Artist of the Issue Article: Caryn Kim

For much of her childhood, music was woven into the background of her days—lessons, practice, and small performances that added up over time. Kim remembers that “a large part of [her] childhood was learning how to play the piano and performing at mini concerts.” In third grade, Kim made a decision that shaped her as a musician: she “decided to switch to playing the flute and started taking lessons as well as playing in the school band.” Over time, she said, “I grew into a flutist,” continuing to play in school ensembles and orchestras while auditioning and competing—improving, as she put it, “one measure at a time.”

A big reason Kim has grown so much as a musician is because of the mentors around her. She’s worked with multiple teachers and conductors, including her flute teacher, Modern Language teacher Naomi Senzer, and Director of Instrumental Music Erik Elligers. Kim said Senzer helped her improve technically because “she would be an external ear, double-checking my technique, my tone, my pitch, and everything else.” With Senzer’s support, Kim also became more independent: “With her guidance, I started to be able to hear my own mistakes, being able to work on my own technique outside of our lessons.” More recently, all her teachers have helped her with breath and phrasing. Kim said, “She has been helping with extending my breath and figuring out how I could work through the phrase.” She added, “These lessons have really helped me grow as a flutist, becoming a little more confident in my playing and learning more and more everyday.” She’s also learned how to be a stronger ensemble musician. As Kim put it, “Playing on my own as a soloist and playing with others is a very different experience as I start listening to others and seeing how my part fits in with others.”

Even though making music takes a lot of work, Kim still enjoys it. “I really enjoy playing music whether on my own or with a group of people,” she said. When she’s practicing alone, she focuses on the details and tries to “figure out what kind of story/emotion [she needs] to convey.” She admits it can be hard: “It can get frustrating…  [but then]I feel like all my effort and hard work has paid off.” One of her favorite aspects of music is how it blends discipline with creativity: “I think my favorite part of performing and practicing music is that I get to work consistently and diligently in order to actually figure out what kind of phrasing and emotion I need to convey.” Even within that structure, she still gets to tell a story, and she loves “that collective phrasing and the different textures made by different instruments shape something meaningful out of sound.”

One of Kim’s most unforgettable memories as a musician happened when she played at Carnegie Hall. She described it as “absolutely wonderful,” remembering “the architecture of the building with the decorated ceilings as well as the balcony overlooking the stage,” which was “really gorgeous to look at.” Even the sound stood out to her: “the sound quality was really nice because of that little bit of reverb.” Moments like that are part of why she keeps going. As Kim said, “I still play the flute and hope to continue it in the future because I get to constantly learn and improve my skills, and I get to constantly find a group of people to connect with and make music with.”

That sense of connection is what makes music special to Kim. “They say music is a language, and I really do believe it is,” she explained, describing how she has seen it bring people together at school, church, and even performances at the senior center. That community mattered to her personally, too. “When I was first starting out in this school, I was so worried about making friends and adjusting to a new environment,” Kim shared, “but having Band and this group of people to make music with, I was able to make friends,” including Riya Rao and Olivia Wang—her “flute flang.” She said, “I think we all just feel the music in our heart a bit, and that connects us together whether we understand the music or not.”