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

Hanbin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I can strongly say that I’m so happy. Part of my happiness comes from playing drums, teaching students, and as a Christian, seeing people healed and blessed. There are many things that make me happy. While there are certainly challenging moments and times of stress, the happiness I derive from my work far outweighs any difficulties.

One of the reasons I initially started playing music was because it gave me a greater sense of happiness, especially when playing the drums. I believed that if I pursued this profession, I could live without losing that happiness. So, I haven’t yet pondered having a stable job. For now, I’m focused on happiness even more than reality. When faced with practical concerns, such as the need for a stable job for the sake of future dependents or children, I would still strive to find a job in the music field to avoid losing my happiness.

Hanbin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Until I decided to become a professional Drummer, and what musical direction I had, and I would like to introduce my short musical life.

The reason why I first came across drums and started playing drums was to praise Jesus.. I really participated in the drum class held at the church at the suggestion of my parents for fun when I was 15 years old without much thought, and after practicing steadily with increasing interest, I decided to praise and play with drums when it was a month. After about a year of gradual progress, I was in charge of accompaniment in youth worship, adult worship, and various worship services, and there were various learnings. As I was constantly playing in the church and praising God, I became more and more interested in learning Gospel/FUNK and various skills, and I seriously thought about deciding on a job as a drummer based on this.

While trying various things, one of the things I was most interested in and happy at that time was drums, so after a lot of thought, I decided to become a drummer. After that, in order to become a professional drummer, I said goodbye to a teacher who had studied with me at church, and to learn new things, I decided to prepare for Jazz, Latin, and global rhythm and Berklee college of music with drummer Christian Moran, who graduated from Berklee College of Music and was doing music in Korea after graduating from Berklee College of music. I have accumulated ensemble experience by visiting various live performance venues such as various jazz bars and cafes in Korea, and I have been studying for ensemble experience at various music academies. (The reason I wasn’t worried about school studies at the time was that I dropped out of high school and passed the GED to enter BCM early. ) After all the preparations were completed, I took the test, and received a notice of acceptance from Berklee College of music.

When I was about 18 years old, I arrived in the United States and entered Berklee College of Music, and as I played and studied music with my friends and professors from all over the world, I became interested in RnB, HIPHOP, and Jazz, and I broadened my knowledge of music, and it has continued to this day. Also, I think there were several professors, including James Murphy, Billy Kilson, and Mark walker, a mentor/professor who had a great influence on me while studying with Berklee. In particular, James and Billy studied musical tendencies together, helping me realize what music I was pursuing.

Based on my short music life, I think the music I pursue is Instrumental Jazz/hiphop, which is influenced by various environments and music such as Gospel, Jazz, Latin, and Hiphop. I think so now, but I don’t know how to change in the future, so I think we should always move forward without stopping.

In conclusion, like my story, I want to let people know that musicality comes from the surrounding environment, the characters, or the knowledge gained by exploring. Many people already know this, but I want to let those who don’t know this, the next generation who want to make music a career…

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a Christian, I want to spread the glory and gratitude of God. The reason I have come this far is due to God’s guidance, he has blessed me with new relationships, good relationships, and the strength to overcome various opportunities and difficulties. I want to share these stories with people. I expect this will be my goal and the culmination of my journey.

From a musician’s perspective, I want to create music as a drummer, release albums, and prove that a drummer can make music in various ways, including recording. In doing so, I hope to inspire the next generation and encourage them to try new things.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As an artist, I feel satisfied when my followers and fans are influenced by me. It means I can help younger musicians and the next generation with my abilities, which makes me feel fulfilled.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bio.site/Hanbin
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benefi_t/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rnbdrum?si=HNO4qmrDdMrwPVRH