The fact that I am able to improvise a song on piano if there is a subject to feel happened to me last year after I got through “individulisation”. I started playing piano since 6 years because of my mom. Even though she desperately wanted to play piano, she couldn’t do it because of the traditional Korean culture that women can’t learn piano in her family. That is why I got into playing piano to fulfill my moms’ dream. Additionally, I didn’t know how to compose and improvise songs because there were always piano sheets which prohibited me from trying to create songs. Something happened after decades, in 2021, I came to the U.S. as an au pair because I did not like the Korean educational system that I felt it doctrinated thoughts with conformity rather than encouraging critical and creative thoughts. However, for some reasons, my host families had a piano so I was able to play piano when there is free time. Meanwhile, I got into meditation and looking for something that I am eager to do in the future. That is why I was pondering who I am except for any early experiences such as culture, family, my background which had affected on me subconsciously. And then, I realized I was a creative person and always asking questions. So I started doing any creative activity such as drawing, playing piano. Last year, I just sat and started improvising the song and my host father said the song was actually great so I must record the song. I ignored because I thought that everyone wholearned piano for a long time could improvise songs at some points. However, after I finished an au pair being independent in the U.S., I started pondering again about my talent to improvise and make music with feeling of objects such as place, city, person, country and etc. The song called people is related to my feeling of people that I came across in the U.S. And another song called Underneath was made after I visited in Alcatraz, prision in SF. Besides, I started making a song for my friends and they said my songs could actually heal themselves. That is why I am detouring myself with my talent. Honestly, the songs that I made didn’t look professional at all because, since I don’t have paino, I go to church to play piano and I make the song on the spot even there is noise. But, I am sure that is why it is authentic and I just appreciate that I can share my songs with you guys. Thank you.
You can find Minsol (Sola)’s 2023 World Music Competition piano performance here.