MnM: Museums, Not Music

It's 2023.04.01 on the lunar calendar today.

Hello from Denver! I'm at the American Alliance of Museums' annual conference this week and having an amazing time, meeting old and new museum colleagues, despite breaking out in hives and/or having my eyelid swelling up at the end of each of the three days here so far. Is it because I've only been sleeping a few hours each night, hurtling through deadlines? I'm making rest a priority next week before getting back to work on the album, which I've been slacking on.

Pictured is one of my first graders Daleyza's drawing of our music class. She depicted the class accurately, what with the singing and the fruit rhythms and roller coaster/graphic score we draw on the white board :) Teaching is the most difficult job I've had, other than grassroots organizing, and I'm relieved to be retiring after four years—although I will miss my students. In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing a K–2nd grade lesson I designed during my time as a teaching artist.

Museum Marketing Glossary

For the past year, I've been part of a museum working group, project managing a compendium of critical but often loosely defined terms relevant to the work of museum marketing, communications, and audience engagement professionals through an audience-centric and museum-specific lens. It's been a total joy working with some of the funnest and sharpest people heading up marketing at museums around the country and this glossary really is a labor of love.

I don't know how I've ended up working with only the most thoughtful, curious, and capable across the various arts work I do from advocacy to music, but I'm deeply grateful. It's been so fun to see my working group colleagues pop out of their Zoom rectangles and hang out in person as friends this week. 

If museums or marketing in the cultural sector are of interest, visit

MuseumGlossary.com

.

In more non-music news, I've been serving on the artists committee for the

Hollywood Arts Collective

—a new and first-of-its-kind affordable housing complex for artists in LA. I took a tour and the building is very nice with views of the Hollywood sign and easy access to transit, but what I most envy is the built-in community of fellow artists and arts-related amenities the residents will have.

Along with the Entertainment Community Fund staff, we've been screening applicants for the artist criteria and it's been raising all sorts of interesting questions in my head about what makes someone an artist: Are you an artist if you make money from it? Are you an artist if you work on your craft regularly? Are you an artist if an audience engages with your work? 🤔🤔🤔

This newsletter has little mention of making music but rest assured, I haven't abandoned my practice 😛 I'm practicing gayageum daily as I do, to prepare for lessons (though on pause while I'm traveling), and a song I'm co-writing with Ross Moss Garren and Jens Kuross is nearing completion. I have a number of projects on the back burner that I want to pursue ... but I think my next focus should be writing the book for the Jungian album. I'm also gearing up to shoot a couple music videos this summer. Anyhoo, I realize this email has been word-y so thanks for reading to the end if you're seeing this! Oh, here's an

—my first time on vinyl!

Currently listening to nothing 🔕 Or actually, all the sounds around me?

www.joycekwon.com