QnA on Milestone of 10,000 subs

Hello, everyone!

I'm a composer, Ha Eun Jee.

So good to see you!

[Ha Eun Jee, composer
Q&A :)]

My channel finally reached
10,000 subscribers.

(Clap)

It's been 8? or 9 years,
since I debuted in 2013.

It's been a while.

I started composing full time
when I was 17.

So it's been almost over 10 years.

But I've never made videos like this,

so I'm here to say hello to you
celebrating a milestone of 10,000 subs.

Actually I'm feeling awkward right now.

I don't know what to say
or if I'm doing it right.

[Back to the story]

Thankfully, many asked me questions.

I chose some of them
and decided to make a short video.

[What is your special tip on composing?]

In fact, I didn't take formal lessons
nor go to music school

following any formal curriculum.

I started composing for fun at first

I just loved music
and it made me so happy.

That's how I started making music.

I don't think I have a special tip on it,

but I do have something
that I think matters most.

First, listen to music as much as you can.

Whenever I get this question,

I always say, "Listen and
appreciate music all the time."

In my case, I listen
to my favorite composers' music

along with that of diverse musicans

without discrimnating specific genres.

I try to listen to all kinds of music.

In turn, those experiences
resonate through my music

as much as I listened.

So I can give you this tip.

Try to listen to all kinds of music

as much as you possibly can.

That's the important tip
I personally recommend.

[Who's your favorite composer?]

I love many different kinds of music.

Of all the musicians,
I love two composers most.

One is Enrio Moricone
who passed away recently.

The other is a Japanese composer,
Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Many pieces of my music
were influenced by their musicality.

While I was studying music hard,

I listened, analyzed,
and imitated their music deliberately.

I studied on my own just like that.

The two composers have influenced
and inspired me greatly in a good way.

So I love them so much.

[What is your favorite piece of music?]

There are so many pieces of music I like.

I can't pick
just one favorite music of mine.

If I had to pick one,

it'd be Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

When I was a 3rd or 4th grader...
I still remember when it happened.

While I was taking a piano lesson,
I happened to encounter his music,

and I got shocked to hear it.

I was so surprised to know that
such a beautiful melody ever existed.

To this day I'm still enjoying it.

This music makes me feel like
I'm in a movie every winter.

Am I the only one to feel that way?

Hope I'm not alone.

Every time I listen to it,
it feels so new and evokes novel emotions.

That's why this music means a lot to me.

So I chose this music as my favorite one.

[Is it true that you don't know
how to read notes or chords?]

To get the bottom line,
I can read notes of course.

This is a bit of misinformation.

I didn't know how to write notes
a few years ago.

So I knew how to read notes,
I just didn't know about writing them.

Remember it's in the past.

Because I started
learning music by myself,

I got used to writing music in Korean.

Now I'm able to write a music sheet
with help of a scoring program.

Regarding chords, believe it or not,
I know nothing about them.

I just know the very basics.

C major means do, mi and so.

D major means re, fa and la.

It is not that I didn't try
to learn on purpose.

As I first experienced music
by listening,

I believe it seems natural
that music flows out of me.

I once actually bought popular books
about musical harmonics,

and some of my friends
lent me books about it.

I just closed them away
right after a few pages.

(Laughter)

It was so hard, to be honest.

I think it is much better
to express my own music comfortably.

[What inspires you to compose?]

When it comes to inspiration,

it doesn't mean that a string of melodies
comes to my mind all of a sudden

while walking on the street.

Some of genius people
might compose like that.

I believe inspiration is to express
what I want to show from deep in my heart.

So it is not something grand to me.

Everything in my daily lives matters.

[When will you have a concert?]

I do want to have a concert.

You know we didn't have
one last year either.

Usually I used to perform once a year,
a regular concert.

I called each concert, the first star,
second star, third star and the like.

But now the stars just stopped
due to the Covid-19.

The next star is waiting to rise...

Actually I was planning
to have a concert this fall,

yet the situation hasn't been better.

I needed to reconsider the schedule.

For now I don't have a fixed schedule.

I really want to see you at the concert.

I hope we can meet some time soon.

Thank you for asking!

[What was your childhood like?]

I was very outgoing and a bit like a boy.

I preferred playing outside
to staying indoors.

I literally climbed and roamed hills
catching dragonflies.

I gathered kids to hangout together.

At that time, a type of kickboard
was very popular, called Sing Sing Board?

You know, a board with two handlebars.

I roamed all corners of the town with it.

I liked roller-staking so much,

and going to the ice rink with friends.

I liked outdoor activities
and I never stayed still.

I think I was in trouble very often.

Not so serious but kiddish trouble.

I loved music when I was very young.

Just like I do today.

My father loves listening to music,
though he is not a musician.

That's how I could experience
a lot of music.

My father used to collect DVDs or CDs,
which is not often used today

Classical music, Jazz, traditional
Korean music, Pop opera, and so on.

So diverse melodies
always filled the house.

As I was exposed
to the musical environment,

I could feel it through my body
naturally rather than through theory.

After school I caught dragonflies
playing passionately,

and then I listened to the whole songs
from Sound of Music alone

when coming back home.

I really liked Pop opera singers,
Charlotte Church and Josh Grovan.

I loved these two singers.

When I was a kid,
I wanted to get their music CDs so badly.

I remember getting them
at the music store.

I saved my pocket money to buy the CDs.

I think my passion for music
began as a child.

Music was just like a friend
or air to breathe to me.

[How can I learn
to play the piano by myself?]

In fact, I'm a composer, not a pianist.

So I personally think I'm not
in a position to give you any advice

on how to play the piano
or basic knowledge about it.

Piano is my best friend
that I am always by its side.

Yet I find it so hard,

I often used to consider deeply
about my own compositions for the concert,

thinking why I wrote it this way.

I have rather small hands.

They just appear longer on screen.

Some left comments saying,
"You have long fingers."

I wish I had bigger hands.

[Back to the story]
So how to learn piano on your own....

Unless you want to become
a world-class piano player,

and if you want to love
and enjoy music for life,

it'd be a good start to practice music

of your favorite musicians
as much as you can.

It may sound so simple.

If we start music with comfort,
we'll become better at playing.

Our ability will grow
as we practice along the way.

In particular, it applies to music.

Listening and practicing much is

I think about how we become
good at playing the piano.

[Have you got pieces of music
that had been unfinished or discarded?]

I've got many pieces I stopped writing
in midway on my laptop.

Very often I would complete
a piece in just 10 minutes.

Other times I would keep pondering
over just one bar of music for months.

I have many more pieces of music
that I think are not yet complete.

[Which one of your music
do you love most?]

It's Run in the Wilderness.

However, I've often said
that I hate to play it.

It's so hard to play
because of too many leaps.

I'm the one who wrote it that way,
so I can't help it....

Run in the Wilderness
was the first official music

after I decided to become a composer.

To my surprise,
many people like this one so much.

It's so special to me
because you love it.

[What makes you drop out
of high school voluntarily?]

Those who have known me so long
would be well aware of it.

I dropped out of school voluntarily
when I was in 10th grade.

I'm being careful
talking about this topic.

The educational system seems
to be tuned into only the SAT.

Although I was young,
I got tired of that system.

So I decided to focus my time and energy

on what I love
and can do well to be happy.

In fact, a high school drop-out
didn't seem to be acceptable in Korea.

Now things have changed a lot
that we cheer those who go their own way.

But just 10 years ago,
even though it wasn't so log ago.

The decision to drop out did affect
many things personally and socially.

People used to put a social stigma
on the drop-outs.

Many actually doubted
whether my decision was right.

Through those times,
I rather grew firm in the choice I made.

I wanted to make it.

I was determined to make it.

There are many other ways.

And I believe that
every one of us has our own way.

It's not fair to say
that there's only one right way.

When people blame those who
are out of the so-called right way,

labelling them
the maladjusted or losers,

I felt a bit bad and sad.

That's when I became
more determined to make it.

I wasn't sure of how far
I could reach out

or how much I could achieve.

Yet it was my life
and I chose to live my way.

I wanted to prove that there could
be another way and life.

It was never an easy decision at all.

There were many obstacles,
if not too serious.

At that time, I wrote a 10-page report
for my parents

about the future plan,
what I'd learned at school,

what I wanted to do out of school,
how I hoped my life would be,

and including my dreams.

I showed them to my parents.

They felt reassured
to know my plans saying,

"We believe you would
be alright with these plans.

Do everything freely as you hope to."

I was 17 when I stopped going to school.

Since then I could
focus on composing full time.

I have been running
my own marathon until now.

I do believe that there are
many things we can learn

from the textbooks and public education.

And that's also important I think.

We should cherish everything we have.

Still, I studied so hard

focusing on myself with my own standard.

I kept thinking about
what my life should be like,

my life's color, scent and more,

which led to the decision to drop out.

That big turning point sort of
made me what I am now,

which in turn influenced
my mind toward music

broadened my view
on the world and people I guess.

[Are you going to continue
writing books along with music?]

Yes.

One of my dreams after I turned 17

is to publish a book with my name on it.

I planned to write three books in my 20's.

It's an ongoing project.

I've published two novels so far.

While writing music,
stories hit upon me based on the music.

It's also wonderful
to come up with music

that fits in the scenes I imagine.

Music and writing seem
to go hand in hand organically.

They are precious tools
to express what's in my mind.

I've been writing a diary for long.

I think I'll keep writing
alongside the music.

One of my goals is
to become a music director

of movies or animated movies
adapted from my own books.

This is my dream in the faraway future.

[What does your motto,
'Good Impact', mean?]

The concept of giving impact
on someone wouldn't be too big.

Like saying hello or thank you
with a bright smile to bus drivers,

if that makes them happy
and their life beautiful

then it could be called Good Impact.

I believe each one of us
has certain impact wherever we are.

It depends on how we use it in our lives.

In that respect, I earnestly
hope my music to flow

with good impact wherever
or whenever it spreads.

The reason I want to do better
and reach in higher position in the future

is that I can reach out
to much more people

sharing good impact.

So I'm trying hard in taking
care of my mind and writing music.

Even if I'm not perfect,
I'm trying to be honest.

Even if I sometimes lose,

I'm desperately trying
to be in good spirit.

Because I put my heart into the music

it is inevitable to reveal

what I normally think
or how I live my life.

Music is like meeting
soul to soul I believe.

It is magical that the whole-hearted music

can tap into someone's heart.

Although there are many things
that are noble and precious,

I personally think art is so beautiful.

And I feel responsibility as such.

Am I being too serious all of a sudden?

Anyways, I want to keep this mindset.

In so doing,
I've forced myself live that way.

I'd like to let you know today

that I've been writing music
with this attitude all the time.

I know you're cheering me on.

I really appreciate it.

That's what I wanted to tell you.

It's been my Q&A time.

It was so meaningful to me.

It's been possible all because of you.

Thank you so much for loving my music

and for supporting me
many ways wherever you are.

That's why I can continue
my journey of music.

I hope my music helps
you have dreams and courage.

Thank you so much.

Hope you are happy all the time.

I'm here to support you as well.

Thank you!

[It's going to be alright.
Wipe away your tears.

The cold will heal and a butterfly
is flying on your bruised heart.

Now we're stumbling,
but someday we'll blossom dazzlingly

stepping over today's hardship.]