Tater Tots Thursday

It's 2020.04.01 on the lunar calendar today.

Hello. My city has mandated all to wear face coverings outside and I'd also add a recommendation to 

wear glasses

. Something flew in my eye the other day and it was not pleasant walking back home wincing at dusk.

I'm enjoying my routine of daily walks and rituals like Fish Nuggets Fridays and Pizza Wednesdays, in which I watch an episode of "Little Fires Everywhere." It's as captivating as the book and has made for a good, cathartic cry. Sobbing with pizza is its own kind of fun.

I actually observe Tater Tots days on Saturdays (toh-yoh-il 토요일 in Korean makes for a better alliteration) but having had some today, I hereby proclaim it Tater Tots Thursday.

What else? I recorded a segment for a

podcast for elders in Little Tokyo

 and it'll be out soon in English, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish, accessible via telephone or the web.

How are you? I hope this finds you finding reasons to celebrate. 

Freude! The singing eggs are back and this time, in a choir—in a carton—singing "Ode to Joy." I wanted to do something for the 250th birthday anniversary of Beethoven (incidentally, I share his birthday, at least his presumed date of birth) and the choral excerpt from his final symphony caught my ear. I hadn't sung anything in German other than one little art song in high school so pronunciation was a challenge in addition to having to sing at either extreme of my range.

Please enjoy the squeaks and bellows of the eggs.

Interview in Korean

For Korean readers: Click over to the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange for a recent interview. A few details got jumbled in translation but the interviewer took care in writing out a lovely Korean summary of our conversation.  

Support Arts Education

Having worked as a YMF teaching artist in Compton and Downtown LA, I can say that the organization is passionately dedicated to their mission of providing music education to underserved communities. Check out their new Online Music Academy and consider donating to help ensure that music education can continue.

Before the academic year in person ended abruptly, I was able to introduce the gayageum and Korean music to two dozen classrooms in elementary and middle schools throughout LA. I hope I'll be able to return and continue to cultivate relationships at my regular schools and also visit new campuses. 

Currently listening to Sarah Vaughan 🎧She's always had my heart of the big three though I adore Ella too. Sometimes I go through phases of listening to her album with Clifford Brown and sometimes, I'll listen repeatedly to one song—like this one.