composer, pianist, music educator
Toronto-based composer, singer-songwriter (under the name Grumpy Kitty Boy), pianist, writer, and music educator.
I sat down to eat breakfast (at 3 in the afternoon, no less!) and saw a Facebook post from someone I look up to. They mused about people who saw us but refused to look at us. Far from random strangers on streets who look past us, it was about arts scenes, communities, and people [...]
The year 2022 is coming to a close, and I'm grateful that things are just happening. Period. There was a time years ago when I thought, "This is it. No opportunities lay ahead next year, no one else wants to work with me. I have nothing more to say. I'm done." I unofficially went into [...]
N.B.: This is the first of a four-part writing series about my koto mentorship program as a professional development initiative I started in September 2022. This initiative is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. "Why don't you take up Japanese koto as a minor instrument?" an advisor nonchalantly told me as he proceeded [...]
It always takes some time before I post updates about what's currently on right now. Things have been rather hectic since the past 9-10 months, and this is quite unprecedented in my composer life. I guess change is happening—I think of writer Eva Hoffman who, upon having culture shock over the Krakow she knew decades [...]
I am very privileged to write about two things among the latest updates in my work. First things first. It has been official—New Music Concerts launched its inaugural composer-in-residence program, and I feel very honoured to be their first composer resident for 2022. I am commissioned to write two works: one for a flute octet [...]
I'm regaining momentum again in my composer life since Grumpy Kitty Boy took over the majority of 2020 (the pandemic year) up to the present. My screens are suddenly full of Sibelius notation again while I look things up at "composerssite.com" (admit that you do too!). My brain is now geared towards pursuing projects and [...]
N.B. I originally wanted to write this essay as a Facebook post—a tribute to my old ways—but eventually decided against it due to the risk of being subjected to what I'll call the "algorithm invisibility." I think that this reflection deserves a space that actually respects its contents. My physical copies of the following musical [...]
Photography: Prince Requino Since focusing on Grumpy Kitty Boy, I'm now navigating an entirely different world that requires building project timelines; doing more admin work for my artistic life; writing grants (since I'm now eligible to do so as a new Permanent Resident of Canada--maybe this should warrant a different blog entry sometime in the [...]
I'm focusing a lot on Grumpy Kitty Boy lately. It has been a source of fulfillment and joy for me as an artist. Many things have been cooking behind the scenes—I'm working on an official music video collaboration on "Airplane Wings" with Yuna Kim, and production work is still continuing not just for another upcoming [...]
Juro Kim Feliz 