Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Lee.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I wouldn’t have gotten to where I was today if it wasn’t for my family. My family was blessed with wonderful musical talent. My parents both being talented singers with my mother being a vocal professor at a college, my older sister having a natural talent in musicianship and teaching, which led her to start her own music business, and my younger sister is being decorated, Oboe player in high school. As for me, I believe myself to be more intimate and expressive with my music. My own musicianship and the origin of all my musical inspiration comes from my life and everything around me. Whether it be sitting at a cafe trying to hum along to the music or it would be listening to the concussive sounds of pennies dropping from a table. Music is everywhere for me. It personifies my emotions and my life experiences. Music is a universal language and a medium that speaks from the heart. A heartless tune is just a bunch of music notes being read off a still screen, but a song that speaks from an artist’s heart has the power to move anyone.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily a bad thing. At one point in time, I set aside music because I believed that music was a sacred bond that I endeared and I did not want to harm that relationship. So, I branched off to other professions but was met with lots of hardship and struggles along the way. Dealing with a devastating, long-term breakup, I started skipping classes which ultimately lead me to drop out of school. I found myself at an all-time low, dealing with depression on a daily basis. My health deteriorated and my willingness to live due to my misfortune became increasingly unbearable. But my story didn’t stop there. I decided to take control of my life and to control my own fate. I first began to take care of my body and to take care of my mind. Through my faith and through self-discipline, I am where I am today with a bachelor’s degree in hand in Computer Science that I turned this story into a redemption story. Because of what I went through, I am able to stand up proudly and be thankful for how blessed I am to just be alive and to struggle to be the best version of me that I can portray. Life is hard, but it doesn’t mean we have to give up. By being able and willing to pick ourselves up when we’re at our weakest shows strength. By being able to keep moving forward when life is pushing you back shows determination. And by being able to discern and to have the self-discipline to take control of your life and your mental health shows resilience. These are the tools for my success: The palette for my artistry.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am known for my SoundCloud/music with a small following that primarily showcases music from my friend, Jjolee, and her Webtoon, Lost in Translation. This all started as being a fan of her work and so I wrote songs for several of her characters at first. Which then inspired me to start composing music for her released chapters. Soon, those songs became apart of her universe and I was humbly met with positive feedback from her and her community and have the author’s approval to continue doing so. I owe my music to her and her trust in me to make music that can accurately portray her compelling characters and her enveloping story. As an amateur producer, I know that my music production is weak because of my lack of experience in production software, but the ideas and melodies that are bursting in my head from Jjolee’s Webtoon is overflowing. For that, I am confident in my ability to produce music for content that speaks from the heart. Making music for Jjolee’s story has been a complete honor, and I hope that my music continues to help and complement other creators and artists in the near future.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
To be brief, like I mentioned before:
“By being able and willing to pick ourselves up when we’re at our weakest shows strength. By being able to keep moving forward when life is pushing you back shows determination. And by being able to discern and to have the self-discipline to take control of your life and your mental health shows resilience. These are the tools for my success: The palette to my artistry.”
Also, a very simple but important quality that I hold dear to is to be a good person. Not for the sake of self-gratification, but to actually want the best out of the people in your life and whom you interact with. Life is hard enough as it is alone, so we should help those in need if we have the power to do so.
And lastly, self-discipline. You cannot take care of those who matter to you if you cannot take care of yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soundcloud.com/chris-lee-442
- Email: imchrisjlee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imchrisjlee/
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