We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Soo Choi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Soo below.

Alright, Soo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The meaningful project for me was one where art truly became a place of rest and a seed for growth that eventually shared warmth.

I’ve been doing music since I was young, but I’ve always been interested in other things too, like art and video, and I kept up with trends. I’ve always loved music, and at some point, I also fell in love with video art.

I taught myself how to make videos by reading books, analyzing videos online, and studying what people like, while planning my own future projects. After that, I won a few video contests, and after getting into college for classical music, I interned at a media company that made YouTube dramas and variety shows.

Right after that, I gathered around 90 artists and launched a year-long art fusion project.

This is how the ‘MAD’ project began, combining Music, Art, Dance, and Film. The project had a theme, but each artist could express it in their own way. We created new forms of media art, blending the changing world with our unique artistic styles. After 6 months of planning and filming, the pandemic came.

In 2020, everything felt fast-paced, and there seemed to be no rest. The world was covered in fear and sadness. I felt suffocated, unable to adjust to the rapidly changing world, full of worry.

During that time, I decided not to delay the project and began uploading what we had filmed, hoping it would make people smile. The comments were heartwarming, with messages like, ‘Thank you for showing this beautiful video during such difficult times.’ Most of the comments were like this, and they made me feel deeply loved.

For a long time, I focused only on the fusion of the arts, and when asked, ‘Why?’ I’d always answer, ‘Because I love music.’ But now I understand the deeper reason why I love music: it’s what keeps me breathing. This project became a place of rest for some, a breath of fresh air for others, and a meaningful haven for many

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?

With a profound respect for history and culture, I imbue my music with a rich tapestry of influences. I Believe the power of music heal the world.
Hello! Im Soo Choi and Im a violinist, composer, improviser and educator. Performs classical, jazz, Latin, funk, and world music genres.

Began my musical journey with a classical education in Korea over 15 years, laying a solid foundation for my artistic exploration. Now based in the United States, I am fearlessly embrace diverse musical genres, continuously challenging myself and pushing boundaries. With my innovative approach, I am reshaping the sonic landscape of string instruments, carving out a unique and captivating style of my own.

My unique style lies in the versatility of the violin, producing a diverse array of sounds beyond the traditional classical repertoire. Exploring realms beyond conventional norms, I delve into funky beats reminiscent of drum sets and percussion, Latin grooves, and utilizes pizzicato techniques to mimic guitar-like gypsy, jazz, and Latin accompaniments.

Currently pursuing my undergraduate studies as a scholarship recipient at Berklee School of Music, further enrich my musical universe under the mentorship of Danilo Pérez at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.

I have been actively engaged in collaborative ventures and performances with renowned artists like Kanny Baron, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Joe Lovano, Andrés Cepeda, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall.

I also possess skills beyond music, including media contents creating. With prior experience interning in the video production industry, I gained valuable insights into media, deepening my interest, particularly in the fusion of arts. As an artist and educator, I committed to share my experiences and skills with the world, expanding my horizons.

Currently, embarking on another endeavor by forming bands like the contemporary string quartet and Jazz-pop Band (DOSI band), aiming to break boundaries and create new music.

My String Quartet is a female string quartet that plays diverse music styles including jazz, latin, world , and more..
We play our originals, arrangements and improvise.

DOSI band is a band that plays Jazz based pop tune. We rearrange pop tunes and make it into our style of music. We started to make media videos relating to art fusion contents.

I will showcase my ongoing commitment to innovation and exploration in the music industry today, tomorrow, and always with love and passion

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been doing classical music for a long time. I started violin when I was young, and even though there were many hard days, I never thought of quitting because I love music. After graduating from an arts middle – high school, I went to college for classical music. This is when the episode starts.

In 2020, I got shingles, and my left arm and hand paralyzed, causing me unbearable pain. I couldn’t do anthing. I couldn’t go outside, and I had to be extra careful about my health. The medication was strong, making me sleepy, but the pain was so intense that I couldn’t sleep at all. All I could do to distract myself was lie down, watch TV, and listen to music.

During that time, I watched a lot of Youtube, dramas, anime, and movies. That’s when I discovered some artists who really impacted me. The YouTube algorithm recommended the ‘Tiny Desk’ channel, and the first band I saw was ‘Sing Sing Sing.’ They played Korean traditional music mixed with jazz, and it was a huge shock to me. It sparked my interest in jazz. Then I came across Esperanza Spalding, and her music was unlike anything I had heard before. It also stimulated my mind. I noticed a violinist playing with her, and even though it was the same instrument I played, it sounded completely different. I was blown away and started looking up jazz violin. That’s when I decided I wanted to do jazz.

After about a year, the pain was still there, but my left hand started to move again, but the nerve in my pinky finger didn’t fully recover. Despite that, I decided togo to a new path, new country, new school, and new music. I prepared for the Berklee audition and got accepted, which has brought me to where I am today.

Amazingly, one of my professors now is Sara Caswell, the violinist from the Esperanza Spalding video that had such an impact on me. No matter what happens in life, if you accept it as a time of change, you can overcome anything.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’m someone who plays many different kinds of music, like Jazz, Latin, world, pop, funk, and more. I create my social media contents to show what I love to do. One of my main projects is called “Strings Can Do Anything.” In this project, I use the violin to show how it can sound like a whole band—replacing drums, bass, piano, guitar, and more.

Another part of my content is collaboration. I work with other musicians to make more music, usually covering popular songs that are trending.

It’s important to post content regularly, especially music that is trending, because it helps the algorithm show your content to more people. Important thing about social media is keep posting things consistently.

For Instagram Reels, videos can only be up to 90 seconds long, so it’s important to keep them within that time. Also, using clear captions, good thumbnails, and clean video quality makes a big difference.

Show how much you love the contents. People can see and hear your passion through the video.They can tell if a creator is only looking for attention or truly loves what they do. If you show that you love your work, the audience will know. Don’t be afraid.

Just go for it and share your Thing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/hyunsoo100/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hyunsoo100/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@madtv5531
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/@soomadtv9527