Meet Nery Kim | Jazz Pianist & Composer

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

Hi Nery, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factors behind my success are positive attitude and optimism. Life of a musician, a Jazz Musician no less, is not at all a smooth sail. I can go on and on about all sorts of different adversities I’ve had to face. I felt frustrated in those moments, of course, but I told myself that some of these difficulties were out of my control and simply accepted the suck. However, I never stopped telling myself these are all part of growth, and that one day I’ll surely become a successful musician.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is a painting of my thoughts and feelings. It portrays myself in that precise moment of inception of my music. It goes without saying, that my compositions distinguish me from other musicians, in that the colors are genuinely unique to me. My first album, ‘PURPLE REFLECTION’, consists of compositions all arranged by me, and I’m currently working on my upcoming EP called ‘Melodies of My Heart.’ I can’t express how excited I am. I wouldn’t have made it this far in pursuing professionalism in music without constant and endless effort. Moreover, I can’t describe how enormous the support from my family and friends were towards my success. One of the most difficult obstacles in my life was when I almost had to give up being a musician due to an unexpected hearing loss and tinnitus of unknown cause. Pus was oozing out of my ears, and my hearing got worse exponentially. Eventually, it got to the point where all I could do was lie down on my bed for months on end, after going through multiple surgeries to have the ear drums and ear bones replaced with artificial ones. Not to mention the never-ending medication treatments that followed. Although I must rely on the help of a hearing aid, it’s gotten better now, and I never let go of my pursuit of my dreams, and I stayed optimistic. I’m simply grateful that I can keep on doing what I love. Sowing bits of positivity throughout my life has also bore me some truly great musician colleagues and friends.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d pick Palos Verdes. It’s my favorite beach in the LA area. There is a cliff, a light house, a chapel, and not to mention the beautiful waterfalls, as well as the trails. It’s very peaceful. I can also go for some time in the Downtown area. The first place that comes to mind is Clifton’s Republic. It’s a perfectly restored building filled with history. The food and music there are also on point. I can’t forget to mention Hauser & Wirth museum located in the Art district. Also, as a native Korean, I’d take my people out to some fine Korean restaurants in K-town. I never get tired of eating Tteokbokki, the korean spicy rice cake, and places like Yupdduck sell some phenomenal Tteokbokki. There’s also some find Korean BBQ restaurants such as Baekjeong. After a fat meal, my go-to place is called Cafe Loft, which is a lovely cafe that plays awesome jazz music. Nothing but Coffee is also a nice place with a great vibe.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A special thanks to my family and friends who always support me. Especially to my other half Jason, and my bassist friend Younghwan Jin.
A huge thanks to those who listen to my music.

Website: https://www.nerykim.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/extraordi_nery/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nerykim/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nery.kim

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdLvCOJ7Ct3Hv3pkXzVtHA

Image Credits
Nicholas Casillas Sunyoung Hwang Yusub Shin