Aug. 15, 2025

Yoonseok Lee interview

Yoonseok Lee joins me on episode 141.

Yoonseok is from South Korea where he first took up the tremolo harmonica. He discovered the chromatic when he heard Sigmund Groven playing at the Asia Pacific Festival in 2004, and started taking lessons with Sigmund. This culminated in Yoonseok studying at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo with Sigmund as his professor.

Returning to South Korea in 2020, he enjoys a successful career as a freelance chromatic player, and returns to Norway to teach at a yearly harmonica summer camp.

Yoonseok has released two albums so far, with many of the pieces arranged by himself, and also songs he has composed for the chromatic harmonica.

Links:

Yoonseok's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yoonseok.lee2/

Linktree: http://linktr.ee/yoonseokl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoonseok_hca/

Buy Harmonica Recital album: https://baro7.com/products/yoonseok-lee-2nd-album-harmonica-recital

Videos:

Yoonseok's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/YoonseokLee_HARMONICA

A young Yoonseok playing tremolo harmonica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1CYScJ3VO4

Playing James Moody’s Toledo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78ezOpAGh98&list=RD78ezOpAGh98

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py62lXF0Xiw

Moonlight music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiF2o0WSIuQ

Playing with a harpist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM4v1qc4s1w

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

01:36 - Yoonseok was a student of Sigmund Groven, who was on the podcast in episode 127

01:51 - Yoonseok is from Incheon in South Korea, and spent time in Norway studying with Sigmund

02:18 - Had lessons on piano before taking up harmonica around the age of 9 after attending an event at a local community centre

02:36 - Liked the portability and the variety of tone colours of the harmonica

02:53 - The harmonica is very popular in South Korea, but mainly as a hobby, with not many professional players due to a lack of university courses

03:40 - Yoonseok has a good following in his country due to the popularity of the instrument, with Koreans associating the instrument with something nostalgic

04:25 - The origin of the harmonica in Korea is associated with the saenghwang free reed instrument

05:16 - First harmonica Yoonseok played was the tremolo, which is the most popular type of harmonica in South Korea

05:53 - Tremolo is used to play folk music much of the time in South Korea

06:22 - Yoonseok is mainly a chromatic player now, but still plays the tremolo when teaching beginners as the tremolo is popular in South Korea due to it’s lower price

07:28 - Tremolo has some similarities to the chromatic, in that it is good for playing melodies

07:45 - Yoonseok speaks very good English

08:08 - First discovered the chromatic harmonica when attending the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, which happens every two years

08:26 - Attended his first Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival in Hong Kong in 2004, where saw Sigmund Groven performing

08:38 - Didn’t know there were other types of harmonica besides the tremolo until went to that festival on 2004

08:56 - Was starstruck by Sigmund and wrote fan emails to him when he went back to Norway but Sigmund didn’t receive them as he used the wrong email address

09:53 - When Sigmund returned to South Korea in 2012 Yoonseok was able to take some lessons with him

10:35 - Sigmund returned to South Korea several times where Yoonseok took some lessons with him and performed with him on stage

10:58 - Went to study with Sugmund in Norway in 2018

11:19 - Studied composition and music theory at Seoul National University, graduating with top honours in 2017

11:43 - There were no teachers to study the chromatic harmonica in South Korea so initially self-taught

12:16 - Musicology course at Seoul National University didn’t involve harmonica playing, although still played as a freelance harmonica player at that time

12:47 - Studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo for two years, the first harmonica player to study there, with Sigmund as his main professor

13:21 - The long application process to be accepted at the Norwegian Academy of Music

14:35 - The chromatic was the sole instrument Yoonseok played at the academy in Norway

14:43 - Had weekly lessons with Sigmund who had Yoonseok work hard to improve his playing

16:30 - Yoonseok focused on the basics to really improve his playing when studying with Sigmund

17:23 - Sigmund emphasised the importance of making a good legato to Yoonseok

17:51 - The course in Norway lasted two years in the cold weather!

18:07 - Was working as a freelance musicians in South Korea before studying in Norway, so travelled back from Norway to continue that work while studying there

19:04 - Is 33 years old and completed studies in Norway in 2020, just as the Covid pandemic struck

19:38 - Still travels back to Norway every year since 2017 for a harmonica summer camp which he teaches at alongside Sigmund, and performed in Oxford, UK, earlier in 2025

20:41 - Based mainly back in South Korea since 2020, also playing in Japan sometimes

21:16 - Arranges much of the music he records on the chromatic as not too much music written for the instrument

22:28 - How Yoonseok arranges music for the chromatic harmonica includes using the piano and adapting piano scores to work with the chromatic

23:32 - Is the soloist when performing with orchestras and ensembles

24:14 - First album released in 2022: The Beginning, contains 24 songs in a mixture of genres

25:37 - Composed three of the songs on The Beginning album

26:37 - Plays some Tommy Reilly pieces, such as Serenade

27:58 - Second album, Harmonica Recitals, is well known classical pieces from various composers

29:27 - Some of the pieces selected which work well with the chromatic harmonica

30:31 - Chooses repertoire carefully depending on the concert and the audience and music enjoys himself

32:32 - Performs regularly with orchestras and uses amplification to make the chromatic heard, and to use a little reverb

33:37 - Uses mic on a stand and leaves the choice of the mic to the sound engineer

34:04 - Breathe naturally to project the sound of the chromatic, don’t squeeze the breath to force the sound

35:00 - Played with orchestras around the world and how audiences reactions can differ between countries

36:27 - YouTube channel has some live performances and music videos recorded by Yoonseok

37:09 - Self-promotion and marketing is critical in the modern era, with Yoonseok having to do much of it himself

39:13 - Toured Japan in June 2025 to launch the Harmonica Recitals album there

39:41 - Was featured on KBS radio in South Korea to profile the chromatic harmonica

41:05 - The balance of playing the chromatic repertoire and introducing new music for the instrument

42:18 - Performs music often with a harp, which Tommy Reilly also recorded with Skaila Kanga

43:56 - Yoonseok is working with some contemporary composers in South Korea who have written pieces for the chromatic

45:18 - Will be the first ever South Korean judge at the World Harmonica Festival in Trossingen this year, and is performing there with Sigmund’s pianist

46:25 - Ten minute question

47:36 - Playing slow on the chromatic can be more challenging than playing fast

50:09 - Recently named a Hohner Global artist

50:32 - Plays the Hohner Silver Concerto and the Polle chromatic (which is no longer being made)

51:40 - Does some basic maintenance himself on the Polle chromatics but for anything more involved sends to Norway

52:07 - Only plays other types of harmonicas once a year when demonstrating them at workshops for children

52:59 - Does play the chromatic in a harmonica ensemble

54:16 - Embouchre is tongue blocking

54:31 - Mics and amplification just leaves to the sound engineer with no idea himself!

54:49 - Likes a little reverb

55:16 - Future plans include maybe an album with classical guitar, pipe organ or string quartet

56:37 - Gives private lessons and published a method book and score book for chromatic harmonica, but only available in Korean language at the moment

WEBVTT

00:00:00.066 --> 00:00:02.128
Jung-Tok Lee joins me on episode 141.

00:00:02.188 --> 00:00:07.352
Jung-Tok is from South Korea where he first took up the tremolo harmonica.

00:00:07.392 --> 00:00:15.759
He discovered the chromatic when he heard Sigmund Groven playing at the Asia-Pacific Festival in 2004 and started taking lessons with Sigmund.

00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:22.184
This culminated in Jung-Tok studying at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo with Sigmund as his professor.

00:00:23.006 --> 00:00:32.253
Returning to South Korea in 2020, he enjoys a successful career as a freelance chromatic player and returns to Norway way to teach the yearly harmonica summer camp.

00:00:32.975 --> 00:00:40.281
Jungtok has released two albums so far with many of the pieces arranged by himself and also songs he has composed for the chromatic harmonica.

00:00:41.664 --> 00:00:44.125
This podcast is sponsored by Seidel Harmonicas.

00:00:44.546 --> 00:00:53.875
Visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seidel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at Seidel Harmonicas.

00:00:58.850 --> 00:01:00.732
Thank you.

00:01:25.153 --> 00:01:27.665
Hello, Yung Tok Lee, and welcome to the podcast.

00:01:29.192 --> 00:01:29.977
Thank you, Neil.

00:01:30.257 --> 00:01:31.986
Thank you for inviting me.

00:01:32.737 --> 00:01:33.478
No, it's a pleasure.

00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:34.760
So thanks, Yoon-seok.

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So we talked about yourself.

00:01:37.701 --> 00:01:41.766
You're a student of Sigmund Groven, who we had on the podcast a few episodes ago.

00:01:41.865 --> 00:01:45.688
So I've been meaning to get you on since talking to Sigmund, and he speaks very highly of you.

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So we'll talk about Sigmund shortly.

00:01:48.652 --> 00:01:55.558
So first of all, you're from South Korea, and you were born and live in Incheon in South Korea.

00:01:56.197 --> 00:02:00.602
Yeah, I was born and raised in South Korea, and now I live in Korea.

00:02:02.703 --> 00:02:06.048
in Oslo, Norway with Sigmund Kroven, yes.

00:02:06.227 --> 00:02:07.808
But I came back to Korea now.

00:02:08.069 --> 00:02:11.592
Well, you did spread your time between Norway and Korea.

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Yes.

00:02:12.473 --> 00:02:14.075
But now you're living permanently in Korea, are you?

00:02:15.457 --> 00:02:15.997
Yeah, great.

00:02:16.057 --> 00:02:22.444
So I believe you started playing piano first and had lessons and then you found the harmonica.

00:02:22.465 --> 00:02:23.967
What about the age of nine, I understand?

00:02:24.627 --> 00:02:31.074
Yes, actually I started by chance the harmonica at a local community center.

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But at that time I never imagined it would become my career.

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I liked the harmonica bass because it's portable and it has such a variety of tone colors.

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So maybe that's the one that I liked about this instrument when I was little.

00:02:52.514 --> 00:02:56.798
So tell us about the scene in Korea with the harmonica.

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So I think we have an understanding here in the West that the harmonica is very popular in the Asian countries.

00:03:02.502 --> 00:03:03.122
Is that true?

00:03:03.163 --> 00:03:04.144
Yes,

00:03:04.223 --> 00:03:04.664
it's true.

00:03:04.705 --> 00:03:13.472
But there are so many harmonica enthusiasts in Korea, but most of them are just hobbies.

00:03:13.812 --> 00:03:15.993
They just play the harmonica as a hobby.

00:03:16.033 --> 00:03:21.479
There are very few professional harmonica players in Korea.

00:03:21.519 --> 00:03:29.707
But I I think that's because we don't have proper major in college.

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So it is not easy to study this instrument properly.

00:03:34.132 --> 00:03:38.157
But yes, it's very common and it's very popular

00:03:38.176 --> 00:03:38.836
in Korea.

00:03:39.117 --> 00:03:39.298
Yes.

00:03:39.557 --> 00:03:40.158
Good to hear.

00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:48.367
So does that mean that you have a more attentive, a larger audience for your harmonica performances in Korea because it is a popular instrument?

00:03:49.108 --> 00:03:49.368
Yes.

00:03:49.929 --> 00:04:23.136
Some of my concert audiences are harmonica enthusiasts but some of the audience are just people just normal people but in Korea many people associate the harmonica with something nostalgic because the harmonica sound is always some nostalgic sounds so many people more or less they play this instrument at least once in their life I

00:04:23.197 --> 00:04:23.401
think.

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And so where does that nostalgia come from?

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Is that from a line of Korean players or is it from European players?

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I don't know.

00:04:32.636 --> 00:04:42.865
But as far as I know, the origin of the harmonica is one of some Korean traditional instruments as well.

00:04:42.904 --> 00:04:46.288
So it is called saenghwang.

00:04:46.848 --> 00:05:03.178
But the similar instrument, also Japan has some similar instruments and China has some similar instruments but maybe that's why the harmonica sounds really touch the Korean people.

00:05:15.841 --> 00:05:23.016
So going back then to when you started, like you say, you started playing harmonica, I think, in a cultural sense, and there's some music activity going on.

00:05:23.297 --> 00:05:25.682
Don't think you started on the chromatic harmonica, did you?

00:05:26.322 --> 00:05:27.404
No, not at all.

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Tremolo harmonica, which is what most people in Korea start with.

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Tremolo harmonica.

00:05:47.490 --> 00:05:48.610
Yes, the tremolo, yes.

00:05:48.690 --> 00:05:52.173
So I've heard that, you know, in Asia, the tremolo is very popular.

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So over in the UK, at least, the tremolo is used in kind of traditional folk music a lot of the time.

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So is that the same sort of music that it's used for in Korea?

00:06:01.422 --> 00:06:10.069
I think so, because the tremolo harmonica is very easy to play the folk music, the sound and the tremolo sound as well.

00:06:10.610 --> 00:06:21.399
So when I was young, when I started the tremolo harmonica, I played a lot of Korean folk songs and traditional music on this instrument.

00:06:21.980 --> 00:06:27.927
Just to establish as well, so you are predominantly a chromatic player, which is what we'll discuss largely with you today.

00:06:27.987 --> 00:06:29.509
But do you still play the tremolo?

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And what can you get out of the tremolo?

00:06:31.790 --> 00:06:33.512
Yes, I still play the tremolo.

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But in Korea, the tremolo harmonica is the most common one.

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And the price of the instrument is quite important to the beginners.

00:06:45.485 --> 00:07:22.024
So tremolo harmonica is a bit cheaper than the chromatic harmonica so many people just start with the tremolo harmonica first so when I teach the harmonica to just the beginners I just go with the tremolo harmonica rather than the chromatic harmonica because when you start the harmonica you don't want to spend a lot of money so many people still think that chromatic harmonica is a bit pricey So I just want many people to play this instrument.

00:07:22.064 --> 00:07:27.670
So maybe you can just start with the tremolo harmonica and then move to chromatic later.

00:07:27.690 --> 00:07:28.411
Yeah.

00:07:28.512 --> 00:07:36.259
And of course, the tremolo's got some similarities in the fact that it's quite good for playing melodies like the chromatic, but it's in a diatonic scale, right?

00:07:36.339 --> 00:07:36.721
Yes.

00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:38.663
So that's the kind of difference.

00:07:38.682 --> 00:07:40.725
But it's not so far removed from the chromatic.

00:07:40.824 --> 00:07:43.387
It's more like a chromatic than the diatonic, say, isn't it?

00:07:44.007 --> 00:07:44.129
Yeah.

00:07:45.069 --> 00:07:48.713
So a must-note as well, Jungto, Your English is fantastic.

00:07:48.733 --> 00:07:50.896
Does everyone speak such great English in Korea?

00:07:52.598 --> 00:07:55.341
Oh, my English is not that good, but thank you.

00:07:55.382 --> 00:07:58.526
I'm very impressed, honestly.

00:07:58.747 --> 00:08:01.389
Much better than my Korean, so well done.

00:08:02.071 --> 00:08:02.971
Do you speak Korean?

00:08:03.012 --> 00:08:04.233
Not at all.

00:08:04.834 --> 00:08:05.456
Not at all?

00:08:06.196 --> 00:08:06.396
No.

00:08:07.553 --> 00:08:13.899
So I believe you first discovered the chromatic harmonica when you attended the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival.

00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:24.988
Yes, because every two years, there is an Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, sometimes in Seoul, sometimes in Hong Kong, in Japan, in Taiwan, in Singapore.

00:08:25.589 --> 00:08:37.519
So the first festival that I attended was in 2004 in Hong Kong, where I saw Sigmund Kroven performing live for the first time.

00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:46.236
And before that, I didn't know there are other harmonicas other than the tremolo harmonicas.

00:08:46.317 --> 00:08:52.107
But when I went to the festival, there are so many different harmonicas there.

00:08:52.168 --> 00:08:54.251
So I was very surprised.

00:08:55.522 --> 00:09:11.082
And so you heard Sigmund there, as you say, he was performing, and you were very impressed by Sigmund, you were starstruck, and then you started sort of corresponding with him, yeah, and trying to get some lessons with him and things?

00:09:11.744 --> 00:09:25.501
Yeah, I always have been a big fan of him, so I became a big fan of him after the Hong Kong festival, so I tried to buy a lot of his CD, and

00:09:25.538 --> 00:09:28.062
Thank you.

00:09:40.162 --> 00:09:42.224
The sound was so pure, clean.

00:09:42.264 --> 00:09:44.946
So I was so happy about his sound.

00:09:45.486 --> 00:09:51.030
So I wrote a lot of fan letters, but no reply at all from him.

00:09:51.091 --> 00:09:52.472
So I was disappointed.

00:09:52.513 --> 00:10:00.679
But one day I heard the news that he's coming to Korea for his Korean tour in 2012.

00:10:02.041 --> 00:10:06.924
So after the concert, I just waited in line to get his autograph.

00:10:08.245 --> 00:10:11.789
So when I met him, I just Ask him, did you get my email?

00:10:11.809 --> 00:10:14.873
And he said, what email?

00:10:15.614 --> 00:10:17.176
I sent you a lot of emails.

00:10:17.755 --> 00:10:20.058
And he said, what email address?

00:10:20.739 --> 00:10:22.802
So maybe that's the problem.

00:10:23.522 --> 00:10:26.905
Now I know I used the wrong email address.

00:10:27.365 --> 00:10:29.928
So he just gave me his private address.

00:10:30.048 --> 00:10:34.114
So yeah, that's how I can just communicate with him.

00:10:34.634 --> 00:10:36.696
Well, then he visited Korea again, I think, didn't he?

00:10:36.716 --> 00:10:38.457
And then you got to see him.

00:10:38.498 --> 00:10:40.080
And then you had some in-person lessons with him.

00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:42.543
mean you even got to perform on stage with him yeah

00:10:42.763 --> 00:11:13.355
yes because he was so popular in 2012 in korea so he came back to korea almost every year so five years in a row so in 16 i played duets with him in seoul and then i decided to go to norway to study with him further because i was so happy about the lesson with him every year but it was just a one one lesson in one year, that's not enough at all.

00:11:14.557 --> 00:11:29.633
Yeah, so as you say, you went to study in Norway with Sigmund, but was it before this that you'd done your own studies in Korea and you'd taken up at the Seoul National University, you'd studied composition and music theory.

00:11:29.673 --> 00:11:31.914
Was this before you went across to Norway?

00:11:31.955 --> 00:11:42.148
Studying in Norway, of course, after I graduated from the Seoul National University in musicology, which gave me a strong foundation.

00:11:42.187 --> 00:11:49.840
But as for the chromatic harmonica, in Korea, there's no proper teachers at all.

00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:52.904
Yeah, it's kind of self-teaching.

00:11:52.924 --> 00:12:00.857
I listened to Sigmund's album a lot, and mimicking his sound, that's how I learned...

00:12:15.778 --> 00:12:18.519
So yeah, so you've done your musicology degree.

00:12:18.900 --> 00:12:21.702
So you hadn't played any harmonica as part of that degree, had you not?

00:12:21.722 --> 00:12:23.504
Or were you allowed to use some of

00:12:23.945 --> 00:12:24.164
it?

00:12:24.225 --> 00:12:31.030
When I entered the university, I played harmonica for the entrance exam.

00:12:31.432 --> 00:12:34.815
When I was just studying musicology, musicology is just musicology.

00:12:35.075 --> 00:12:43.241
So of course, when I was in college, I started to work as a freelance musician, but

00:12:43.961 --> 00:12:52.451
normally I just play myself Okay, so then you went across and you then were admitted into the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.

00:12:52.490 --> 00:12:58.597
And this was, as part of your studies, Sigmund became your tutor at the university.

00:12:58.638 --> 00:13:00.158
He came just to tutor you, yeah?

00:13:01.280 --> 00:13:05.485
Yes, he became the professor because of me.

00:13:06.927 --> 00:13:15.255
Because I was the first student admitted to the academy with the harmonica as a main instrument.

00:13:15.696 --> 00:13:20.640
So, yes, it's kind of a win-win situation for both of us.

00:13:21.542 --> 00:13:22.623
Yeah, fantastic.

00:13:22.643 --> 00:13:25.886
So how did you get into that Norwegian Academy of Music?

00:13:26.548 --> 00:13:28.269
You know, was that a tough process to get in there?

00:13:28.288 --> 00:13:32.793
And did you have support from, you know, the Korean, you know, music tuition side?

00:13:33.115 --> 00:13:34.976
Yeah, it's a long process.

00:13:35.216 --> 00:13:42.504
In Norway, that academy has a very specialized program called Frika in Norwegian.

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In English, individual concentration or something where you can just apply some unregular musical program if you want to so I just wrote a lot of paper about harmonica the chromatic harmonica and the relationship with me and Sigmund and all the repertoires written for harmonica all etc so that was the first round And then I just went to Norway for the real audition, the musical audition.

00:14:21.302 --> 00:14:25.506
So I played the harmonica in front of the juries.

00:14:26.067 --> 00:14:28.188
But Sigmund was not on the juries.

00:14:29.009 --> 00:14:31.251
So yeah, I just played them.

00:14:31.292 --> 00:14:32.192
Yeah,

00:14:32.231 --> 00:14:33.974
I just got into the academy.

00:14:34.234 --> 00:14:35.014
Yeah, very well done.

00:14:35.115 --> 00:14:38.977
And were you continuing to play like piano or anything else at this stage?

00:14:39.038 --> 00:14:40.860
Or were you solely devoted to the chromatic?

00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:42.201
Just chromatic.

00:14:42.961 --> 00:14:45.124
And so Sigmund was then your tutor.

00:14:45.144 --> 00:14:45.583
I understand.

00:14:45.583 --> 00:14:48.527
he was quite a tough taskmaster.

00:14:48.927 --> 00:14:50.489
You had to work hard on the Sigmund.

00:14:51.129 --> 00:14:52.230
What was he like as a teacher?

00:14:54.332 --> 00:15:10.129
He's an amazing teacher and studying in Norway was a fantastic experience ever in my life but at the same time I was so disappointed about myself because I was so bad.

00:15:12.293 --> 00:16:05.519
But I had weekly lessons with him that was a big turning point for me and yeah as you mentioned TASC master so he has a very sensitive ear so when i started to play something just one bar later he just said stop yeah can you just do it again you suck so yeah yeah okay i just do it again but yeah so it was not easy at all and on my first semester i was so disappointed about myself so i almost wanted to go back to korea just quit the studying in norway but i just wanted to survive his uh challenge his mission

00:16:06.359 --> 00:16:21.873
yeah but until this point as you said you were pretty much self-taught on the chromatic harmonica yeah so i mean so what about that as for people listening about you know that discipline that you had to apply to get to the level you've got to now yeah and to and to satisfy sigmund and

00:16:23.234 --> 00:16:25.855
I cannot satisfy Sigmund at all.

00:16:27.677 --> 00:16:27.778
Never.

00:16:27.798 --> 00:16:28.097
Never.

00:16:28.938 --> 00:16:53.200
But when I studied with Sigmund, I tried to focus on the basic foundations as well because that's the most important thing he suggested me learning because Tommy Riley and Sigmund Kroben, there are not many harmonica professionals in the world on the classical stage.

00:16:53.200 --> 00:17:16.845
I think let's go music scene but Tommy and Sigmund were just the true masters I think So I just try to learn as much as possible.

00:17:16.884 --> 00:17:29.075
But he always said the basic foundation, basic movement, and making a good legato, which is very demanding on this instrument, is so important.

00:17:29.955 --> 00:17:40.986
Yeah, I just practice with him just two notes, E to G, G to C, just very smooth legato, very basic foundations.

00:17:41.026 --> 00:17:44.709
That's what I practice a lot when I studied with him.

00:17:44.749 --> 00:17:46.171
Yeah.

00:17:46.951 --> 00:17:50.414
And so obviously that's got you up to the fantastic level you're at now.

00:17:50.535 --> 00:17:51.737
So well done.

00:17:51.777 --> 00:17:53.337
So how long was your course in Norway?

00:17:53.377 --> 00:17:55.019
Two years.

00:17:55.299 --> 00:17:57.502
You must have felt cold in Norway too, did it?

00:17:57.702 --> 00:17:58.703
After being in Korea.

00:17:59.265 --> 00:18:00.625
Have you been to Norway before?

00:18:00.645 --> 00:18:01.787
I have, yes.

00:18:02.508 --> 00:18:03.388
Yes, very cold.

00:18:04.349 --> 00:18:53.241
But as I told you, before I went to Norway, I already started to work as a freelance musician in Korea so even when I went to Norway I always tried to go back to Korea when I have time because I didn't want to be forgotten in Korea as a freelance musician if you are forgotten anyone never called you at all so when I just off the semester I always tried to go back to Korea and just come back to Norway just back and forth it was a very hectic for me but uh yeah and norway is a very expensive country as well so yeah i had to make money in korea and

00:18:54.483 --> 00:19:14.525
then just use that money in norway you've definitely earned the right there so lots of long trips i'm sure between korea and norway so yes so so fantastic so so what age are you now i was born in 1992 okay so you're sort of 33 sort of age now yes so still relatively young.

00:19:14.765 --> 00:19:16.426
When did you finish your studies in Norway?

00:19:16.446 --> 00:19:24.255
2020, I think, because that's when the coronavirus

00:19:24.615 --> 00:19:26.037
came to the world.

00:19:26.076 --> 00:19:29.981
Did you finish your studies before then, or did you have to stop them early?

00:19:30.382 --> 00:19:34.906
Just more or less, because that was my last semester, I think.

00:19:35.166 --> 00:19:36.048
You timed it well.

00:19:36.888 --> 00:19:38.269
So great.

00:19:38.289 --> 00:19:41.012
And so now I know you do obviously still go back to Norway.

00:19:41.053 --> 00:19:49.362
So I actually saw you and met you in person a few months when you came to the UK to play with Shima Kobayashi in Oxford, and then you went on to play in Norway.

00:19:49.402 --> 00:19:52.045
So you're still going between the two countries, yeah, a little.

00:19:52.486 --> 00:20:01.355
I go to Norway every year because Sigmund has NMF, Norwegian Harmonica Forum, or association in English.

00:20:02.016 --> 00:20:07.741
They have every summer, there's annual summer harmonica camps.

00:20:08.762 --> 00:20:17.992
So Sigmund was one of the tutors, of course, And Tommy Riley was, of course, the teacher as well.

00:20:18.413 --> 00:20:26.362
So I have been working as co-instructors with him since 2017, I think,

00:20:27.282 --> 00:20:27.702
every year.

00:20:28.304 --> 00:20:30.205
Do you do that in English or Norwegian?

00:20:30.726 --> 00:20:31.207
In English.

00:20:31.247 --> 00:20:34.711
How's your Norwegian language skills?

00:20:35.531 --> 00:20:40.457
I can just fake it, but yeah, it's not easy at all.

00:20:40.497 --> 00:20:41.458
So great.

00:20:41.498 --> 00:20:57.775
So as you say, so since 2010, 20 time you have been based mainly back in Korea and working as your career in Korea so are you largely based in Korea or do you get to the other Asian countries as well and you know the popular to the harmonica in Asia

00:20:58.355 --> 00:21:05.983
sometimes I go to Japan and I have a concert in Singapore last year when they need me I can just

00:21:06.023 --> 00:21:34.474
go to anywhere and so let's get into your your harmonica career now so you do obviously from the the work you did you did musicology you did some composition so you you work as a composer and arranger as well yeah and you obviously work predominantly in classical but you also work in other genres you play some some jazz some pop some folk some tango and you're writing instrumentals aren't you for for sort of string ensembles or guitar and harp and organ you're playing in and so you're composing as well are you

00:21:34.815 --> 00:21:40.701
yes I compose as well but normally I arrange music for the harmonica

00:21:40.941 --> 00:21:48.670
a lot and does that mean writing the scores for the chromatic harmonica to work with the other instruments and that's what you're performing

00:21:48.789 --> 00:22:16.098
yes because as you already know there are not many official publishers for this instrument so I have to arrange a lot but I studied musicology and composition so which gave me a very good foundation for this process it trained me to analyze music which is especially useful for arranging or adapting works for this instrument.

00:22:16.499 --> 00:22:17.980
Yeah, very useful skill.

00:22:18.020 --> 00:22:27.530
So, I mean, as you know, of course, there's a certain amount of pieces composed specifically for chromatic harmonica, but they are, you know, reasonably limited in number.

00:22:27.611 --> 00:22:38.423
So, I mean, when you go about arranging your pieces with the other instruments, I mean, what is this about the chromatic harmonica that you're, you know, you're thinking about and trying to make with the other instruments?

00:22:38.482 --> 00:22:40.125
How does it work well and that sort of thing?

00:22:40.545 --> 00:22:46.471
It depends on the songs, but, uh, I can play the piano and I play the harmonica.

00:22:46.510 --> 00:22:50.934
So basic layout is just two instruments.

00:22:51.255 --> 00:22:52.756
That's the most common case for me.

00:22:53.136 --> 00:22:55.117
It's just a chromatic harmonica and the piano.

00:22:55.739 --> 00:23:06.587
But sometimes when I play with the string quartet, for example, I have to make the string quartet parts from the piano reduction score.

00:23:06.627 --> 00:23:12.252
So that's how I arranged the music for the special setting for me.

00:23:14.594 --> 00:23:18.750
Thank you.

00:23:32.001 --> 00:23:44.880
And do you approach when you perform yourself as a soloist in those ensembles, or as part of the ensemble, I guess it varies on the different songs and parts of the songs?

00:23:45.701 --> 00:23:52.171
I think I'm the harmonic soloist, so normally I just play with orchestra, that's the common case.

00:23:56.817 --> 00:23:57.117
ORCHESTRA PLAYS

00:24:14.082 --> 00:24:21.211
So your first album was released in 2022 called The Beginning, a good title for your first album.

00:24:22.252 --> 00:24:27.099
So you had some original compositions on here and some classicals from traditional.

00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:32.066
For example, you play It Ain't Necessarily So, which is a jazz song, obviously.

00:24:32.086 --> 00:24:32.606
It Ain't Necessarily

00:24:34.869 --> 00:24:34.910
So

00:24:48.897 --> 00:25:27.253
play the entertainer which is uh you know obviously a popular song on harmonica popularized by larry adler certainly from myself and um you know you play uh you know having the gila which is a jewish song and then some some classical pieces such as some bortok pieces and million folk dancing so So these ones, again, you arranged yourself specifically for your playing, did you?

00:25:27.994 --> 00:25:33.743
Yes, some of them are my arrangement and some of them from Sigmund and Tommy Riley as well.

00:25:34.865 --> 00:25:37.088
And some are just the original score.

00:25:37.128 --> 00:25:39.732
I have my own compositions.

00:25:40.053 --> 00:25:41.075
So the Moonlight.

00:25:56.642 --> 00:26:08.972
All the tracks from my first album, The Beginning, it's a mix of genres and featuring pieces from my regular recitals that audiences responded well to.

00:26:09.712 --> 00:26:15.298
So basically, I played a lot of times about these pieces.

00:26:15.377 --> 00:26:15.657
So

00:26:16.278 --> 00:26:17.660
I just played and recorded.

00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:22.104
So, I mean, there's 24 songs on this album, so lots of songs on there.

00:26:22.144 --> 00:26:25.067
So it's a good output on an album for sure.

00:26:25.086 --> 00:26:28.011
It's like a double album, if not a Triple M.

00:26:28.333 --> 00:26:30.798
But like you say, these are pieces that you played regularly.

00:26:30.818 --> 00:26:34.608
You obviously knew them well and the audience responded well to them.

00:26:34.628 --> 00:26:40.304
So like you say, you've got, for example, some pieces that Tommy Riley played, such as Serenade.

00:26:59.778 --> 00:27:02.922
You used his arrangements, did you, and did something on top of that?

00:27:03.222 --> 00:27:10.893
Yes, Serenade is one of my favorites and that's the one I try to play without the accompaniment.

00:27:11.192 --> 00:27:17.622
Sometimes they don't have the piano and they don't have the orchestra at all and I have to play just one song.

00:27:17.662 --> 00:27:27.615
Then I just play the Serenade or some of the Bach pieces as well, the Gavotte and Rondo, the Violin Partita arranged by Tommy.

00:27:43.617 --> 00:27:47.641
You did another piece which you composed yourself, which is We in the Past.

00:27:47.761 --> 00:27:48.741
That's another one of yours.

00:27:48.761 --> 00:27:49.843
Yes, the last

00:27:49.983 --> 00:27:50.144
one.

00:27:50.804 --> 00:27:51.825
I think I have three.

00:27:51.984 --> 00:27:58.090
Moonlight and On the Road, track 17, and the last track, We in the Past.

00:27:58.270 --> 00:28:02.894
But my second album, I don't have any of my own compositions at all.

00:28:03.295 --> 00:28:04.056
Right, yeah.

00:28:04.316 --> 00:28:06.438
So let's talk about your second album.

00:28:06.458 --> 00:28:08.378
So this is called Harmonica Recital.

00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:11.741
So this was released this year in April 2025, yeah?

00:28:11.923 --> 00:28:13.584
Yes, a few months ago.

00:28:13.584 --> 00:28:44.602
so yes i mean let's look through uh some of the pieces on this one there so like you say these are all you know pretty much well-known classical pieces aren't they that you're doing on here apart from you do a one james moody uh piece which is the witch's daughter so Was that one written specifically for harmonica?

00:28:45.218 --> 00:28:45.498
Yes.

00:28:45.959 --> 00:28:50.305
Yeah, because the first album, I just played all the different genres pieces.

00:28:50.724 --> 00:28:55.531
So I just tried to focus on the classical words on my second album.

00:28:55.551 --> 00:29:00.577
Yeah, as you said, all of the pieces are quite popular melodies.

00:29:00.878 --> 00:29:03.541
It's very good for the marketing as well.

00:29:04.242 --> 00:29:05.144
Yeah, Gymnopedia.

00:29:05.224 --> 00:29:05.965
Yeah, I love that song.

00:29:05.986 --> 00:29:08.869
Yeah, it works so well on the harmonica, doesn't it?

00:29:08.890 --> 00:29:10.791
Yeah, those long held lines.

00:29:15.117 --> 00:29:15.198
Yeah.

00:29:16.961 --> 00:29:18.301
Oh,

00:29:26.913 --> 00:29:29.657
You know, do these songs suit the chromatic harmonica well, do you think?

00:29:29.738 --> 00:29:32.981
Or have you just adapted, you know, the harmonica to meet these songs?

00:29:33.241 --> 00:29:36.246
You know, what about what you've chosen, the songs you've chosen?

00:29:36.807 --> 00:29:42.775
On this album, of course, the James Moody's piece is the original compositions for the harmonica.

00:29:42.875 --> 00:29:44.938
So that's the best one for this instrument.

00:29:45.057 --> 00:29:51.105
But normally, just After a Dream by Foret, that's a melodic...

00:30:07.554 --> 00:30:14.181
scarlatti sonata in G minor as well it is very good piece for the chromatic harmonica

00:30:30.913 --> 00:30:32.915
And so obviously this is classical.

00:30:32.935 --> 00:30:39.320
So are you mainly focused now on playing classical pieces rather than, you know, other genres such as jazz pop?

00:30:39.701 --> 00:30:52.792
It depends on the concerts, but it is not easy to choose the repertoire for the concerts because there are not many harmonica soloists in Korea.

00:30:52.952 --> 00:31:42.352
So I try to play in many different concert halls, but always very new audiences as well in that sense it is not good to choose very academic pieces written for this instrument it's very long it's draining it's very tiring for me and for the audience too so that's why the james moody's toledo is always good for the audience so But I start with the music I enjoy myself.

00:31:42.913 --> 00:31:47.856
Luckily, my taste is fairly popular, so audiences usually enjoy it too.

00:31:48.518 --> 00:31:51.579
And I adjust depending on the audience.

00:31:51.861 --> 00:31:58.846
More academic works for the classical listeners or film music for a general or family audience.

00:32:07.453 --> 00:32:30.578
Hey everybody, you're listening to Neil Warren's And so you perform with orchestras as well as sort of chamber ensembles.

00:32:32.441 --> 00:32:41.210
So you play playing quite a lot with orchestras in Korea, yeah?

00:32:41.789 --> 00:32:41.970
Yeah.

00:32:42.711 --> 00:32:47.555
What's it like playing with the orchestra with your small, quiet chromatic?

00:32:47.575 --> 00:32:51.178
I think Sigmund was one of the points he tried to draw out of you, wasn't it?

00:32:51.218 --> 00:32:54.560
It was to really get the harmonica heard in that setting.

00:32:55.221 --> 00:33:04.630
Yes, but I try to use the amplification for the chromatic harmonica, but it depends on the venue.

00:33:05.570 --> 00:33:36.221
But I usually prefer to use a little amplification because the harmonica has a relatively small volume and when I play with the grand piano or a large orchestra a microphone helps keep the balance and I also like to add just a touch of reverb yet it really brings out the resonance of the harmonica but as I mentioned it depends on the venue

00:33:36.942 --> 00:33:45.009
yeah so when you're using a microphone are you using a microphone on a stand like an acoustic one or is it one of the sort of ambient microphones or

00:33:45.891 --> 00:33:58.984
just the standard but I don't have the specific preferences for the microphone I just play yeah in front of this the microphone that the engineers just choose

00:33:59.464 --> 00:34:16.193
yeah but a microphone on a stand yeah you're not holding them on a stand of course well we talk about you know the harmonica being you know a reasonably quiet instrument so I mean we What do you do to truly try and, you know, project the sound of the harmonica, particularly when you're playing with an orchestra and all that sound?

00:34:16.233 --> 00:34:21.447
Is that something that, you know, any tips about how you really project the sound well from the chromatic?

00:34:22.530 --> 00:34:58.702
well I think it's about the breathing because many harmonica players they sometimes squeeze the sound by breathing too much in order to make a big sound but sometimes that's the opposite I think you have to do the natural breathing technique when you want to make a very big sound i think so just breathe naturally yeah

00:35:00.304 --> 00:35:26.913
and as you say you played with lots of orchestras so you've um you played with the you know some orchestras in in in south korea there you played in japan you played in the singapore concert hall so you played in tunisia you've also played in in las vegas in the usa yes Yeah, so what's it like as a traveling concert chromatic harmonica player around an international one?

00:35:27.974 --> 00:35:35.701
I'm just honored to be invited to many different countries thanks to this small instrument.

00:35:35.740 --> 00:35:46.409
But to my surprise, I play the same piece, but sometimes the audience, they responded differently.

00:35:47.090 --> 00:35:52.056
For example, in Korea We are kind of passionate.

00:35:52.096 --> 00:36:00.684
I think the audiences, I mean, the audiences are very loud, shouting bravo and asking for encores after a concert.

00:36:01.286 --> 00:36:07.813
But in Japan, for example, the applause is very warm, very quiet.

00:36:08.893 --> 00:36:15.039
But people often approach me individually after the show to share their thoughts.

00:36:15.701 --> 00:36:18.543
But they don't usually request unplanned encores.

00:36:18.543 --> 00:36:21.306
course they see that as impolite

00:36:22.969 --> 00:36:59.429
so cultural differences cultural difference yeah i'm getting used to that yeah on your youtube channel you've got some uh some good videos so there's some of you playing with orchestras there's a i've got a clip of you playing with uh playing good the bad and the ugly theme tune which works great on the chromatic harmonica i loved hearing that one so And then you've made some music videos.

00:36:59.929 --> 00:37:02.733
So you mentioned Moonlight, which is one of your own compositions.

00:37:02.813 --> 00:37:05.516
So you've made a sort of music video of you playing that.

00:37:05.536 --> 00:37:08.581
You're looking all very nicely dressed and playing Moonlight on there.

00:37:09.621 --> 00:37:16.632
Yes, these days the marketing is very important for every business.

00:37:16.692 --> 00:37:22.219
So yeah, I just had a very good team for the recording videos.

00:37:22.780 --> 00:37:27.166
I got very good chances to just make a music video with them.

00:37:27.713 --> 00:37:31.597
You have to spend a lot of time promoting yourself, doing social media.

00:37:31.657 --> 00:37:33.099
Does that take up a lot of your time?

00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:41.766
Yes, that's a very good and hard question because that's always very confusing me.

00:37:41.786 --> 00:37:53.175
I'm relatively quite young players, but back in the days, you just play good and that's enough.

00:37:53.836 --> 00:37:55.478
But nowadays, that's not enough.

00:37:55.557 --> 00:38:39.447
You have to do all the marketing and social medias and making music videos and you have to spend some money for the marketing because it's not easy to get chances to play this instrument as an occupation so now on YouTube I just uploaded just my performance video just concert videos but I'm just thinking that maybe I just have to make the tutorial video or some the vlog or something but I'm a bit lazy

00:38:39.487 --> 00:39:13.146
you need someone to do your online presence for you I mean absolutely these days the internet is a great thing but it means you have to do a lot of that work yourself right which you know as you say didn't have to be done in the past so uh yes makes a lot more work but opportunities too so So you mentioned Japan.

00:39:13.567 --> 00:39:16.128
Did you tour in Japan earlier this year or are you going back?

00:39:16.349 --> 00:39:16.909
No, I

00:39:16.969 --> 00:39:24.617
already had one earlier this year because my second album was released in both countries, Korea and Japan.

00:39:24.637 --> 00:39:35.065
So the label for my second album had connections in Japan and suggested releasing it there at the same time.

00:39:35.186 --> 00:39:40.349
So we even did a showcase at Tower Records in Shibuya.

00:39:40.911 --> 00:39:54.865
So also you appeared quite regularly on television there in South Korea you also appear on KBS Classic FM which is a radio station there in Korea so you're getting some exposure on the media there in Korea

00:39:55.626 --> 00:41:04.260
yes because two months ago I had the special program it's kind of the lecture concert so every month they have the special instrument and that month they just want to present the harmonica so the radio station just chose me as the harmonica master in Korea it was a live radio show just one hour concert so I just gave a lecture I think I did five times in that month yeah every Tuesday so first week I played some unaccompaniment pieces for the instrument including the serenade of course and the next two weeks I played with the piano James Moody's and something like that and the last two weeks I played with the string quartet so yeah it was a very long month for me

00:41:05.481 --> 00:41:22.599
so I mean do you feel a responsibility you know to keep the chromatic harmonica going and you know some of the pieces over to the tommy riley pieces the ones composed by james moody they're part of the repertoire you know what's the balance between playing those pieces and then bringing new music to the chromatic harmonica and the arrangements you're doing

00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:55.003
yeah i i i feel responsible for the introduction of the new pieces for korean audience as well because as i mentioned there are still so few harmonic soloists so for many people even professional musicians hearing the harmonica in a classical setting is something new so my goal is to share the beauty of this instrument through yeah good performances and hopefully inspire more interest in it

00:41:55.043 --> 00:42:45.581
yeah you're doing a great job again i know sigmund sees you as the next superstar of the chromatic harmonica so I touched on earlier on that you are performing as a chamber musician so you're working so chamber music is played generally with four instruments a lot of the time or maybe a few more yeah so I think you're you're working in a as a chamber musician you're composing pieces for those and working in that small setting and then sometimes with a with a harp a guitar and an organ as well yeah so these are some of the things you're doing yeah yes so is this music that you're composing

00:42:45.601 --> 00:42:55.639
it depends on the music but with the harp, Tommy Riley and Sky Lakanga was a very great duo for the harmonica and the harp.

00:43:12.257 --> 00:43:21.706
Scala, the harpist, she composed and arranged a lot of pieces for Tommy and herself.

00:43:22.286 --> 00:43:26.489
So basically, I played her own arrangement.

00:43:27.090 --> 00:43:32.596
And of course, James Moody wrote some special pieces for the harp and harmonica.

00:43:33.215 --> 00:43:44.981
So when I have a concert with the harp, I try to use that repertoire for the concert with harp.

00:43:55.617 --> 00:44:04.164
And I think in Korea, you're working with some contemporary composers and you've had some pieces written for you, I think, have you, by some composers in Korea?

00:44:04.306 --> 00:45:16.878
Yeah, I have some pieces written for me because a few years ago, I started to meet some contemporary musicians in Korea and I had a special seminar for the composers and presented some new music for them and some of them are very surprised and so interested in this instrument and they said they want to write something new for me for this instrument but some of them are good and some of them are not good because contemporary music is not easy to listen to sometimes so I've premiered original works and I try to introduce existing pieces to korea for the first time and like the michael spivakovsky concerto yeah his concerto is the the first ever harmonica concerto so i was the first korean to play that piece in korea

00:45:17.820 --> 00:45:26.548
so this year um at the end of october early november is uh the world harmonica festival in trussingen and you're appearing as a judge there.

00:45:26.608 --> 00:45:31.213
I think you're the first Korean to be appointed as a judge at the World Harmonica Competition.

00:45:32.054 --> 00:45:36.119
Yes, I was so honored to be selected as the first

00:45:36.219 --> 00:45:37.621
Korean jury.

00:45:39.182 --> 00:45:39.862
So great.

00:45:39.983 --> 00:45:40.764
So you're going along.

00:45:41.105 --> 00:45:42.465
You've been to Trossingen before, have you?

00:45:42.505 --> 00:45:46.070
Yes, 20 years ago, exactly.

00:45:46.469 --> 00:45:46.731
Wow.

00:45:47.891 --> 00:45:48.793
2005.

00:45:49.434 --> 00:45:50.614
So going back as a judge now.

00:45:50.675 --> 00:45:55.440
So you're judging what the classical section are you?

00:45:55.440 --> 00:46:05.530
I'm not sure yet but yeah so great so you'll be there at Trossingen as will Sigmund so yeah people can meet and are you performing at Trossingen as well

00:46:06.130 --> 00:46:23.090
yes we have the gala concert and as you mentioned Sigmund will also be there along with his pianist Ivan Anton Vogel and I've played with Ivan Anton many times so when I have concert in Trossingen I'm going to play with

00:46:23.110 --> 00:46:39.567
Ivan Anton on the piano question should ask each time is if you had 10 minutes to practice what would you spend those 10 minutes doing so you've already talked about legato earlier on that and then the basic fundamentals so maybe helping chromatic players out there how they can get to grips with some more fundamentals

00:46:40.228 --> 00:47:19.728
yeah if I had just 10 minutes I'd probably practice the Bach the Gavotte and Rondo from the violin partita as I mentioned arranged by Tom Riley because it has so many musical and technical elements packed into one piece so it's perfect as a warm-up before a concert and before you start practicing properly and that's also something I've played for years so it feels familiar but it still challenges me in the right way so if I can play this piece correctly I can just play

00:47:36.257 --> 00:47:44.389
And what about any tips for some chromatic players out there about some of the fundamentals that you might focus on or they can focus on?

00:47:44.929 --> 00:48:02.672
Well, I can just say when I was little, when I was young, I thought playing the very fast piece, it's much harder than playing the slow and melodic pieces.

00:48:02.793 --> 00:48:05.177
But that's the opposite.

00:48:06.530 --> 00:48:18.661
On the chromatic harmonica and on the harmonica itself, it's not easy to play melodic pieces very beautifully because you have to breathe in and out.

00:48:19.420 --> 00:48:23.003
That's the basic breathing technique for this instrument.

00:48:23.764 --> 00:49:06.338
So, for example, playing the Danny Boy, the Londonderry Air, or playing the very small Ave Maria, Bach's Gnome is very simple melody but it's not easy to play this simple melody beautifully on this instrument So just please focus on the basic movements.

00:49:06.998 --> 00:49:12.543
Just two notes, smooth legato is very important for this instrument.

00:49:12.583 --> 00:49:21.391
When I went to the harmonica festival, but as you know, it's basically the competition.

00:49:21.530 --> 00:49:24.994
So you have to play very fast pieces.

00:49:25.594 --> 00:49:31.278
If you're going to play just one piece, you have to choose very fast and technical pieces.

00:49:31.920 --> 00:49:38.527
but sometimes I think it's too much because it doesn't sound

00:49:38.786 --> 00:49:39.347
beautiful.

00:49:39.367 --> 00:49:47.737
I think maybe the chromatic suits the slower pieces too, getting that beautiful tone out of it.

00:49:48.277 --> 00:49:51.141
Do you prefer then to play slower pieces than faster pieces?

00:49:52.021 --> 00:50:07.998
I like to play both, but playing slow pieces you have to focus more because playing fast pieces, sometimes you just play play, but playing very slow pieces, all you have to do is the concentration.

00:50:08.059 --> 00:50:13.684
You've recently been named a Hohner Global Artist, so you've become a brand ambassador for Hohner, yeah?

00:50:14.585 --> 00:50:16.286
Yes, I'm honoured as well.

00:50:16.306 --> 00:50:20.110
So what does that involve, being a Hohner Global Artist?

00:50:20.851 --> 00:51:26.061
Yeah, basically I always recommend the Hohner Harmonicas to the students because I started with the Hohner instrument and my main Horner is the Silver Concerto as well Horner has the very standard sound so if I choose one the typical brand then I would just recommend the Horner so I was so honored to be the Horner ambassador but of course I use the Pole Concerto Harmonica as well it's the same model that Tommy and Sigmund used and so it's feels very natural to me and the quality is outstanding but unfortunately the harmonica maker Gail Polista he no longer produce them so they are impossible to find now but I use the pole concert harmonica and the silver concerto as well and yeah I always

00:51:26.682 --> 00:51:46.384
recommend Horner the poly ones as you say he's not making them anymore do you have more than one yourself so you've got some in supply I think I have five right yeah so you have some but I mean they'll take some maintenance right so is that something that you can get someone to do for you or do you do some yourself or

00:51:47.083 --> 00:52:04.362
yeah just the wind saver I just do it myself but if the reed is broken I have to send it to the Norway but basically it's the same reed plate as the silver concerto so

00:52:05.043 --> 00:52:14.873
you can just as the honer as well you mentioned you still play some tremolo do you play any diatonic harmonica or any other sorts of harmonicas just once a year

00:52:14.914 --> 00:52:33.134
when I have the very special concerts for children or some school concerts I always try to bring a lot of different harmonicas for just the demonstration.

00:52:33.173 --> 00:52:34.956
There are so many different harmonicas.

00:52:36.237 --> 00:52:50.351
So I play the tremolo, this kind of sound, chromatic, and look at this small diatonic and the B chords and the bass and the kick is that the mini harmonica, the four holes.

00:52:51.132 --> 00:52:51.974
Little Lady, yeah.

00:52:52.333 --> 00:52:52.894
Little Lady,

00:52:53.014 --> 00:52:53.795
yes, that's the one.

00:52:54.376 --> 00:52:54.916
Yeah, great.

00:52:55.016 --> 00:52:57.659
But you're mainly obviously playing the chromatic.

00:52:57.860 --> 00:53:00.762
Do you play the orchestral ones, the chord and the bass much?

00:53:00.802 --> 00:53:01.543
Is that something you...

00:53:01.583 --> 00:53:04.126
actually you know try to use or not much

00:53:04.887 --> 00:53:22.085
for that kind of ensemble harmonicas I just do it for just a demonstration but I also have my harmonica ensemble harmonica quartet as well so yeah I don't play the

00:53:22.126 --> 00:53:30.775
chords and bass harmonicas as such but you're playing in a harmonica quartet and you're playing the chromatic in that yeah okay and do you perform with that quartet much?

00:53:31.536 --> 00:53:33.038
Yes, sometimes.

00:53:33.597 --> 00:53:40.105
So we have a concert next month, I think.

00:53:41.126 --> 00:53:44.369
But nowadays, I'm so busy as a soloist.

00:53:45.411 --> 00:53:52.217
And so it's not easy to make many chances to play as an ensemble.

00:53:52.878 --> 00:54:01.068
And as you expect, it's not easy to make chances to play the harmonicas on the stage.

00:54:01.487 --> 00:54:08.005
so if If some good opportunities happen, yeah, I play as an ensemble.

00:54:08.246 --> 00:54:13.010
But when they just invite me as a soloist, I

00:54:13.030 --> 00:54:14.851

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