We had the good fortune of connecting with Simon seungmin Cheon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Simon seungmin, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in South Korea and moved back and forth between Hong Kong and Korea due to my dads work. I would say I spend half of my life in HK and the other half in Korea but most of the important teenage life was in HK. Studying in an international school in HK definitely changed my life. Being Bilingual and having friends from all over the world being exposed to different cultures changed who I am and prepared me for my future life here in the states.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a guitarist I do a lot of things from lessons, gigs all the way to recording sessions and demo writing. I don’t have a band that I am regularly playing but I have a few producers and artists and I am working with right now. Since COVID I have been doing a lot of remote recordings which opened more opportunities for me. As an international artist living in LA I get to be a part of variety of music scenes but with the remote opportunities I’ve been getting more global connections in countries like Taiwan, Singapore and Korea.

I think the most challenging thing about moving to LA and jumping into the scene was making connections and meeting the right people. You can always go out to a jam or to a party and meet people but it’s so hard to find the ones you want to work with or hangout with. Sometimes it’s very exhausting going to these social events all the time but I always tell myself that it is all part of the process and keep moving forward.

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?
I think I would take them to some korean spots in Ktown like Wako Donkasu and Jeonju HanIl-kwan. There is also a very nice spot in Malibu called “The Duke” its right by the beach and they serve Hawaiian food. Little bit of beer and cocktail with shrimp would be amazing.

A lot of people think the griffith is too cliche but I think if you park down near the greek theater walk up to the griffith it is really nice. The Tip is to go on a Monday when the observatory is closed (because there is literally nothing to see inside the building unless you really like stars). and just go for a peaceful walk during the sunset time

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?
I would like to give a shout to my family, mom dad and younger brother Harry. When they came to my show last year I was too focused on the performance that I forgot to thank them for supporting me. They flew all the way from Korea to Boston to see me play but I forgot to mention them so I always felt bad. I know they are totally cool with it but without their support I definitely wouldn’t be here pursuing my career. Also I first started guitar because my dad played at our church and grew up watching him play so I naturally wanted to try guitar and I stuck with it. So thanks to my family!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synsyn9702/

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