You know, the most beautiful concert or the most, I would not say perfect, but the most
rewarding concerts, it's not last mistake concerts, but then the concerts that I felt
the most engaged with music, with myself and the music and inevitably with audience receive
as well.
Welcome back to the PianoPod.
I am your host, Yukimisong.
Thanks for tuning in for the second half of season three, episode 14 with a guest, Dr.
Ji-Yoon Kim.
Hope you enjoyed part one of this episode.
In part two, we're going to tackle some philosophical topics like how do we define success as a
musician and how can we keep the classical music industry thriving and relevant in this
fast paced society and more.
Before continuing the show, I want to welcome everyone listening to the PianoPod for the
first time.
I'm a classical pianist and educator from New York City, passionate about creating a
thriving and meaningful community of the classical music industry through this podcast.
Please visit yukimisongstudio.com to find out more about my work.
In each episode of the PianoPod, I interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting
new ground in the industry.
Please rate the show and review it on your favorite podcasting platform because every
rating review will help people find my show.
So dear friends, here is part two of the PianoPod season three, episode 14 with Dr. Ji-Yoon
Kim.
Please enjoy the show.
You are listening to the PianoPod where we talk to the brightest minds in the industry
about how they are bringing the piano into the 21st century.
And then I totally enjoyed reading your book whenever you're ready.
Actually, I knew of you from YouTube, you know, one of the algorithms and then triggers
and I saw your video, but then afterwards during the COVID time, I got an email from
probably your publicist to reach out to me because we started a podcast and then you
just published a book, right?
And then we didn't get to interview you till now.
I didn't get to, but I was reading the book during that time and it was very, very good.
And then starting out sort of, you know, it's intended for all the readers, not just limited
to pianists.
So the way you're explaining, you know, this is like, this book is like a movement of sonata
and then it goes like this.
And then in each chapter, you have this sort of exercise for readers to do certain things.
And then the first chapter, first few chapters were easy to read.
Then it gets actually quite deeper philosophical.
And then I was able to reread again to just to prepare for this interview and it was very
encouraging.
Can you tell me how this is structured and what motivated you, what inspired you to write
this book?
I think, you know, I mean, the whenever you're ready is where, where it comes from is that
every concert stage, often there's a stage manager holding that door to the stage and
say whenever you're ready.
And then I look at that person and thinking, am I ready?
Will I ever be ready?
But then I'm thinking deep, deep in that moment and create a courage and strength within myself
and make a decision to walk towards the stage.
And that's in order to make that transition into the split second of whenever you're ready
to, okay, in order to make that transition, I have to do so million things daily basis.
It's not just easy.
Okay, I'm ready.
Go.
So much of a mind training, so much of a how lifestyle reflects to that this is making.
And so that I wanted to this book to be like written concert.
So that's why I structured in such a way the movements that each movement has deal with
the different topic and the first movement about like perseverance, discipline, and then
about second movement is negativity and the creativity on the third movement and fourth
movement is about connection with oneself or others.
And the fifth movement about the body self, the environment.
And then in between there's intermission where I get to be a missionary of classical music
again and talk about one of my favorite pieces.
And there's a QR code for them to go to listen to it.
And then there's encore at the end.
And what I was thinking is that whenever I prepare for a concert, it feels like a preparing
for life.
And I often think that we all have a stage called life.
Whenever we have a difficult phone call, when we have to face a difficult decisions, a difficult
conversation, embark something new unknown, life challenges us.
But that very moment like you still I'm going to do it.
That is what I wanted to give the sense of inspirations, those of strength to the readers
in their performance of life.
Whenever you are ready.
And it's not like go do it.
But it's like I'm giving you a moment.
And so when you're ready, you go.
But it's on you.
For musicians, I think they get it because they live that.
But most more importantly, for other people through the lens of classical musician, and
by you going through my life, they realize, oh, that is a life that I do have a stage
called life.
So that I wanted to this book to be not from someone who knows better, went through more,
but more as a fellow friends and fellow human being who struggles as much.
And as if we are sitting in a cafe, very friendly, light, but empathetic, warm, honest, vulnerable,
so that we all go through this.
It's not only you, me too.
But this work actually, this really helped.
So that's why my voice is not dominant, but more of, hey, did you try that?
It worked for me.
Then you're like, you know, maybe many, know many of these tools that I mentioned in the
book already.
But since because I say it, because you feel like I'm your friend, you think like, oh,
maybe I try meditation.
I know that's good, but maybe something out there.
You know, that was my goal for people to remind that these tools are already always there.
But from my delivery, just like classical music through my performance, they get it.
Maybe there's one or two more people they pick up on those life tools to make their
life better.
In the first movement of the book, you know, and I really appreciate you for clarifying
the myths about becoming or being a pianist.
Like everybody says, oh, you're so talented.
You can just play play on the fly.
But you have no idea how much of a work how much of ups and downs of life to go through
to get there.
Right.
So and I love the quote.
It is not willpower, but habit that makes things happen.
Because you know, willpower is exhausting.
And that's why a lot of people quit.
But the delayed gratification is a really difficult lesson to learn and teach also.
And so where is a good place to start learning this important lesson in life like of delayed
gratification, meaning building a good habit?
I think it's early as possible, which is why now it's good to place to learn.
I think it's important to know that every learning has the learning curves like boiling
water, it wouldn't boil until 100 Celsius.
But you all alone, it has been boiling, but we don't feel it.
You know, but we have to believe that we are making progress, even though we don't see
a progress.
And I think that is really important to for us to remind ourselves.
I get frustrated, too, because I practice this much.
I thought it would get better, but it's not yet.
But then it's not yet.
It's not never.
But it's not yet.
And the growth mindset is something that we can train ourselves.
It's not like you have and you don't.
But it's I can make it better.
Maybe not yet, but I'm making it.
You know, so I think focusing on the system, which is a habit, is the key, because if I
have to think when I'm going to practice a day, every single day, have to think about
it, it's exhausting already because my day I have to do this, I have to do that.
When I'm going to do it, it takes already like I'm exhausted even thinking about it.
But if I have a habit of just a certain amount, not all the time, but certain amount of practice
is right after breakfast, I'm going to practice in an hour or two, then that is secured no
matter what, because I became a habit after breakfast.
Even though I have this complex, I don't want to practice.
I'm already sit down and play piano.
But you know, it's funny people think that it's my willpower to make me practice every
day.
But it comes from I know why I know already own why.
Why is I love piano, right?
But I don't question that why anymore once I own it.
I don't question like, do I want to practice?
Do I love piano?
Like, of course you love someone today and you don't love someone tomorrow because you
know, they saw and so acted this way, but it's an old couple.
They love each other.
They know even though they hate each other, they hurt themselves, you know, each other.
They do things for each other.
They do it by showing the action.
Not made not feeling it's so flimsy thing.
You know, you would focusing on Oh, do I love piano?
Do I love this person?
You know, the answer is that it will change every single day, even every hour it might
change.
You know, so someday we like this and someday we don't.
Sometimes we angry.
Sometimes we happy, happy, but joy, but sad.
All of it.
It's so flimsy.
Our emotions are not reliable thing.
So once you own the love, why then I even though I would think that I hate practicing,
but I ignore that chatter because I don't question that.
I don't question the core meaning, but I sit down and play.
Once I sit down and practice it 99% 99 time, I love it.
You know, not maybe first five minutes.
It's still there's a conflict.
But then I get into certain section like, Oh, this needs some cleaning up.
Oh, this Oh, this is nice.
You know, more likely 30 minutes pass by an hour easy.
And then after an hour, I feel good because I overcome myself.
I made music.
I actually enjoyed it.
But if I question it, when I do it, then I already adjusted and I don't think I would
keep up with piano practicing.
You know, I'm 42 years old.
I started when I was four, 38 years of practicing every day.
Forget it.
Right?
I mean, ask someone to do something constantly all the time other than eating and sleeping.
You know, this is not major human, you know, instinct thing, you know?
So for me, it's very important to make that transition easy as possible.
I prioritize it and try not to think as much as possible, at least the first section of
the practice.
Then if I wanted to add more, some days more, some days less.
So then whenever you wanted to add on to your life, if that is important to you, then own
that why.
Simply ask seriously why, because you can go back and forth.
So let's say that, you know, the exercise is important to you, and you really want to
make that working out as a part of your life.
That you don't question that you want to do it, would not want to do it.
Once you own it, then make a system.
Let's say you wanted to, you know, work out every single morning.
When?
When after we wake up or after before breakfast, then make it a small, very, very small amount,
like 10 minutes of stretching until you get that habit into your system for at least,
you know, a couple a month or two.
Don't push yourself too much because you have to have a longevity of a lifestyle, not like
a month.
Gym every single day, and from the February, everybody's like go back to their couch, you
know.
If you want something in your life, you have to start slow.
But then what I really emphasize is that the two day rule, which is you can skip a day,
but not two days in a row.
I do skip practice some time, but never two days in a row.
So that rule gives me some room to wiggle, but then ask myself gently back into the track
and then also not too hard on myself.
Yes, you can skip a day.
It's fine.
The world still continues.
But what is important is that you gain yourself again and continue.
So I think it's very, very important that you own why and then create a system that
hopefully that system is actually right after you always do, which is eating is always good
to tag along or drinking coffee or something already existing habit.
You build on to it and make small, very small.
If you want to read a book, just read up one page, not a whole chapter, you know.
And then every time you finish, you know, we always feel good.
Like an hour of practice afterwards, I feel great.
And I remember that feeling savory.
Just take a moment to think how amazing that feel after workout or after the practice.
So every time you feel that resistance, I don't want to work out or I don't want to
practice.
Go ahead to feel that joy.
Think that joy, that moment.
I'm going to feel amazing afterwards.
Then it will be easier for you to go there.
And then the truth is that we are not in the marathon.
You're not going to become Olympian by working out.
You're not, you know, even though there is a miniature goal or long term goal of whatever
we do or piano practicing or maybe concert coming up.
But the real truth is that I love playing piano.
I am playing piano.
I'm expressing my love of piano every day by doing it, which means I'm loving this very
day.
I think that's the key.
You're not going somewhere.
You're thinking so much of a goal, then you lose why you're doing it.
The reason you're doing it because you want to do the very thing.
So thinking about the activity and the reason we are doing it is so that you love your today.
Yeah, great advice.
Now, so creating a habit of action, but also movement too.
You talk about creating a good habit of your mind, guard your mind.
And then so let's talk about the elephant in the room, you know, negativity in our industry.
So I sometimes I have quite a good group of students, advanced students, and then they
get more harsh criticism than others who are doing it for fun.
Now there is a constructive feedback, of course, and then everybody should get that.
But there's this insult that is just not really necessary.
And sometimes people say, Oh, don't be so naive.
You know, it's just a little feedback to help you.
But this is actually not really a feedback.
It's not really helpful for anybody, you know, when you something like this to happen.
What do you think about this?
Yeah, I think when you're young, it's definitely harder because you're forming yourself, your
mind and if you have like, you know, very harsh teacher, if which is often in music,
unfortunately, the higher their level is, it's harsh, they get and or parents, the more,
you know, harsh parents that is very difficult.
So I really empathize that the young people who go through it.
But I think we also in the because this is the piano community as well as the dear pianist
that your piano community, let's not be a nerd.
Let's not it doesn't matter how so and so plays faster, this tempo and how they phrasing
at the end of it.
It doesn't matter.
But I find that the more classical musicians ourselves are such a hard critic to each other.
They degraded each other and saying, Oh, she's not that good.
I don't know why she got that.
Or oh, well, so on, so and so win the competition, which means that there's one last position
in your in your life.
Or you know, this scarcity mindset really is toxic.
There is enough in this world that world love goes around the all the things you want to
do beyond your imagination if you make that action.
So that if you we start to compare each other, competition to each other, that's where it
becomes toxic, whether that the so and so fellow pianist that advanced students think
that, oh, well, he plays like, you know, I don't know, he was like, really sound bad,
but he won that that that competition.
I don't know what the judge was thinking, whatever that is, that it comes from jealousy
and comes from the scarcity mindset and competition to each other.
But if you think that, you know, just for a moment, so and so winning that competition,
did it do anything harm to you?
And think it as a joy.
So and so win the competition.
How joyous that is.
If you kind of sense that joy and get a crumb of that joy for yourself, you can actually
make your life so much more joyous.
So then your life is much more positive.
And I always find that without retrying, it's going to be always negative.
Just know that it's always going to be negative.
So we have to do something about it to be neutral, even at least less negative, because
the world is more negative tendency.
So especially negativity from outside world is that I said it's avoiding is not a sign
of weakness.
So because why you keep facing the trash, you just throw it away, rather than, you know,
just look at it and talking about it.
And I think the best advice that I could give for you for the negativity from outside is
unless you accept the negativity into your heart, none of the negativity has that power.
It's you allowing the negativity works to your heart.
So I think it is important for you to recognize that it's not them.
It's you to allow it.
So whenever I go get into the trap all the time, but if so and so or some teacher or
some outside of world to be negative towards me, then I chin up and think, try to ignore
as much as possible.
Again, it is not criticism, you know, like constructive feedback.
It's coming from love.
It's not coming from love.
Then then I recognize that and then try to erase as soon as possible.
And also, if I don't allow it, it doesn't have a power.
If someone came to your house with all bag of, you know, filthy trash and throw it in
your house, what would you do?
You'll be like, what are you doing?
But if you allow other people talking bad, and if you allow that, that means you allow
in your living room in this filthy trash to your mind so that you have to protect it.
You are the one who protects it.
There's all the people out there is going to try to throw the garbage inside of your
mind.
So you're like, vigilant about it, and hopefully there's one last can trash can is coming into
your mind.
And the same goes with our mind, too.
We always battle with negative and positive thoughts and negative thoughts are referred
to as cognitive distortions.
So sometimes we exaggerate.
Let's say I made a little mistake on stage and then but in my mind, it's like, oh, my
gosh, that was a fatal mistake.
And I can't recover from that.
In your book, you talk about it, too.
But briefly, can you tell us?
I think it is, you know, if we are talking in the context of the performance, performance
anxiety, I would say we have to separate.
Are you ready?
Are you ready to perform yet?
That's also I'm assuming all the tips that I actually want to give is based on you already
you you all the steps that you made it efficient practice strategy and you are ready to perform.
But still, there is performance anxiety.
That's different thing.
So I'm going to assume that you are absolutely ready to perform.
And then then you this this negative voices in your head.
And to know that the tiger inside of you never going to go away, no matter how advanced you
are even Horvitz has to kicked out to the stage because he was like, I don't want to
go to the stage.
The manager will kick him out.
You know, so it's not a depending on the level of your performance.
It's human mind, you know, so just know that our pain is your pain, too.
Then it feels a little easier to deal with it.
And then we still have to deal with it, though.
And I think that one of the most effective way to any issues that you have in your life,
it's writing down.
Writing gives you gives a cloding to your thoughts.
If you only think in your mind that's just floating and, you know, in the randomly bites
you.
But if you start to write it down, it feels like, oh, it's nothing.
We, as you said, is we tend to exaggerate.
But if you actually grab it down and write it down, what exactly I'm worrying about,
I am worrying about people think that I'm bad.
I'm worrying about if I'm going to make them mistake, you know, so writing down all of
the negative thoughts is bothering you.
And define it, define it where this coming from.
Is it coming from my own voice, from my teacher in the past?
What is based on?
And then also defend these tendencies with a positive voice like, no, you're going to
be great.
This performance, no matter what, it's going to be a beautiful experience.
So you actually come back with this negativity with at least five different positive sentences.
And that exercise helps in the moment of battle.
I battle in the during the performance that, oh, the difficult section coming up.
And then this angelic voice that you train so much and think, oh, you got this.
You got this.
And even if you make mistakes, it is just a small, you just pick it up and keep going.
You know, all of those ready made, prepared, the positive sentence will help you.
And also write the affirmation sentences saying, I am, I'm excited to play this concert.
I'm going to connect with audience.
I love expressing this music or, you know, all of this affirmation sentences that you
say out loud, it's like fake it until make it.
And also write a visualization in your actual performance, the most positive way in details
on the day.
You write it down, it sits, you know, read it out loud.
This visualization technique is not, you know, unknown to other field is sports or Olympian
will do all the time before their game.
You know, so you, we have to give a food to the positive positivity more.
Otherwise we all have a tendency to be more negative.
So in that comes down to how we use words.
I can't emphasize more about the power of words or how you say, whether writing or the
say out loud, you do it with yourself or with others, but mostly saying out loud.
Notice yourself how negatively you are saying, Oh, this is difficult.
Oh, I'm going to make a mistake.
That was horrible.
You think that it would be, it would be okay because you're just telling to yourself, but
it's not.
But very, that moment you're giving the power to the negativity.
So even though you think that moment that way, just don't say out loud, then at least
you can make that into a little more power.
So even when you're saying with others, notice yourself, are you saying something negative
about this thing with others or someone else?
Are you gosh, are you complaining?
Are you giving a bad energy to someone?
All of these things ultimately come back to you.
So it's all of it is, it's to protect yourself, but it's also creating the environment so
that more positive people are going to come to you.
You know, negative people want to grab the negative people.
They want to gather in the restaurant and talk about negative things.
They love that.
So you don't want to be part of it.
If you choose P not to be in that negative group, you know, you will find out the world
is great because there you will see those positive people.
You're doing great.
Oh my gosh.
You're going to do great.
Oh my gosh.
I'm so excited for your project.
Well, I can't wait to be there in your concert.
They're not going to come back to you and I go, oh my gosh, that's going to be so difficult.
How are you going to fund that?
You create your own environment.
That's the only way.
And then, you know, going to movement three of your book, you talk about create dream
play and then what struck me was the quote.
You say, what is success?
What does that success life look like to me?
What is to you?
You know, it's very difficult to live in this time of era.
Everything is pneumatic, you know.
So some people will say if you make X amount of money, that you are successful.
If you're like a hundred hundred thousand a year is that successful?
Is it two hundred thousand then successful?
Is it eighty thousand?
Then it's not successful.
If you have a thousand, you know, hundred thousand followers, is that successful?
If you win number one competition and then Cliven, is that successful?
It may look successful to our eye.
It's like, yeah, we'd love to win that competition.
But then why do they are depressed?
Why some people commit suicide?
You know, they have millions and millions in their bank account.
So, you know, I hope that we are not limiting ourselves to being happy only if you accomplish
something tangible or expect of you, because that's a dangerous trap, because you can never
get enough.
If you get X amount, you need another.
If you have a hundred thousand of spending, then you will.
Your spending is so much that you need a two hundred thousand, you know.
So I think it's very, very important for us to think life as a game, that all of your
projects, all of these things, like it's fun game, you know, you push it as much as possible
with all intensity.
But then the outcome is not out of your control.
If it's it's it's you just detaching yourself self value with what you do.
I don't think that my dream of success is not depending on what I do.
Yes, I do play piano.
I do all these things, but it's not measure of my success.
My success is the status of my being.
I do what I love to do in my life daily basis.
My picture of success is not shaken by, you know, if I don't make that money or if I don't
get that concert or I fail something, it's not depending on that.
I want to keep my mind content, happy, simple, calm and able to generate myself a self energy
of life so that I'm in a happy place on a daily basis.
You know, who can say to you, you are successful?
I mean, they're not they're they're not living my life if I say I'm happy.
I am.
That's a success.
So I really believe that you can be successful today.
As of now, it's because it's based on your mind.
So I want to get to your the recent project, see you very soon.
But then I think the lockdown of 2020 had something to do with it, probably to get to
that project.
So when I read your book, I kept all the quotes from the book.
So let me quote one more.
So you're saying in the book, we may need to find ways to deliver the core values of
what we do without physical contact.
Even after this crisis, many jobs have disappeared and new ones have been and are being created.
As much as it can be daunting and frustrating, it can also be liberating to reset one's life
course.
The change is already here.
And we just have to be much more active and forward thinking to accept it.
And quote, so I could not help but say amen out loud after reading that specific quote,
because I feel the same way and how but how can we keep the classical music tradition
while the world changes so rapidly?
First, we need to change with the change.
We can't just be stubborn.
Our classical musicians are also in heart, right, because we are dealing with Bach and
Mozart and love, you know, we can be in touch with those music because we have that soul
in us.
But we're only moving forward.
We're not going back to 1800, where one of the piano recitals is the most exciting thing
happening in their life.
So we have to kind of reassess where are we.
You know, the good news is that what we're doing, as I said, the classical music is has
the ultimate power and beauty, which is timeless.
So be confident with this content.
If we are selling, I don't know, like a laundry machine or something, you know, if you're
really confident this laundry machine is the best in the world, you will sell it.
Right.
Same thing with the classical music has such a beauty and power.
You believe in it.
So then we have to just find a way to deliver.
You know, I believe that people go crazy over Mozart and Chopin or Rachmaninoff.
We just have to tweak the delivery.
No more straightforward recital, you just show up and, you know, no talk at all and
play intermission.
And yes, that tradition is still going and there are some people going too.
But you that's the danger right there because the presenters and the concert boards are
older and older and the younger generation don't even bother to even go there.
But it's still continue.
I think we have to think about people focused.
You as a person who has a messenger, you know, so I think that change might be more connection
based, you know, people want connection as much as we have this fancy devices and all
and all of that.
But we still want to be, you know, cozy up and hearing, listen, really listen, you know.
So I think when I even create an album, I create a manual, album manual, which is a
very simple manual, which is can you spare an hour from your life, not as a background
of music when you're cooking, but actually using good sound system and read each paragraph
that I wrote about this piece and close your eyes and dive into an experience.
Isn't that just simple?
But nobody ever told them, nobody ever told them how to listen.
They thought like music is something they hear in while they'll drive, you know.
But since we know how to listen, because we know the beauty of live music or just hearing
someone play in front of you in the living room, that connection.
So we wanted to, as a teacher mind or friend, empathetic mind, that you have to open yourself
to people, the vulnerability, like the belief in the power of storytelling.
The storytelling can be, you know, I love this piece.
I hate this piece too, you know, because this is such a technical challenges.
It's like, it drives me crazy.
Better read it, start storytelling, you know, or open up your life and ask them to join
into the experience.
Passion is contagious.
If I think like, oh my gosh, this piece drives so good.
And then they'll be like, oh, what is it?
No, because I am so passionately talking about it.
So being a missionary of classical music, I believe that any small effort doesn't have
to be anything fancy or visual or illustration, doesn't have to be anything.
We just make small tweak to want to connect.
That makes a big difference to the audience, especially the young audience.
And keep thinking about how could you deliver that music, how to set it up so people can
experience the deeper way.
We are not changing this one to the new age.
We are not going to be held all of a sudden drum set next to piano.
Music is going to be right there, there, you know?
I think what we want to do is that just how to get there and empathetic way, connect way,
warm and friendly, you know?
And then thinking as a, how much barrier can I get rid of?
Is this bowing in between pieces necessary, intermission necessary?
Is it clapping in between necessary?
Question every tradition other than music itself.
Question it and try to different and experiment and see if people respond differently.
You know, then they want to feel you.
They want to feel you who delivers.
Yes, they care about Mozart, but not as much as you.
So, bring yourself into a delivery man, a messenger, open up yourself, then people will
get it.
People will get the Mozart no matter what.
Right.
So, where does your this gift of seeing hope and despair and possibilities and failure
come from?
But, you know, I don't believe in toxic positivity either and you're not in denial of failures
and despair, right?
So where does this come from?
Is it therapy?
Is that a meditation you do or philosophy, philosophy you read?
Or is it some sort of a religious belief?
What is it?
I do believe the resilience that I have is strength that I have as something that probably
I cultivated throughout my life.
You know, I cannot say I only have difficult times because we all have difficult times
of life.
So, but I'm so thankful that my parents who gave me unconditional love so that I could
learn to love myself in the first place and not rely on others to give me that value to
me.
So, whenever the storm of my life hits me in a hard way, since I care for my life, my
own, I got up, started to walk again, knowing that life goes on, that it's still beautiful
as it is today.
You know, funny but something I learned that when I was young about like going to dentists,
you know, like as much as I hated going to there, my mom always reminded me that, you
know, the dental problem never goes away on its own, only worse and over time, right?
Better go and fix it now.
And I think it's similar to life.
Life is short and finite.
I wish it could last forever, but it doesn't.
You know, so in more days you waste with the negativity, the last days you would enjoy
this beautiful time on earth.
And I think this limit of life gives one perspective of appreciation of what we already have.
But I also want to add that that is coming from all kinds of conscious training throughout
my life, especially in the efforts to see positive, being careful with words that I
said with others, writing and journaling all the time, being aware of my own voices through
meditation, daily meditation, and of course, always trying to learn something wisdom from
all of the people in my life that has a broader perspective.
And life is never easy.
But I think it's definitely some pathway that we can learn.
You know, meditation was in the thousand years of history, yoga was thousands of years of
history that all people use somehow to deal with this life.
And then we can learn from those wisdoms and adapt and make it easier for ourselves.
And I think, you know, I believe music is one of it to make it all better, you know.
Right, right.
Absolutely.
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Let's continue with this episode.
We were released from the lockdown.
It's the Siam.
We did the concert, which is, is it a concert, right?
And 2022 and then you're doing it again in Carnegie Hall, June 7th and tickets will be
available very soon or is it already available?
If this is air after March 7th, it will be available to purchase today.
Okay, perfect.
Now can you tell us about the Siam?
What is it about?
Yeah, so well, this is my returning appearance in Carnegie Hall.
I'm so excited about it.
So if you're in New York or if you need an excuse to come to New York, please use it
as an excuse.
This project is my COVID baby.
It took almost two years to make it into your appearance, first of experience to the public
and she means poetry and um is first part of umak, which means music in Korean.
So my idea started as I wanted to use poetry.
I never tried poetry and I wanted to try the poetry and then when I thought of it, I loved
that idea.
Although I had no idea what is poetry.
English is not even my main language when I was just like tackling this words, you know,
writing a book and courageous moves.
But to me, I always thought music is poetry and poetry is music with, with the words,
you know, that succinct process of editing and editing and editing and practicing and
practicing and practicing making into something that polished delivery is very much some in
line with the class of music.
And so I wanted to pair with the poem per piece and that process was not really easy,
very rocky at first actually because I commissioned entire like 13 pieces in my album or a concert
or one poem, which I'm going to not tell who because I did not like any of it.
What he did and I was really desperate because I thought creating something new would be
the way to go.
But then I was not connected with it that he did and then I was in a very difficult
place.
What now?
You know, um, so then I had to dig deeper and I asked you so many advices and realized
that still I am the messenger.
I am the creator.
So whatever I feel the most strongly match with the piece, that's all we need.
I'm not looking for the greatest poem in the world or in this history.
I'm not looking for that poem.
I'm looking for the poem that reflects the very feeling that I'm trying to convey in
that very piece of music.
It's only I can know very best in my interpretation.
So then I gain a little bit of strength to in the choosing.
So the 13 different poems that I selected are some from the past poet that passed away
or the newly commissioned that which I actually liked.
So each one is a self selected or some poems already existed.
And then I asked for permission.
And then afterwards that I thought, Oh, what if I have created something to hold this music
to hold at home, which was came about very randomly from, from a friend of mine who's
a photographer in his sixties is now in eight late eighties.
And he showed me this box of negatives, you know, black and white film photography and
I was like, what's this?
You know, and it's like almost like a throw away.
And I was looking into it, into the, into the light.
And I was thinking like, Oh my gosh, what is this thing?
All the nature of photography he took, you know, film photography goes so much layers
to you go to dark room and develop from negatives, going to the same spot multiple times to get
that perfect shot.
It's not like digital that you can take thousands and one.
And when I saw his photography, it was so poetic.
Sometimes it's the sunlight reflecting something.
You don't even recognize what that is, but then you make you think.
And that was the place that I'm going to hold this all three elements together.
So in my sheen project on concert and an album, there is one nature, black and white film
photography projected on the screen.
Before I play, I tell about the story or sometimes recite the poem that I selected.
And then out of this project that I created, you know, nowadays people say they don't have
a CD player and in fact, I don't even have a CD player anymore.
So that is like, but as a recording artists, like that's really heart wrenching in reality.
So then I thought I still want to create, but we still want to create a music.
So I created this package, which is the postcards, 13 different postcards match per piece, 13
different poems, and then there's download card of this album and then the backup postcard
that my request or idea of this packaging was that think of someone when you listen
to this music, along with the poetry and photography, write a note to that person on that postcard
and send it to that person.
There's a QR code on the back of postcard and that person can also listen to my album.
So this project starts on my end side, but end on your side.
And that's like the way of interacting with the audience that they may not see me in person.
And I love that idea that again, start from the poetry, so random idea, but then turning
into something beyond imagination and turning into some beautiful thing that I can share.
But on top of all of it, what I wanted to share, maybe that Scalar di Sonata, that maybe
all of that is that I wanted to share that very piece Rachmaninoff a better way.
So I explained all this process, but at the end of it, the music is the reason I did it.
So at Carnegie Hall, you'll be maybe without the photos, but somebody will be reading the
poem.
I am the reading.
In my concert, there's always a signature thing, which is a microphone on stage.
So sometimes people are very uncomfortable because I often don't give out program at
the beginning, but give out at the end when they walk out.
The idea is again, you don't have to know anything.
Let me guide you.
Just let it go.
Let it go.
You want to know the future in 20 minutes from now.
You must be there.
I prepared this one so thoroughly beforehand for you, even from the appetizer to dessert.
So just take me into, take you to the experience.
And so I will recite poem sometimes.
I tell you some story about a piece, but the more importantly, you will get a deeper level
of experience of the very piece that you never heard or you heard a thousand times already.
So that's going to be experienced in Carnegie Hall.
Fortunately, there's not going to be a photography, but I'm on tour of Shium still currently.
And you most more likely if you catch me, you will have that photography.
And if you can catch me, you can always, you know, purchase an album or the postcards and
experience on your own way in your living room.
And I think in April, I forgot the date, but if you come to my website, there's another
concert coming up in Chicago.
So the Shium is coming in Chicago as well.
Wonderful.
Make sure to check out Jiyun's website at jiyunkim.com.
Yeah.
Best way to connect with me is through newsletter.
And so you can sign up on that on my website where I write once maybe two or three weeks
about things that I've learned in that week.
So it's about like ongoing process of communicating with people in a written world, which is the
most fitting for me actually, besides talking.
I mean, today was very much a fitting in my alley.
But I think that would be the closest way to stay connected.
Of course, you can follow me Instagram or YouTube and podcasts and all that.
But I think the most intimate way and direct will be newsletter.
That's great.
So then the tickets for that Carnegie will be available very soon.
I mean, by the time this episode will be released, it's up.
So it's the concert at the Wild Hall Carnegie on June 7th.
And then I hope to be there also.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So Jiyun, this has been such a fun and inspirational competition, really.
And I enjoyed it every moment.
So thank you so much.
So before I let you go, we have one more thing to do.
It's called the piano part rapid fire questions.
So this is a part of the show where I get to ask fun questions to each guest.
Now here's a little bit of running.
So as fun and as silly as these questions may sound, your answers may reveal who truly
are.
So are you ready?
Oh, good.
Yeah.
What is your comfort food?
Ramen.
Mm hmm.
Yes.
How do you like your coffee?
Oh, I like matcha.
Oh yes.
That's great.
Now, cats or dogs?
Oh, tricky.
I'm always cat person at heart.
Okay.
But I love dogs too.
What is your word or words to live by?
Peace.
What is the most important quality you look for in other people?
Honesty.
Name three people who inspire you, living or dead.
All the people you may not know.
Well, my teacher, Ray Gunn-Eriki from Indiana University.
David Bremer was my mentor who passed away.
I think it's my mom.
Beautiful.
So name one piece in your current playlist.
Oh, I listened to yesterday, our Ensky Piano Trio and I couldn't get enough of it.
I think it's a third movement scherzo, you know, I love that.
Now the last one, fill in the blank.
Music is blank.
Gift from God.
Beautiful.
Ding ding.
That's it.
You won.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
So this concludes this episode of the Piano Fall.
Thank you, Ji-Yoon, for joining my show today and then sharing your stories, insights, expertise.
And you can find more information about Ji-Yoon's work through her website at jiunkim.com.
And please check out her YouTube channel at Ji-Yoon Kim Pianist.
And thank you to my wonderful audience and fans for tuning in.
If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review it on whatever podcasting platform
you use.
And if you're watching us on YouTube, remember to hit the thumbs up button and subscribe
to my channel.
You can also find my show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The links are listed in the show notes.
I will see you for the next episode of the Piano Fall.
Bye everyone and thank you, Ji-Yoon.
Thank you.