Meet So Jin Kim | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with So Jin Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi So Jin, how do you think about risk?
I think taking risks are usually big decisions you have to make when you are at a crossroad. And I truly believe it’s important to take risks and to be fearless in putting yourself in a new situations, because one can always grow from experiencing the unknown. It can be something as small as learning a new piece of music or as big as moving to a new country. There are certain decisions that have an immediate pay off that reaffirms your decisions, but there are also ones where you feel like you have to start from scratch or perhaps made the wrong career choice. I think with the latter, I personally realized over time that even though those decisions didn’t seem like the obvious right choice at the time, I found myself growing personally through those choices; figuring out what is right for me, growing endurance in some situations, and in some cases, realizing my personal boundaries. And maybe the most important lesson I learned is that it’s not the decision itself that defines the outcome of a situation, but all of my actions after a decision that ultimately defines the outcome of that decision.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Classical music is such an niche entertainment industry that is considered as some kind of “high art”. Not very many people really understand it or appreciate its full value. And in today’s culture of instant gratification and dopamine hits, it appeals even less to the younger generation than it ever did, but I hope that people will take the time to discover the value of the beauty in this art form. I think classical music transcends time and place, and takes the listener to on a journey of self reflection, feelings, and memories. It’s a grounding experience we need in the fast paced life we all live in; to take a breath, relax, and listen.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Southern California offers the most incredible nature surroundings, a great variety of cuisine, and an eclectic culture scene . I personally love to go on a great hike in the morning and then go for a great lunch. For a first time visitor, a walk up to the Griffith Observatory in the morning, a lunch in Ktown at Myung Dong Kyoja, followed by a little nap, dinner of any cuisine, and a drink at a bar with an ocean view or a roof top downtown. LA is such a great place to host guests.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My childhood violin teacher, Eleonora Turovsky, who passed away in 2012 showed me through how she lived her life just how beautiful life could be lived. She lived her life surrounded by music, art, loving family, students, and friends. Her house was full of her own incredible paintings (even on her bathroom tiles), concerts she would put together for her students, delicious food, warmth and laughter. She achieved incredible success in her life building I Musici de Montreal with her husband, conductor and cellist, Yuli Turovsky, and recorded hundreds of recordings leading the ensemble. Yet, the most important lesson I learned from her was to fill your home with people you love, great music, and beautiful art.

Website: https://www.sojinkim.com/

Instagram: @sojinkaa

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alrat531

Image Credits
Neda Navaee