or no response at all. That 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:35.599 takes already more than a year of constantly 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:39.220 pushing. And because it was my vision alone, 00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:43.119 no one else's. And I wanted. So then a lot of 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:45.680 times, like, oh, I wish that particular art was 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:48.279 part of this essay or that's part of this music. 00:27:48.359 --> 00:27:52.740 But then I have to move on, move on to the next 00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:57.680 one and next one. And these 52 were not just 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:01.220 whipped out of my toolbox and here we are, but 00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:04.759 it was the hard work of choosing careful selections, 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:08.759 trying to match with my stories in the music. 00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:13.559 And a lot of times who have read this book and 00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:18.519 saying it felt like a gift they open every night 00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:22.000 or every time they sit down on the chair to be 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:26.359 able to read and discover about themselves, maybe 00:28:26.359 --> 00:28:30.160 something about me, but more so an opportunity 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:34.740 to slow down. That's why I think this is a part 00:28:34.740 --> 00:28:39.400 book. part gallery, part concert, a ritual of 00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:43.220 calm. And that's, I think it is my intention 00:28:43.220 --> 00:28:46.519 for this book, for the readers to experience 00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:51.119 a moment of slowing down, especially we are bombarded 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:56.119 with phones and so much stimulation that actively 00:28:56.119 --> 00:29:00.460 not using the phone takes effort. But this is 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:04.430 a beautiful way to receive it. without having 00:29:04.430 --> 00:29:06.450 to fight because it's not like you have to put 00:29:06.450 --> 00:29:09.609 the phone in the lockbox. No, this is more like 00:29:09.609 --> 00:29:14.430 you much rather hold this book, take five minutes, 00:29:14.529 --> 00:29:17.450 and then in the end you might realize, you know 00:29:17.450 --> 00:29:20.690 what, that was really nice. But don't go overboard. 00:29:21.049 --> 00:29:24.170 Take the next chapter for the next day rather 00:29:24.170 --> 00:29:27.970 than what is next, what is next, and kind of 00:29:27.970 --> 00:29:31.359 force yourself, slow it down. with the book. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:34.140 And I, I suggest all the readers and slower, 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:38.240 the better. And a lot of times that I, I received 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:40.599 the letters from some of the readers of my book, 00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:43.519 this beyond the keys and say, there's 10 more 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:47.299 chapters left. And I'm sad. I feel like I wish 00:29:47.299 --> 00:29:50.079 there were a hundred more for me to keep going 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:54.039 with this journey. And I cherish this so much 00:29:54.039 --> 00:29:59.160 because they savor each chapter. opening up the 00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:02.720 gift and it's like a 30 days to Christmas kind 00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:06.940 of thing. So they open it and they really take 00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:10.220 time and then they close it and then let it sit. 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:13.539 And then go, keep going with their life. And 00:30:13.539 --> 00:30:16.619 maybe you want to revisit. And there is a table 00:30:16.619 --> 00:30:19.720 of contents of this book. It has glimpse of artwork 00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:22.480 and glimpse of which piece of music it paired 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:26.059 or the title of the story. So you may not go 00:30:26.059 --> 00:30:29.059 to one, two, three, but you may just choose like 00:30:29.059 --> 00:30:32.500 a random menu. And I go today, I want to go to. 00:30:32.910 --> 00:30:36.089 chapter 30 because that artwork spoke to me oh 00:30:36.089 --> 00:30:38.150 i love that piece of music and i want to go there 00:30:38.150 --> 00:30:42.450 so it is like a collaged um you know your own 00:30:42.450 --> 00:30:47.069 make your own menu kind of a book as well um 00:30:47.069 --> 00:30:51.670 and i think i my wish for this book is that after 00:30:51.670 --> 00:30:56.210 experiencing this book you may rediscover the 00:30:56.210 --> 00:31:00.579 beauty of maybe reading, which is a hard thing 00:31:00.579 --> 00:31:05.259 to do these days. And maybe, oh, you know, next 00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:09.079 time I see some classical concert, whether, no, 00:31:09.079 --> 00:31:11.839 that's not for me, but whether, you know, I listened 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:14.960 to those classical pianists, you know, performing 00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:18.980 on a YouTube through the book, maybe I try again. 00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:22.980 Or when you go through the gallery, there's some 00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:25.960 exhibition going on, whether than just like not 00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:30.329 uninterested, just, Just step in and take a moment 00:31:30.329 --> 00:31:34.049 like, oh, what is this artist's drawing about? 00:31:34.450 --> 00:31:37.710 Just take your time. Because I believe what I'm 00:31:37.710 --> 00:31:40.670 trying to give all the readers through this book 00:31:40.670 --> 00:31:44.890 is the gift of the art. I think there's a reason 00:31:44.890 --> 00:31:48.710 why we have art. The art is right here as a tool 00:31:48.710 --> 00:31:54.670 for humanity to lead our lives better. And whether 00:31:54.670 --> 00:31:57.220 that's a visual art. Of course, for me, it's 00:31:57.220 --> 00:32:00.940 classical music, the music. And then also storytelling. 00:32:01.140 --> 00:32:04.079 Storytelling might be the longest form of art 00:32:04.079 --> 00:32:07.960 that the grandma in the bedtime telling you a 00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:11.339 story about her past or, you know, makeup stories. 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:14.859 And next day, I know every little detail is that 00:32:14.859 --> 00:32:16.900 story. I want to hear again. Grandma, tell me 00:32:16.900 --> 00:32:20.240 the story once again. And that's the beauty of 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:22.839 connection. And from that connection with the 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:28.160 human connection. that we feel we are safe because 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:32.160 we are here together. And because at times life 00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:36.799 feels impossibly difficult. At the times I also 00:32:36.799 --> 00:32:40.279 reminded, ooh, the storm of life hits me again. 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:43.539 It feels the end of life, almost like I can't 00:32:43.539 --> 00:32:46.980 bear this weight of life. But at the moment I 00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:50.319 reminded myself that I am not the only one who 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:53.740 goes through this. everybody goes through some 00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:57.759 shape of waves. And right now I'm just hitting 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:01.119 the biggest wave I feel like at the moment. But 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:04.319 I know there's another calmer days. And when 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:08.500 the calmer days, life is good. So when the storm 00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:12.299 of life hits me, then I have to desperately searching 00:33:12.299 --> 00:33:15.759 for the remedy. Then I hope that could be an 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:20.730 art. All these wonderful 52 chapters, 52 stories 00:33:20.730 --> 00:33:24.829 are also divided into five sections or five parts. 00:33:24.930 --> 00:33:30.470 And there are a lot of like secrets. You have 00:33:30.470 --> 00:33:34.910 to be on a quest to discover a lot of secrets, 00:33:34.970 --> 00:33:37.670 not just the drawing, beautiful illustration. 00:33:37.730 --> 00:33:41.740 And I don't know how you did it. You know, putting 00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:44.839 all these people together and commissioning. 00:33:44.839 --> 00:33:46.619 I don't know if you commissioned or maybe you. 00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:51.259 I did commission some. Oh my gosh. And then like 00:33:51.259 --> 00:33:54.000 each chapter has a, you know, QR code you said, 00:33:54.059 --> 00:33:56.779 and then this is your performance, right? Connected 00:33:56.779 --> 00:33:59.799 to your YouTube and YouTube. So that's, you know, 00:33:59.819 --> 00:34:02.700 can be the past performances, but well, I don't 00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:05.940 know how you did it, but yeah, you did it. So 00:34:05.940 --> 00:34:10.559 I totally admire and I myself write and I love 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:13.639 writing and then writing about my past. And it 00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:16.880 just gives me the sense of. reclaiming you know 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:23.659 your place and also like i don't know like sense 00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:26.820 of like empowerment so i love doing that but 00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:29.219 you know to to write something like this it's 00:34:29.219 --> 00:34:33.840 a really a devotion dedication so brava to you 00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:37.719 yeah and then not only that you have uh you're 00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:41.929 creating this concert series plus album Radiance. 00:34:41.929 --> 00:34:45.469 So can you tell us about this concert series 00:34:45.469 --> 00:34:50.710 and then the album? This, by the way, episode 00:34:50.710 --> 00:34:56.449 is out on September 30th. So by the time both 00:34:56.449 --> 00:35:01.869 your album and then the concert and plus this 00:35:01.869 --> 00:35:05.389 book, Beyond the Keys, are already out. Right. 00:35:06.190 --> 00:35:10.489 Radiance is... My fourth album and concert project, 00:35:10.750 --> 00:35:14.590 I always follow this model of a lot of maybe 00:35:14.590 --> 00:35:19.070 pop music culture model after, which is you release 00:35:19.070 --> 00:35:23.090 an album and that become your model for the concert 00:35:23.090 --> 00:35:25.929 tours. And they, let's say if they have some 00:35:25.929 --> 00:35:30.030 title of the album and they tour with that title 00:35:30.030 --> 00:35:33.980 and not many classical musicians might. have 00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:36.940 done that but from the very beginning 10 more 00:35:36.940 --> 00:35:40.460 minutes my album which is crowdfunded that i 00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:44.980 create a concert creation a program that is modeled 00:35:44.980 --> 00:35:48.719 after the album not all all but some of it and 00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:51.199 then made it live version of 10 more minutes 00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:54.840 l concert so that was first one and then second 00:35:54.840 --> 00:35:57.719 was over be above beyond and third one sheum 00:35:57.719 --> 00:36:04.300 and now radiance that is I also always hope that 00:36:04.300 --> 00:36:07.500 music, just like Beyond the Keys, that music 00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:11.780 doesn't have the shape. You can't see it, but 00:36:11.780 --> 00:36:14.780 it speaks directly to the soul. And it's the 00:36:14.780 --> 00:36:18.340 same thing with the light. The radiance, the 00:36:18.340 --> 00:36:21.280 sense of the light is that when you're least 00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:26.130 expected, you feel the warmth. kind of the sense 00:36:26.130 --> 00:36:29.269 of it. And I hope that through all of my musical 00:36:29.269 --> 00:36:34.590 selections, that it's my gift of light to brighten 00:36:34.590 --> 00:36:38.449 up your day. And that among this program, I have 00:36:38.449 --> 00:36:41.809 pictures at exhibition by Mussorgsky. Of course, 00:36:41.829 --> 00:36:44.090 this is one of the most well -known piano repertoire, 00:36:44.289 --> 00:36:47.849 if not orchestral music, more well -known. And 00:36:47.849 --> 00:36:52.050 many of the legendary pianists recorded and I've 00:36:52.050 --> 00:36:55.210 already made their name out there. The reason 00:36:55.210 --> 00:36:59.110 I wanted to do this time differently for Ji Yoon's 00:36:59.110 --> 00:37:03.050 version of pictures exhibition is that Mussorgsky 00:37:03.050 --> 00:37:10.210 paired his artist friend, who recently passed 00:37:10.210 --> 00:37:14.920 away at that time, and he visited his And he 00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:17.300 walked through this exhibition, who's a dear 00:37:17.300 --> 00:37:20.159 friend of him, who recently passed away, and 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:23.559 created this beautiful music named after many 00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:28.340 of his friends' artwork, exact titles. And then, 00:37:28.420 --> 00:37:32.440 so he saw the artwork inspired and created music. 00:37:32.699 --> 00:37:39.079 My version of this is that I took out the titles 00:37:39.079 --> 00:37:44.940 as much as possible. Just music itself and what 00:37:44.940 --> 00:37:48.420 emotions that it books, what messages it says. 00:37:48.500 --> 00:37:51.380 And I try not to tie it into the title, although 00:37:51.380 --> 00:37:53.940 I already know, so it's almost undo that part. 00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:57.900 But as much as the raw first listening to it, 00:37:57.940 --> 00:38:02.840 and if that sparks a humor or joy, that I find 00:38:02.840 --> 00:38:05.880 search for the artwork, again, the contemporary 00:38:05.880 --> 00:38:10.400 artist who's living now. That makes me chuckle. 00:38:10.400 --> 00:38:14.019 And that artwork, that's perfect for that movement. 00:38:14.260 --> 00:38:17.760 And I reach out to the artist and can we collaborate 00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:24.780 for this concert? And I selected 17 artworks 00:38:24.780 --> 00:38:31.199 representing 10 different countries. And to me 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:36.039 now, the audiences will, in my program as well, 00:38:36.179 --> 00:38:40.150 I will not. print the title of each movement. 00:38:40.409 --> 00:38:43.650 But when they walk out from the concert, they 00:38:43.650 --> 00:38:46.530 will be given each subtitles of the pictures 00:38:46.530 --> 00:38:50.590 exhibition as well as artwork credits, who's 00:38:50.590 --> 00:38:55.090 from. And so my idea is that now when you go 00:38:55.090 --> 00:38:58.989 venture off to the gallery or museum or an Instagram, 00:38:59.070 --> 00:39:04.010 someone else's drawing or artwork, you curate 00:39:04.010 --> 00:39:06.570 your own artwork. with the pictures exhibition 00:39:06.570 --> 00:39:08.909 and you can create your own creative journey 00:39:08.909 --> 00:39:12.849 with it and it again is my invitation for you 00:39:12.849 --> 00:39:16.969 to have fun to have a creative outlet it's not 00:39:16.969 --> 00:39:21.030 only me i can do it you can do and i find that 00:39:21.030 --> 00:39:25.800 more creative we are we're more childlike have 00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:28.739 just have fun and make mistakes and see what 00:39:28.739 --> 00:39:32.239 happens and you know there's no right answer 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:35.320 for in art and that's a beautiful thing about 00:39:35.320 --> 00:39:38.559 it and i by doing it i feel we are much more 00:39:38.559 --> 00:39:42.239 connected with ourselves which makes us ultimately 00:39:42.239 --> 00:39:47.699 more happy um so radiance is it's very special 00:39:47.699 --> 00:39:52.159 in that way to invitation to my playground and 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:55.139 that's not definite answer either and maybe next 00:39:55.139 --> 00:39:58.179 concert that I present radiance in other city 00:39:58.179 --> 00:40:01.300 that I may collaborate with some other artwork 00:40:01.300 --> 00:40:03.960 because at the time maybe my vision of certain 00:40:03.960 --> 00:40:09.360 movement have changed and I think it's okay yeah 00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:12.789 wonderful Wow. I know you've been doing this 00:40:12.789 --> 00:40:16.210 sort of creative way to give your concerts. And 00:40:16.210 --> 00:40:20.190 then I myself, of course, witnessed that. So, 00:40:20.190 --> 00:40:25.190 yeah. So your book, Beyond the Keys, and the 00:40:25.190 --> 00:40:32.730 album Radiance are both out. Where can we get 00:40:32.730 --> 00:40:35.989 access to these? Should we go to your website? 00:40:36.389 --> 00:40:41.630 Beyond the Keys, you can get it on Amazon. However 00:40:41.630 --> 00:40:45.610 you purchased books. And of course, if you get 00:40:45.610 --> 00:40:47.789 it from my website, you will get a signed copy 00:40:47.789 --> 00:40:51.909 and little giveaway stickers and all the little 00:40:51.909 --> 00:40:55.289 personal message. Same goes to Radiance. I only 00:40:55.289 --> 00:40:59.969 created... 100 copies of the CD. As much as I 00:40:59.969 --> 00:41:03.030 want everybody to listen through the CD, I know 00:41:03.030 --> 00:41:07.579 that's not... the case nowadays but i still wanted 00:41:07.579 --> 00:41:09.739 to have a tangible experience whoever wants to 00:41:09.739 --> 00:41:12.840 have the tangible experience but if not you can 00:41:12.840 --> 00:41:16.099 always listen from you know any digital format 00:41:16.099 --> 00:41:19.500 apple music you can purchase it digitally um 00:41:19.500 --> 00:41:23.019 things like that and or hopefully the best way 00:41:23.019 --> 00:41:25.940 is you can catch me at live concert radiance 00:41:25.940 --> 00:41:28.940 which i will be touring around around the country 00:41:28.940 --> 00:41:33.530 in america for the next two years Wow. So, so 00:41:33.530 --> 00:41:36.650 much to look forward to. Yes. Yeah. And your 00:41:36.650 --> 00:41:41.530 website is jiungkim .com, which is J -E -E -Y 00:41:41.530 --> 00:41:47.630 -O -O -N -K -I -M .com, right? Is there anything, 00:41:47.809 --> 00:41:53.130 the last thing you would like to say? You have 00:41:53.130 --> 00:41:56.849 mentioned several times as well that I'm creative. 00:41:56.969 --> 00:42:00.130 I'm doing something different. But I also want 00:42:00.130 --> 00:42:03.969 to mention that what I do, if you think about 00:42:03.969 --> 00:42:07.769 it, nothing unusual. People go to the gallery. 00:42:07.969 --> 00:42:10.969 People do read a book. People do go to concert. 00:42:11.190 --> 00:42:16.329 People do produce albums. So what I did combining 00:42:16.329 --> 00:42:20.849 it may not be the most unique thing, but at the 00:42:20.849 --> 00:42:25.010 same time, I did it in that there's not many. 00:42:25.599 --> 00:42:29.460 who would attempt to do something unusual, which 00:42:29.460 --> 00:42:35.079 is usual thing. So it became creative thing because 00:42:35.079 --> 00:42:39.400 the only fact made me different is I did it. 00:42:39.519 --> 00:42:42.260 And maybe someone else's is just only ideas. 00:42:43.900 --> 00:42:48.000 So for me, creativity isn't about trying to be 00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:51.840 original. It's where what naturally happens when 00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:55.750 you lead something with love. and a desire to 00:42:55.750 --> 00:42:59.329 connect. And when you truly want to share something 00:42:59.329 --> 00:43:02.389 beautiful, in my case, my gosh, I want to share 00:43:02.389 --> 00:43:07.469 this cat artwork so bad, or this story of my 00:43:07.469 --> 00:43:13.050 life, even through the painful stories, or this 00:43:13.050 --> 00:43:16.550 joyous music that I've performed over the last 00:43:16.550 --> 00:43:21.210 decade. And I just cannot wait to share those 00:43:21.210 --> 00:43:26.139 things with all of you. Then I found it finds 00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:29.519 its own shape if you have desire, want to share 00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:33.079 it, whether that is a concert or story or visual 00:43:33.079 --> 00:43:36.599 art or a book or a combination of it. So that 00:43:36.599 --> 00:43:41.820 I hope all of you believe that we all are creative, 00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:47.039 really creative enough to create something that 00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:52.360 whatever you desire. Only thing maybe holding 00:43:52.360 --> 00:43:58.440 back many of us is fear of making mistakes, fear 00:43:58.440 --> 00:44:03.300 of judgment, fear of your own judgment. What 00:44:03.300 --> 00:44:05.480 am I doing? I mean, there's some better writers 00:44:05.480 --> 00:44:07.719 out there. Or what am I doing? There's a better 00:44:07.719 --> 00:44:10.739 pianist. Why I'm drawing? Because there's a better 00:44:10.739 --> 00:44:13.659 artist. Yes, there are better. There's no other 00:44:13.659 --> 00:44:18.199 you. And so you are the most original. is who 00:44:18.199 --> 00:44:22.699 you are and just remember the love in a connection 00:44:22.699 --> 00:44:27.599 that will unlock you to be able to just be who 00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:30.960 you are because you are always imperfect being 00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:34.940 and imperfect being embracing the other imperfect 00:44:34.940 --> 00:44:38.460 being and somehow and through that bridge it's 00:44:38.460 --> 00:44:42.119 a perfect love Wonderful. Ji -Young, thank you 00:44:42.119 --> 00:44:44.440 so much for sharing your stories and insights 00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:48.179 with us once again. And it was wonderful to catch 00:44:48.179 --> 00:44:51.059 up and to hear more. about your new projects 00:44:51.059 --> 00:44:54.539 in our very first encore conversations episode 00:44:54.539 --> 00:44:59.000 so to everyone be sure to visit june's website 00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:02.260 at junekim .com and the book beyond the keys 00:45:02.260 --> 00:45:07.099 and then the album radiance is already out so 00:45:07.099 --> 00:45:11.019 you can purchase or you can stream them and if 00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:13.760 you would like to really truly immerse yourself 00:45:13.760 --> 00:45:16.840 you should get the actual copy rather than you 00:45:16.840 --> 00:45:19.760 know, eventual digital format, right? Yeah. Great. 00:45:19.940 --> 00:45:22.840 So, and if you enjoyed today's conversation, 00:45:23.079 --> 00:45:26.139 please like this video, leave a rating on your 00:45:26.139 --> 00:45:29.099 favorite podcast platform and follow me on Substack. 00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:31.659 I will see you in the next episode. Thank you 00:45:31.659 --> 00:45:32.920 once again, June. Thank you.