Popular video file upload inspires pianists to meet
Published: 17 Dec. 2006, 21:12
A computer mechanic with serious cerebral palsy uploaded a video file of himself playing the piano on the Internet early this month. The file soon became one of the most searched for video files on Internet portals. The featured piece was the instrumental “Remember” and when its composer learned of the video file and its popularity, he posted a message on the amateur pianist’s homepage asking to meet.
Last Tuesday, Kim Gyeong-min, 25, the pianist, and Kim Yun, 23, a music composition student at Kyungwon University, met at Gyeong-min’s house in Ansan, Gyeonggi province.
“I was very moved by the video of you playing the piano. It gave me an opportunity to look back on my performance,” Kim Yun said.
“It is my honor to meet the original performer of the music personally. I am grateful that you took interest in such an imperfect performance,” Kim Gyeong-min responded.
Kim Yun is a promising New Age pianist and a composer of scores for television dramas: “Toji (Land),” “Nunkkot (Snow Flower),” and “Qaegeol Chunhyang (Spirited Girl Chunhyang).”
Kim Gyeong-min was born with cerebral palsy and became fascinated by the sound of the piano and started taking lessons when he was in middle school. In the beginning, he could not unfold his fingers so he struck the keys with his fists or wrists. After two years of practice, he was able to unfold his fingers to an extent, but he quit taking lessons because he was not making any progress. However, he kept practicing by himself.
“Piano is my cherished friend, which breathed hope and courage into my life. I wanted to show that a person with cerebral palsy can play music. So I decided to upload the file onto the Internet and let the world know,” he said.
Despite his limited ability, he chose relatively difficult pieces such as “Remember” and Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” because he wanted to deliver a message of hope of overcoming disability.
“Gyeong-min lacks techniques because of his disability, but due to his enormous amount of practice and concentration, he was able to play the two pieces wonderfully,” Yun said. “The emotional aspect of his performance is superior to that of mine.”
Kim Gyeong-min majored in social work and theology in college and now works as a computer repair mechanic.
He intends to perform and download “A Comme Amour” also, a composition by Richard Clayderman.
Gyeong-min and Yun sat down in front of a piano together and played, before promising that they would keep in touch.
“I would like to invite Gyeong-min as a special guest to my concert and play ‘Remember’ together,” Kim Yun said.
The video of the two performing together can be viewed at joins.com.
by Jung Hyung-mok
Last Tuesday, Kim Gyeong-min, 25, the pianist, and Kim Yun, 23, a music composition student at Kyungwon University, met at Gyeong-min’s house in Ansan, Gyeonggi province.
“I was very moved by the video of you playing the piano. It gave me an opportunity to look back on my performance,” Kim Yun said.
“It is my honor to meet the original performer of the music personally. I am grateful that you took interest in such an imperfect performance,” Kim Gyeong-min responded.
Kim Yun is a promising New Age pianist and a composer of scores for television dramas: “Toji (Land),” “Nunkkot (Snow Flower),” and “Qaegeol Chunhyang (Spirited Girl Chunhyang).”
Kim Gyeong-min was born with cerebral palsy and became fascinated by the sound of the piano and started taking lessons when he was in middle school. In the beginning, he could not unfold his fingers so he struck the keys with his fists or wrists. After two years of practice, he was able to unfold his fingers to an extent, but he quit taking lessons because he was not making any progress. However, he kept practicing by himself.
“Piano is my cherished friend, which breathed hope and courage into my life. I wanted to show that a person with cerebral palsy can play music. So I decided to upload the file onto the Internet and let the world know,” he said.
Despite his limited ability, he chose relatively difficult pieces such as “Remember” and Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” because he wanted to deliver a message of hope of overcoming disability.
“Gyeong-min lacks techniques because of his disability, but due to his enormous amount of practice and concentration, he was able to play the two pieces wonderfully,” Yun said. “The emotional aspect of his performance is superior to that of mine.”
Kim Gyeong-min majored in social work and theology in college and now works as a computer repair mechanic.
He intends to perform and download “A Comme Amour” also, a composition by Richard Clayderman.
Gyeong-min and Yun sat down in front of a piano together and played, before promising that they would keep in touch.
“I would like to invite Gyeong-min as a special guest to my concert and play ‘Remember’ together,” Kim Yun said.
The video of the two performing together can be viewed at joins.com.
by Jung Hyung-mok
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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