Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yeakun Yoo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Yeakun thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

When I was a sophomore in college majoring in composition, a friend of my parents was developing an English vocabulary game app. While he was looking for a person who could create game music, my parents recommended me as a game composer to him. He wanted to give it a shot with me and that’s how I became a composer engaged in revenue-generating activities for the first time at that point. At that time, while I was studying composition, I had a good understanding of how to create music. However, I realized that to compose game music, I needed to learn how to use software like Logic Pro, Cubase, and other MIDI sequencers. To gain proficiency in these tools, I reached out to friends and conducted extensive research on the internet. After putting in a lot of effort, I successfully composed five pieces of music, all of which were eventually used in the game.
That was a really good experience for me and that was the first moment that I wanted to be a media composer.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve had perfect pitch since I was young and have learned to play various instruments such as the violin, piano, guitar, percussion, and trumpet. Through this journey, I developed a deep love for making music, and I always knew I wanted to become a professional musician someday. During my high school years, I realized that I had more aptitude for music than most people, and that’s when I started taking private lessons and studying composition more seriously. From that time until now, I’ve been studying composition for 17 years and working as a professional composer.

After completing my undergraduate studies in composition at Seoul National University in South Korea, I worked as an assistant composer at a music production studio for about two years. During this time, I contributed to the creation of music for various projects in Korea, including games, films, animations, and advertisements, gradually building my career.

Following these experiences, I decided to pursue a more specialized education in film scoring in the United States. I came to the U.S. and enrolled in the Screen Scoring Master program at the University of Southern California (USC). During my time at USC, I had many opportunities to work with various directors and producers as a freelancer.

Upon graduating from USC, I established my own company called YK Music Productions, where I currently serve as the CEO and Lead Composer. It’s been quite a journey from my early studies to establishing my own music production company, and I’m proud of the path I’ve taken in the field of music composition and production.

One of my greatest strengths and what I consider to be a unique quality is my communication skills and sense of responsibility. Over the course of my 10-year career as a freelancer, I have never missed a deadline or refused a client’s request for revisions. I’ve worked with a wide range of clients, each with different personalities and work styles. Occasionally, I’ve encountered clients who make excessive revision requests.

In such situations, where some might choose to abandon the project or engage in disputes, I have always taken it upon myself to accommodate these revision requests until the project reaches completion. Even when it has meant potential losses in terms of time and finances, I have consistently taken responsibility for ensuring that the project is successfully finalized. I believe that adhering to such a philosophy in my client interactions has been the most significant factor contributing to the rapid growth of my company.

Another advantage I possess is quick responsiveness and professional sound production. Typically, I can respond to any inquiry or contact from a client within 5 to 10 minutes, regardless of the situation, and I’ve always operated this way. Because of this, my wife sometimes complains about my constant use of my cell phone when we’re spending time with family. However, I personally believe that rapid responsiveness is the most important thing to survive in this industry.

Moreover, I approach every project with the goal of creating the perfect sound for it. I put in the effort and research to achieve that goal. During this process, I’ve employed numerous musicians and sound designers to create unique music. While these investments may appear financially inefficient in the short term, I believe that making such bold investments now will bring me much greater benefits in the long run.

Although my journey with YK Music Productions has only spanned three years, I’m eagerly looking forward to the numerous projects and clients we will encounter in the future. I always live with this sense of anticipation, and I aspire to be someone who continually learns and interacts with more people.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I inherently enjoy helping others, and I find the most rewarding moments in my work as a composer are when clients express great satisfaction upon receiving my music. While I do take pleasure in creating music that I personally enjoy and find satisfying, there’s an even greater sense of fulfillment when I see others experiencing joy and happiness through my music. Using my talents to assist and bring happiness to others might be, perhaps, the ultimate purpose and goal of my life.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I first decided to become a composer, I made a commitment to myself that I would become a composer who heals others through my music. I have experienced and composed music in a wide range of genres, almost all genres, but I feel particularly passionate and energized when creating music that can soothe and heal people’s hearts. In the future, I hope that many people will find inner peace and healing when they listen to my music and that my music can provide solace to wounded hearts.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ykmusicproductions-en.com
• Instagram: @yeakunyoo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yeakunyoo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeakun-yoo-2b471b135/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Ru6orJ6jBsMUTrdVYd8zQ
• Other: https://fmf.fm/article/12 https://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-yeakun-yoo/

Image Credits
https://ykmusicproductions-en.com/16 (main credits are here)

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