Time and tide waits for no man.
I was wondering about a verse this morning from Ecclesiastes 11.
Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well. (v6)
Reminds me that I should be more proactive in my time management, because I've been slacking with my training since work in the day time often leave me tired and just want to chill. But after watching Kpop Star (more like watching 4 episodes in one day), I'm determined once again. These kids on the program are younger than me but they worked so hard. Even though the weight of the competition and the burden of overnight fame is upon their young shoulders, they still pressed on.
It's not entirely healthy I must say (the process, that is), but the level of dedication they give to their love for music is commendable enough. Not only that, most have really steady technique. Where they lack in technique, they make up with their sincerity of feelings.
It's also through the show that I have utter respect for JYP. I've said this on my Facebook and it's true. I used to find him odd, but there really is some method to his madness. His obsession towards music may be a little beyond what I would do (the SAME personal schedule for the past 17 or so years), but I could always find his comments helpful though confusing if you didn't know the basics already - Technique alone is not enough, sometimes you need to let go and drown in the song; technique's important in order to sing freely (in regards to breathing); read the lyrics like you would a movie script, not a song, etc.
To be honest, Yang Hyun-Suk's analogies are helpful as well but I kinda lost it when he talked about baseball, because I have no clue about baseball. Not to mention that every time he made an analogy with food, I'm just thinking about the food. The best comment that BoA gave was when she said that when she was 16 and alone in Japan, she hated it when people said she could do it "because she's BoA". It reflected on her humanity. For someone who has debuted since 13 (she's now 26), a lot of years she had to spend it alone and even though people were saying that because they were confident in her, she loathed the comment as it gave her so much burden to exceed expectations. I think that's very brave to own up to that moment of weakness in public TV, showing a glimpse of how she could have given it all up because of the burdens that were upon her. Sad life, an entertainer's life is.
Anyway, back to topic. I always want to sing like the Koreans do (mind you, not so much the idols, but the veterans who have been crooning ballads) because when they sang, they sang with as much emotions as if they were singing their life story. At the same time, they possess really strong technique. You can listen to their voice again and again because their voice tone is just full of color. Added the emotions and bam! they speak right into your soul.
I guess that's why a lot of soundtracks get popular. Because even if international fans didn't understand the lyrics, the songs and the way they were sung hit the right notes of the emotions.
And though talent is very much in their game, their hard work is one that really pushed the limits. I remember Jung Yeop of Brown Eyed Soul mentioning that he didn't think he had a great voice, so he practiced day and night. I remember Bada (formerly of idol group S.E.S) would practice deep into the night and got arrested once for disturbing the neighbors! Look where their voices put them now. Jung Yeop sings for a lot of soundtracks and his songs are some of the most soulful hits. Bada is known as one of the best singers in Korea.
I can name a whole lot more. And it's not just ballad singers. Hip hop singers, electronica singers, and even idol singers (who I think work the hardest because of the image they just have to uphold in international arena) work their butts off.
I don't know how they do it. They don't seem to sleep even though everyone says that sleep is important to the voice. They would practice till 3 am, memorizing the lyrics and choreography, etc. It's crazy. So crazy.
But I'm inspired by their tenacity. No matter how ugly the industry is, and you may have people who are in just for the fame, but many of them are passionate about what they do. And that is what keeps them going. The music industry in Korea changes quickly. One day you're in, and the next day you're out (to quote Heidi Klum). So what do these people do? They keep working hard.
Where does this leave me? I still struggle with my lack of practice. I don't see myself working myself to the core though sometimes I really think I should. But I think that every time I feel like giving up, I will remember these Korean people and inspire myself to work harder. It's a flawed system, to be honest, but the fact that they are working so hard for their passion, reminds me that I should always work hard for my passions.
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