Ken
was first exposed to music in the 3rd grade when his school music teacher
came to his classroom looking for a potential cellist. Ken was pretty
good at math and spelling. This apparently made him the most qualified
candidate, and to his pleasant surprise he was escorted out of the classroom.
He soon began private lessons, and despite an unusual number of relocations in the ensuing years, Ken continued to play in school orchestras and private recitals. At age 16, he had the privilege of playing a concert tour through Germany and Austria with his high school symphony.
High school also brought an interest in alt rock, particularly the grunge bands coming out of Seattle in the early 90's. This resulted in the purchase of a cheap electric bass (a white "Charvette") and countless hours spent in jam sessions with local guitarists. Eventually developing 6-string envy, he switched to electric guitar and would later permanently borrow his older sister's acoustic.
After spending a year 'undecided' at the University of Michigan, Ken moved to Los Angeles to study music at the University of Southern California. During this time, he devoted himself to the development of his vocal and guitar skills and was exposed to a wide range of musical genres.
After graduating from USC, Ken moved to the DC area and immersed himself in the local singer-songwriter scene in search of his own sound. Combining elements of rock, pop, and folk, Ken has quickly gained recognition as an emerging talent in the pop-rock arena. He has performed live on HOT 99.5 FM (DC area radio station) and has recently moved back to Los Angeles to record an independent EP with producer/engineer Howard Karp (Lifehouse, Papa Roach, Sum 41).
Ken’s EP was released in June 2003 and features the single “End Credits”. Music from the EP was recently used for the popular MTV reality show Surf Girls.
So give us your 30 second intro.
I'm a Korean American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. I guess my music would be classified as acoustic-based pop-rock. I get comparisons to John Mayer, Matchbox Twenty, and even Coldplay...basically STAR 98.7 format if you live in LA, and maybe KROQ. My main instruments are acoustic guitar and cello. I recently recorded an independent EP (available at www.kenoak.net) and am shopping music to film/television with the help of my producer. We recently had some music used on MTV's Surf Girls. Was that 30 seconds? No. How about now? Nope. How about now? Ok.
It seems like you’ve been everywhere, from Europe to different parts of United States. Tell us about that experience
I was fortunate to be able to travel a bit in high school. My junior year, our high school orchestra played a concert tour through Germany and Austria. We stayed with local host families so we were exposed to the culture on a really personal level. Going to Europe is like stepping into a different world. Kind of like when you visit Asia, except everyone's white.
As far the U.S. goes, our family was always moving while I was growing up. Here's the cliff notes version: elementary in Houston, junior high/high school in Michigan, finished high school in Maryland, college in Los Angeles (USC). After college I got pretty involved in the open mic / coffeehouse scene in DC, and that's where I really got in! to songwriting and performing live.
How did being Korean American affect your personality?
I'm sure it put me more on the conservative side growing up. I was pretty close to going to law school after college. I mean, I wanted to pursue a music career but there were no Asian frontmen in the mainstream American music, so it was kind of intimidating getting into it. But I think the market is far more ready now than it was a few years ago. All we need are people who are actually going for it, so I guess that's where I and others like me fit in. Honestly, I would love to see any really talented Asian American break through and change the way we're seen by the public.
You recently performed at a popular Ktown joint, Café Blue. How was it performing there?
My band and I had a lot of fun playing there. The staff were really cool and the crowd was great. I didn't expect that many people to come, but the place was pretty much packed. It was kind of tough, though, because people who aren't there to see you can get pretty loud. I think it's more of a jazz/background music venue than a place to headline with a band. Maybe if they charged a cover it'd be different.
I know you’ve just been settling in, how do you like LA so far?
It's good to be back home. The best thing is the food. I LOVE Korean food. People in LA don't realize how lucky we are to have reasonably priced Korean food. On the east coast there's way less competition so good Korean restaurants can charge whatever they want and people will come. Still, there's a lot I miss about Virginia. Mostly friends.
What advice do you have for young KAs pursuing the media industry?
Well I haven't exactly made it yet. So you might be taking advice from a guy you'll see on 3rd Street Promenade in 20 years. But my best advice would be to get an objective opinion of your talent. Get out there and start playing open mics or whatever. To me, the opinions of strangers has more weight than what close friends think. I mean, think of how you judge other ! up and coming artists. You're probably pretty critical, but you know talent when you see/hear it. If you know you've got it, and you're willing to stick it out, just go for it. And get as good as you can at your craft. Finally, education is good, but nothing beats experience.
Addendum: If you look like Britney Spears, disregard the above. You'll do fine.
What’s your opinion of ktown213.com??
I
like any site that promotes Asian American talent. We need more of you
out there. Lots more..