Encore Conversations 1: Beyond the Keys & Radiance - Jeeyoon Kim on Love, Resilience, and Creativity

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As difficult as the process was, I found that
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by opening myself up, I began to carve my own
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path more clearly. No matter what I do, whether
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that is performing or teaching piano or writing,
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being open, transparent, and vulnerable is the
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real key to connection. are creative, really
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creative enough to create something that whatever
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you desire. For me, creativity isn't about trying
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to be original. It's where what naturally happens
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when you lead something with love and a desire
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to connect. Hello, everyone, and welcome to The
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Piano Pot. Today is extra special because I am
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kicking off a brand new series called Encore
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Conversations. This is where I bring back past
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guests for shorter, more personal conversations
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so we can catch up, hear about their new projects,
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and reflect on how their journeys have evolved
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since the last time they joined us. To launch
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this series, I couldn't think of a better guest
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than Jiyoung Kim. When June first joined me back
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in Season 3, we talked about her debut book,
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Whenever You're Ready, her mission to make concerts
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immersive and personal, and her belief that music
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is about building real human connections. She
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spoke with such honesty and originality about
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her artistry, her challenges, and her philosophy
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of living fully, and so many of you reached out
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after work to say how deeply her story resonated.
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If you missed that conversation or want a refresher,
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it's Season 3, Episode 14. You can find a link
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in the show notes. Now, June is back with her
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brand new book, Beyond the Keys, and her companion
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album, Radiance. Both reflect her signature authenticity
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and creativity, inviting us to experience music
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and life through the lens of love, resilience,
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and connection. I am so thrilled to have her
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back to help me launch this new series. So let's
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dive right in. Here is my encore conversation
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with Jiyun Kim. Jiyun, welcome back. I'm so glad
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to be back. And welcome to the very first edition
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of our alumni series called Encore. conversations
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and since this season is all about creativity
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and connection so i cannot think of a better
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person to help us kick it off than you and you're
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the perfect person to ask and then the last time
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you were here was season three almost three years
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ago two and a half and how have you been i have
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been busy but well that's great that's wonderful
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to hear So back then we talked about your first
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book, Whenever You're Ready, and your passion
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for connecting with audiences and engage in creative
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ways. And for those tuning in today who missed
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that episode, definitely go back and check it
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out. It's full of gems, just like her writing.
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So please go to thepianopart .com and find her
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episode, or you can check the description below.
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So I still remember attending your Carnegie Hall
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concert after the episode. That's about two years
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ago. Right. Yeah. And you live in California,
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but you flew to New York and then gave a wonderful
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concert. Unforgettable on so many levels. Well,
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first of all, your concert was phenomenal. I
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mean, exquisite. And just like you promised in
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the episode, our conversation, that you had a
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microphone on stage and shared reflections between
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each piece, like your thoughts on the piece,
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composer. And it created such a warm and intimate
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atmosphere, although it's a Carnegie Hall. And
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then if I remember correctly, there was a QR
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code in the program? I don't remember. Well,
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that concert meant to have a big projection with
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artwork. But since the Carnegie Hall, especially
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the Wild Hall, doesn't allow or doesn't have
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the capacity on purpose to keep that traditional
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look, I opted to have it on the program book
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with the black and white photography. And so
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people kind of enjoyed it. But at the end, I
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thought... it worked out really well it created
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really such a almost like a candlelight effect
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with this gorgeous traditional setting of the
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Carnegie Hall with the tradition you know yeah
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yeah and then of course you know another thing
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was that the that's the day that we had a Canadian
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wildfire and that I am so sorry I was there I
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attended your concert but I had to leave because
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I got so sick running around the town. It was
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really a special day because I had in my imagination
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the perfect day, you know, of performance at
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Carnegie. And that was the second time I imagined
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the perfect scenario. But then the day, it was
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like haze. I couldn't even see, you know, three
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feet away because it was so foggy and everybody
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canceled. I think the broadcast. Broadway was
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canceled that day. So people ask, are your concerts
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still on? Are you canceling? Like, no, I'm here.
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I'll give a concert. Whoever comes to the concert,
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I'll give whatever I have. And so it was very
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conflicted to mine because I wanted to be so
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perfect. Everything I prepared for so long. But
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then in the end, those challenges of the environment
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that made me let it go. Like, you know what?
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Even the world crashes today. That I'm here today,
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I play piano. So that was very meaningful in
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many layers. But the concert hall was full. Those
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New Yorkers are no joke. No, we don't. We don't
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joke. So, I mean, filled with people. And so
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many people went downstairs and greeted you.
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So it was just so wonderful. Now, here we are,
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2025, celebrating your second book, Beyond the
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Keys. And when we reconnected this time, you
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so kindly sent me this advanced reader copy.
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Oh, my gosh. I felt so special. And I have a
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lot of sticky notes here because I loved some
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of the quotes and I just couldn't help. So this
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book feels like a continuation of your first,
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but even more intimate and personal as though
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we're hearing your true voice more clearly than
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ever. So tell us. What is Beyond the Keys? Beyond
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the Keys. Yeah, the Beyond the Keys is my dream
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come true, basically. It is about life as much
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as it is about music. The book holds 52 reflections,
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just like Piano Key has. 52 white keys or 52
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weeks of the year that 52 has a lot of symbolic
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meanings to many people and especially to me
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and each one paired with my story and on my own
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recording through QR code and also artwork from
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all over the world many collaborations with artists
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living in this time and it is a collection of
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uplifting stories that take you behind the scenes
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of my life, classical pianist life, but also
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into my journey as South Korean immigrant or
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entrepreneur or the artist who lived in my mid
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-40s. But more than just stories, I really see
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this book as an experience. I want it to be an
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experience. I like to imagine that. at stepping
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into a cozy cafe together. And I will share a
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story or two. There's a piano in the corner waiting
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for me to play. And on the walls, there are a
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lot of artwork inviting you to pause or linger
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or let them speak to you. And that's the spirit
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of the book. And you can take your time with
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it and read a chapter or two, listen to a recording,
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look at the artwork. Let it sink like standing
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in front of those masterpieces. piece in a museum.
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And at its heart, I think Beyond the Keys is
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about connection through words, through music,
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and the artwork. And I believe no matter how
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advanced technology becomes, we always longing
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that human touch of creativity to remind us of
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beauty and to give us perspective and to bring
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us back to this present moment. So for me, the
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life itself is always changing and transforming
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and we're all still growing and unfolding in
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like those trees. have many branches and still
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hold so many centuries of, of life and emotions.
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And so I hope this book is my way of sharing
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the stories in my experiences that shaped me,
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not just as a pianist, but as a friend walking
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alongside you that searching for the positive
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light, searching for the meaning in life. And
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while I was reading, I really, I can hear your
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voice almost. I felt it was really about love
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and love for music, love for your career and
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life itself. I can really sense that and love
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for the people around you and near and far and
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your past and present. And of course, love for
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yourself. I was truly struck by how candid you
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were about that. real life challenges and hardships
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you face also? Yeah, quite shocked. Wow, really?
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You go all the way. Wow, that's great. Now, each
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chapter felt like a gentle reminder to live fully
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and stay present. Am I right? Am I close to what
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you intended? Yeah, for sure, for sure. That
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might be my stories, but ultimately I think it's
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everyone's story. I started to write newsletters
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for my audiences about four years ago, just maybe
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around the time that I released my first book,
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Whenever You're Ready. So it was my intention
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was connected with people beyond the stage, behind
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the scenes of life. And, you know, that's how
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my biweekly newsletter called Behind the Keys
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started. And at first people read it as in a
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way that to get closer to me and they following.
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But over time, I realized that I wasn't just
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sharing music updates where I'm going to perform,
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but I was letting people into my life. the joys
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and struggles and, you know, all of the stories
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that I encounter as just another human being.
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And then something beautiful happened. course
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of the last four four years readers of my newsletter
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started to write back they told me their life
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stories their reflections that become highlight
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uh in their inbox too so that they said that
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my newsletter become a dose of inspiration they
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always look forward to and Sometimes they're
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sharing their whole life stories in their email
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back. And even though I hadn't met most of them
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in person, but I felt like I were becoming companions
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or friends in this journey of life. And that
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connection through words became just as meaningful
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as connection that I feel on stage through music.
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And then one morning I woke up and the idea that...
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honestly felt like a jolt of electricity and
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thinking hmm what if i combine my writing and
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my music in a same experience a book that included
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not only stories but also my performance and
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perhaps through you know now it's technology
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through qr codes so that readers could listen
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while they read And then I could also release
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my next album, which is Radiance, in the part
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of the book. Wouldn't that be a really unique
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way of releasing an album? Not only CDs or LPs
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or digital release on Apple Music and whatnot.
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And from that morning, I knew that... book publishing
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takes time I mean much longer than CD release
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it's maybe from the idea to realization maybe
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at least a year and a half if not two years and
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I was couldn't wait to bring this idea into realization
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a real book and I know that it will take a long
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time and I wanted to share what my vision was
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but since I didn't have anything to share it
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I couldn't necessarily share much. And now this
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book that I'm holding in front of me physically
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and sharing with words, it really literally feels
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like a dream that it's living its own. And so
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this is, for me, is again, living thing that
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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
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live in someone's bookshelf or someone's nightstand
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or some bookstore or libraries. And whoever touches,
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they will have shared experience. But it's not
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same time concert, I feel. It's always shared
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time experience. But book or the album is always
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not... coherent time experience, but they will
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experience even 50 years from now, they will
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meet Ji -yoon in the mid -40s and have that continued
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conversation and the stories that I share, the
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music that I share, and that it will always have
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that time capsule with it. And I find it is such
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a beautiful way to have experience, maybe not
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at the same time, but moving forward always.
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Now, you wrote the first book that was also authentic,
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honest, and focused more on your career, how
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you made your career happen. But this one is
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really about your life. What made you decide
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to really share the deepest and even hardest
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moment of your life with your audience? I don't
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know. That was. set decision that I thought,
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okay, I'm going to open myself and to be able
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to share everything. And I don't think that was
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definitely a decision. And it's still, it's challenging.
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I think it's the most challenging part of writing
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itself is how you need to be transparent. I remember,
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always remember, one of several editors mentioned
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readers are smarter than you think. They always
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know if you are writing from open heart and vulnerable
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place or you want to share only this part, but
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this part, no. I want to share this part. So
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maybe they don't really feel it, but they can
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sense it. And it's funny because when I first
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made a draft for this book, I put one of those
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hard... personal life stories with my divorce
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or with the drug involved and all many hardships,
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even about my father, almost towards the chapter
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49, chapter 50. And I send it out to the publisher.
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This is my, you know, the draft, first draft.
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And the editor, whoever going through the first
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time through, just reading it, just roughly reading
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through it. She emailed me back maybe a couple
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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
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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.