We were lucky to catch up with Sion Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sion thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

When I was young, I wanted to do music but I didn’t have any friends or relatives around me who played music. Also, like all parents, they want their children to have a stable job. It was true for my parents as well.
So, until I was 18, I had to focus on academics like my other friends, due to my parents’ opposition.
Nevertheless, I believed that my roots were in music. With my parents eventually supporting my pursuit of music, I began learning music earnestly. I felt frustrated by thought of starting music later than others, but I was even more happy about being able to make the music I liked.
Now I can’t imagine myself having a normal job. Of course, I experienced a lot of stress and slumps during the process of learning and creating music, but I do not regret the path I chose.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an LA-based musician and guitarist from Korea. I graduated of the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, I currently record, perform live and compose music.

When I was in Korea, I didn’t have any friends around me who played music, so I always practiced and played alone.
So when I first came to the United States and went to school, everything was new.
It was my first time playing with others, and my first time playing on stage. It was then that I realized that even playing the guitar standing up requires practice.
As I encountered all these new experiences, the things I was lacking became more and more noticeable, and I looked back at the things I had neglected. Also, by listening and learning from great teachers (Dean Brown, Jinshi Ozaki, Dan Guilbert, Allen Hinds) about their philosophy, attitude toward music, and their lives, I learned how to live as a person, not just as a musician.
After graduating from school, I met musicians who were active in LA. Which was also a great luck for me.
Sharing music with them was an opportunity to learn more than just learning music and improving skills through social media.
These experiences helped me become a musician in a broader sense, not just to look cool as a guitarist and show others something, but to not limit myself.

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

I don’t have the goal of changing the world through music. Just when my music moves someone’s heart and elicits empathy, that is the moment that connects people who would have never met and brings out emotions through the medium of music. That is the biggest reason and driving force for me to do music.

From another perspective as a performer, I feel like music is a conversation when I interact with it.
When playing with other musicians, the act of understanding what you want to show and what the other person is asking for, and adjusting to each other is like having a conversation. Just as a conversation is enjoyable when the other person’s story matches what you want to say, when playing with others, it feels rewarding if you can understand and enjoy what each other is trying to convey.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

To lead your own creative journey, you need to expose yourself to new things and be wary of being afraid of failure or complacent. Music isn’t always about creating something new from scratch. I believe that taking inspiration from external factors and making it your own is also part of the creative journey. In that sense, the process of creating something is always complementary and simultaneous.

Also, we must not forget to evolve through trial and error.
I don’t think anyone will be 100% satisfied with their work from the beginning.
Meet many people, listen to a variety of music, and continue to develop yourself, gain inspiration, and move forward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leesionoff/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sion.

Image Credits
Zhao Ouyang, David