In episode 21 — the seventh of season two of Knights Do That — we communicate with Chung Park, director of UCF’s Symphony and Chamber Orchestras and a professor within the School of Arts and Humanities. He shares his breadth of data and deep ardour for the humanities, music and happiness — sure happiness. He additionally discusses his reward and keenness for instructing, perception on UCF Celebrates the Arts and how one can study to purposefully combine music into your life.
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Transcript
Chung Park: So individuals in the neighborhood won’t even know that UCF is such a giant driver of the humanities right here however we’re on the market, we’re in the neighborhood, we’re serving to this place develop. We’re serving to to articulate a imaginative and prescient for the way Orlando can transfer ahead and get onto the world stage as a inventive hub. It’s unimaginable what UCF does.
Alex Cumming: Welcome again to a different episode of Knights Do That. As we speak I’m bringing you an inspiring dialog that I had with Chung Park, who’s the director of UCF’s Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. Chung is a professor and conductor at UCF who has a deep ardour for the humanities, music and happiness. Sure, happiness. You’ll study all about his reward and keenness for instructing, UCF Celebrates the Arts and even learn the way music can purposefully play extra of a task in your life. I’ll let Chung take it from right here.
Chung, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. It’s nice to have you ever right here to get to sit down down and discuss.
Chung Park: My pleasure. Thanks for the invite.
Alex Cumming: Celebrates the Arts is one thing that I’m so excited to be part of and to get to work with and I imply, I simply, even earlier than I used to be a pupil right here within the performing program, simply attending to go and see it. All of these phases are lovely to carry out on, the Walt Disney Stage. The Alexis & Pugh (smaller) Theater. Plus it’s simply lovely in how Orlando actually rallies round all of it.
Chung Park: Really a world-class facility and with the addition of the Steinmetz Corridor coming on-line this yr and naturally the orchestra can be enjoying there for the primary time and I do know I’m excited and I do know the scholars are additionally extremely excited to play within the new Steinmetz Corridor.
Alex Cumming: Oh, I don’t doubt it. All the brand new theater area that’s coming in.
Chung Park: Yeah. It’s actually thrilling and we should always be capable of do just about no matter we wish now in Orlando. So the longer term seems actually shiny right here.
Alex Cumming: That’s what I’m hoping for. So Chung, I need to ask you, how has music guided your profession and your life to the place you might be immediately?
Chung Park: I wouldn’t be right here dwelling this extremely blessed life as a college professor, and it truly is a blessing. It’s onerous to truly, for me, to explain how grateful I’m. That I’ve the chance to stand up day-after-day and to do what I really like, which is to show music. I do know that not all people will get to do what they love day-after-day and so I don’t take it with no consideration. I understand that I’m a really blessed individual. If it weren’t for music, I might not have completed highschool. I wouldn’t have gone to school. My music instructor was the one one that helped save me from an extremely chaotic house life. He was the one that was all the time calling house and asking my mother, “Why wasn’t your son in school immediately, is he okay?” I additionally fortunately had an English instructor who did the identical factor. And so it’s these individuals within the humanities, they actually care, and I’m not saying that individuals within the sciences don’t care about their college students. However in my case, these two lecturers have been those who actually saved me from actually from myself.
It gave me an outlet for me to specific my feelings. It gave me a way of route. It centered me on a path for my future. It stored me round my friends, and I feel these issues are all actually necessary. I feel we’re all now 20 years into social media realizing the form of deleterious results that isolation has, particularly after COVID. You’re an actor, you are able to do it by your self, (however) it’s not as a lot enjoyable as it’s with different individuals. I don’t suppose it’s a facet dish on the plate of life. I feel it’s one thing that’s central to what we do and it’s fortunately the main target of my life.
Alex Cumming: The comradery is one thing that in my very own expertise, as an actor, that’s the entire enjoyable of it. Being across the individuals who share the widespread pursuits with you and attending to create such nice artwork with them and searching again on it and going by way of the expertise. I do know quite a lot of occasions within the technique of theater you’ll get solid based mostly upon how a lot the director or the individuals round you simply take pleasure in being in your presence. I’m curious if it extends to the music as nicely? The place if there may be any person who could be bringing the temper down, do you suppose that may have an effect on the general?
Chung Park: Oh, it positively does. So we prefer to attempt to be round constructive individuals as a lot as we will. I attempt to recruit a sure form of pupil to UCF who understands that we prefer to work onerous, however we prefer to have enjoyable on the identical time. I don’t take myself too severely, I don’t maintain myself to some unreasonable stage of perfection and I don’t maintain my college students to that both. I feel that they should make errors. They’re right here to determine issues out and I’m right here to assist them try this. We work onerous, now we have enjoyable and on the finish of the day the scholars do find yourself bettering and quite a lot of our college students go on to actually nice issues. They go into wonderful graduate colleges, they go on to skilled careers, in your facet in Broadway, on our facet enjoying in main symphony orchestras, changing into professors at different universities. And so it’s a reasonably good system for staying sane and succeeding on the identical.
Alex Cumming: Seeing your college students succeed, and the entire ways in which you’ve expressed how lecturers and schooling and music modified your life, is that what retains your ardour alive?
Chung Park: That’s precisely what retains my ardour alive. Beethoven, and I’m certain he’s rolling over in his grave as I say this, however Beethoven’s not sufficient for me, not even shut. If I simply did this simply trigger I really like Beethoven I’d simply go house and hearken to a recording or bang it out on the piano for myself. The factor that’s the most enjoyable is getting a name from a pupil saying, “I obtained a job,” or “Do not forget that factor that you just informed me three years in the past that I didn’t perceive? I perceive why you informed it to me now,” or “I succeeded due to one thing that we labored on.” I informed my college students this and I feel they thought it was loopy. However I stated, “You understand, I’m probably not within the music enterprise. I’m within the happiness enterprise,” and so they stated, “What do you imply?” I stated, “For those who get higher and also you succeed, you then’re completely happy and should you’re completely happy, then I’m completely happy.” You understand, there’s a lot noise on the market proper now. So I attempt to boil issues all the way down to the best most elementary factors potential and that’s actually how I view myself as being right here to attempt to allow the happiness of my college students.
Alex Cumming: The happiness enterprise is simply on the diploma, it says.
Chung Park: Yeah. UCF diploma in happiness.
Alex Cumming: Bachelor of superb happiness.
Chung Park: Oh man, I might love that.
Alex Cumming: At my very own college.
Chung Park: So let’s discuss to Dr. Cartwright about that.
Alex Cumming: I’m sure he’ll go for it.
Chung Park: Yeah.
Alex Cumming: So being that you just’ve been UCF’s Symphony and Chamber Orchestras director since 2015, how have you ever seen UCF function a inventive hub right here in Central Florida and what have been a few of your favourite moments you’ve seen through the years?
Chung Park: Oh my gosh. I feel UCF is the primary driver of inventive exercise in Central Florida. Initially, we’re placing out unimaginable artists, visible artists, individuals in theater, musicians. We’re producing the following era of artists proper right here, sending them out into the group. So a lot of them keep right here. So a lot of them find yourself at Disney and Common creating all of those unimaginable multimedia experiences. So for me, that’s, that’s the primary means that we generate this unimaginable vitality. The opposite factor that we do, although, is that now we have actually nice partnerships with organizations, like Shakes, with the Orlando Philharmonic. And we’re supporting them and we’re getting out into the group, that means I do know there’s a giant signal on the Shakes that claims that they’re a UCF accomplice. I guess lots of people don’t even, they don’t take note of it. They don’t know that it’s there. So individuals in the neighborhood won’t even know that UCF is such a giant driver of the humanities right here, however we’re on the market, we’re in the neighborhood, we’re serving to this place develop, we’re serving to to articulate a imaginative and prescient for the way Orlando can transfer ahead and get onto the world stage as a inventive hub, and it’s unimaginable what UCF does.
Most all of the exhibits on the Orlando Shakes, they’ll start by saying, “Welcome to the Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF.” The Orlando shakes is such an unimaginable theater, and the Orlando Philharmonic is such an unimaginable area. So I’m so grateful that now we have such nice private and shut connections with these locations that individuals may underestimate. Simply how unimaginable the work that we do right here is. However even in the highschool space, I’m from Orlando and we knew about how nice UCF Theater and the music packages have been and band children in my highschool wished to go to UCF. Theater children wished to go to UCF as a result of they knew of the status and the standard and the way nice it was to be an artwork pupil right here.
Yeah, UCF isn’t simply speaking the discuss. They’re strolling the stroll they’re in the neighborhood. College members are placing time and vitality and blood, sweat and tears into making Orlando higher.
Alex Cumming: Oh yeah and the alumni develop into a few of the best ambassadors for the college.
Chung Park: Completely.
Alex Cumming: They are saying, “The place’d they go to highschool?” “UCF, Orlando with the thriving arts scene and it’s good things.”
Chung Park: It’s.
Alex Cumming: So with UCF Celebrates the Arts arising from April fifth to the sixteenth. What items are you wanting ahead to essentially the most and being concerned with?
Chung Park: Once more, you recognize, UCF for a very long time it known as itself the collaboration college and I’m actually wanting ahead to collaborating. We’ve obtained an unimaginable collaboration really with some college students from proper right here on this constructing the place we’re doing an animated film that the orchestra is accompanying with stay music of the second motion of the Beethoven Sixth Symphony. I wrote somewhat story to go together with it and so they took my little story, my modest humble little story, animation MFA animation college students did, and turned it into this lovely visually gorgeous animated film. I’m extremely excited to share that with the group and the orchestra’s actually wanting ahead to having their very own form of Fantasia second the place they’re attending to play together with a film. After which on the second half, we’re enjoying Oceana, which can also be accompanied by a film and this can be a film that’s bringing to our consideration the problem of noise within the oceans and the way in which that it impacts sea life. So there’s tons of underwater images. Annie Crawley is an unimaginable underwater photographer, a world-renown underwater photographer. And the music is by our personal Stella Sung, who’s the director of CREATE downtown, and he or she’s a incredible composer. Her work’s been performed by main orchestras, just like the nationwide symphony. And so we’re actually wanting ahead to that and there’s a cool VR element, which I’m probably not, I don’t know that a lot about, however I do know there’s some form of VR element happening there. And there’s additionally an app I don’t need to, you recognize, give away spoilers, so I’m not going to say what the apps for. However should you com obtain the OCN app you’ll really get to be a part of the efficiency when you have this app. I’m additionally wanting ahead to assembly with Lidia Bastianich, the well-known Italian chef, who’s, my gosh, she’s only a large within the area. I don’t know should you’ve been to New York or Chicago and have been to Eataly?
Alex Cumming: Sure, I used to be at Eataly Chicago proper earlier than COVID.
Chung Park: Isn’t it unreal?
Alex Cumming: It’s excellent. It’s large and you may spend hours in there. It’s like a Toys “R” Us of meals.
Chung Park: I do know, precisely. I imply, for me, pearly gates and marble, that could be heaven for some individuals, nicely for me Eataly is heaven. In order that’s the place I hope to go after I die. The place is simply unimaginable and Lidia Bastianich is among the individuals, one of many driving forces behind Eataly, and he or she’s, you recognize, on PBS and he or she’s obtained unimaginable books. And I’m studying certainly one of her books now about her journey to America, which is simply, it’s unimaginable. It’s stuffed with numerous harrowing tales. She’s certainly one of my heroes and I get to show the tables on what’s happening right here, and I’m going to get to interview her. She’s going to be right here for a chat and a guide signing. So I’m actually wanting ahead to that and it simply goes to indicate you the breadth of what’s happening at celebrates. It’s not nearly music. It’s not nearly theater. We’ve obtained different stuff entering into and it exhibits the holistic nature of every thing we do.
I don’t suppose we will, on the finish of the day, I don’t suppose we will separate something. And this is among the issues that our Dean Moore has actually, actually been a champion for is these collaborations that convey collectively individuals from totally different disciplines, the place you may suppose, “Oh how is a physicist going to work with a symphony orchestra?” And he’s discovered a means to do this and in a extremely efficient means that’s real and never tacky. They usually discovered methods to make all this work. It brings us collectively as a group and it exhibits us as this holistic organism and I simply suppose that’s the place we have to be going as a human race now, I feel. Yeah, I agree.
How about this for a meals metaphor? It’s like once you’re placing collectively fascinating combos of flavors once you’re cooking. It’s like once you take the fascinating combos of various disciplines right here on the college and mix them. How can they make one thing new, such as you stated, how can individuals from physics and folks from the music division or from the visible arts division, how can they mix to make one thing? As a result of there’s so many nice college students right here at UCF who is aware of simply what two miscellaneous individuals may come collectively and simply change the way in which that we view both of their disciplines.
Proper. Then we get into this actually fantastic virtuous cycle. We’re serving to one another after which on the finish of the day the sum is larger than the elements. That’s the place we need to be, I feel, and I feel that’s what UCF is. That’s what UCF stands for.
Alex Cumming: Oh, little question. Now you bought me enthusiastic about Eataly. Man, that place is superior. Extremely beneficial.
Chung Park: It’s unimaginable.
Alex Cumming: I need to transfer to the work that you just’re doing exterior of UCF. You’re concerned as an schooling coordinator for A Reward for Music. You additionally work with youngsters all through Orlando with the Elementary Strings Program. How did you get entangled with these areas and the way does that proceed to drive your ardour?
Chung Park: Properly, it’s a factor that for me it comes from deep inside as a result of, like I stated, music saved me. Taking part in the violin was my entry into music and the explanation I obtained into instructing is as a result of I noticed instructing as a means that I may assist drive upward social mobility. It’s a easy thought that hasn’t translated essentially into so simple as sequence of actions, however I nonetheless keep my idealism, I feel, typically annoyingly so. And A Reward for Music, when the place opened 5 years in the past and so they requested me to do it, I stated, “Oh, sure, for certain. I’ll do it.” A Reward For Music brings string schooling, music schooling to college students in Title I colleges throughout Orlando. And on Saturday we’ve obtained a program that brings essentially the most enthusiastic of these children collectively to have a conservatory-like expertise on the weekends. I’m unhappy to say that is my final yr with them. I’m handing the reins over to my esteemed colleague, Michael Simpson, however hopefully I’ve left the group in a greater place than it was after I began and really a lot hope that it continues to develop as a result of it’s served a whole bunch of scholars over 20 years. Virtually all people who has been by way of this system has matriculated in school. All of the numbers present should you go to school, even somewhat bit, you should have the next high quality of life than should you didn’t. This system is absolutely, actually succeeding in that means and I’ll be it from a distance. However I’ll be rooting for it, and I’ll be serving to it out as a lot as I can. It’s one other certainly one of these actual treasures in Orlando and UCF is concerned in that. They gave me some flex time to go and work with them. They’ve offered different kinds of assist to this system. Additionally all the instructing workers of A Reward for Music is comprised of UCF alums, UCF college students, or UCF college. So it provides our college students right here at UCF an opportunity to get some instructing expertise earlier than they exit and I feel it separates our music schooling program from just about any program within the nation. Throughout COVID quite a lot of college students couldn’t go into the sector to do their pupil instructing. We had a number of college students who had gone by way of A Reward for Music and so they had actually a whole bunch of hours of instructing expertise earlier than the shutdown and now they’re instructing within the area now and every thing that they’re coping with proper now, they’ve already seen. They’re graduating from faculty and so they’re primarily third or fourth yr lecturers already. So it’s simply been an amazing partnership each methods, these sorts of mutually useful issues. These are these are the issues that I actually love. So it’s been nice and I hope it continues that means.
Alex Cumming: And it goes to bolster that Orlando is such an amazing cultural hub for the humanities. I hope that it guides these younger college students to see the sweetness and the chances of the place music can take them. Virtually anyplace that they need to be in life. Their ardour might be in so many wonderful artistic endeavors and Orlando is such an amazing place to have the ability to try this.
Chung Park: Yeah, for lots of those college students, these college students from at-risk populations. The one factor that retains them at school is music, it truly is. Typically chemistry is usually a onerous promote. Geometry is usually a onerous promote. However they construct these relationships with their orchestra, band and choir lecturers. Usually these individuals find yourself being like surrogate dad and mom, but in addition the relationships that they construct with their friends, they’re lifelong.
Alex Cumming: Do you see them develop the comradery?
Chung Park: Completely.
Alex Cumming: Going again to what we stated earlier about how necessary and particular it’s to have individuals that you may share your artwork with —
Chung Park: This could be getting somewhat bit too deep. So lots of the coping mechanisms that we’ve had for a whole bunch of years, these establishments are going away. Church attendance is down and I don’t know anyone who goes to the Moose Membership or the Elks Membership or something like that. I’m certain they exist. and I want them nicely. So there’s all of those sorts of venues for individuals to get collectively are going away and we’re being break up aside and staring into our tiny little telephones. And for lots of those younger individuals, the humanities being in theater and doing these packages or doing a play. They get to do one thing that’s tremendous, tremendous intense collectively after which on the finish of that run they’re filled with sweat and so they’re crying and all these things and so they’re simply considering, “Man, we did one thing actually wonderful. I pushed myself means past what I assumed I used to be able to and you recognize what? I succeeded.” And that could be a factor that possibly you will get it on the soccer area, however I imply, not all people’s reduce out to play soccer. I actually wasn’t, I’m 5, 5 and 135 kilos soaking moist. This supplies an avenue for individuals who, possibly, are usually not into athletics or no matter it’s, possibly don’t have a church for these individuals. Music, that classroom being with different college students who share a ardour, it’s a lifeline.
Alex Cumming: You must have quite a lot of belief to carry out music with individuals as a gaggle.
Chung Park: Oh, yeah. That’s a factor you study, isn’t it?
Alex Cumming: Yeah. You bought to, sooner or later, let go. And in my very own case of enjoying music, it’s like, alright, I’m going to belief the bass participant, the drummer, the singer, the rhythm guitarist, the keyboardist, they know their stuff. I do know my stuff. I belief them.
Chung Park: And once you’re performing proper as nicely.
Alex Cumming: Oh yeah.
Chung Park: I belief you recognize your traces.
Alex Cumming: Yeah, I do know my traces. You understand the place you’re going? Right here? You’re going over there? All proper, I’m going over right here.
Chung Park: I strive not to attract these sorts of connections as a result of once you draw these connections between the humanities and the, quote-unquote, actual world. They are saying, “OK, in order that’s preparation for the actual world.” I feel the humanities are part of the actual world, however should you resolve to not be a musician or to not be an actor. All of these items that you just’ll, that you just glean from being on stage have direct transference. I feel to a world exterior of the humanities. You bought to belief the individual doing all your taxes. You bought to belief that individual.
Alex Cumming: You bought to belief your corporation accomplice.
Chung Park: Proper? Yeah, you bought to belief that accomplice. You bought to know the way to take a undertaking from starting to finish. You bought to have, it’s important to have a imaginative and prescient. You understand, so many issues in our world now we don’t must have imaginative and prescient. However an artist, it doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, should you’re even when your 5-year-old child realized Twinkle on the violin, you bought to have some imaginative and prescient. In any other case you’re not going to stand up within the morning and put that violin in your palms. You bought to say in per week, “I’m going to discover ways to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and I feel that’s an necessary factor for individuals to have too. As a result of it instills hope and religion and people are two issues that we actually want.
Alex Cumming: Optimism.
Chung Park: Precisely.
Alex Cumming: I can vouch studying a track is so rewarding once you get it. Once you get it in your fingers, you’re similar to, “Oh sure,” and you’ve got that muscle reminiscence and also you’re like, “I can’t lose this. I’ve it in right here, I don’t need it to go away.”
Chung Park: Robust firstly although, isn’t it? To get going that first step.
Alex Cumming: Talking straight from a guitar participant viewpoint, calluses on the ideas of your fingers. You bought to push by way of it. Proper? So I hear individuals (say), “I can’t try this.” I’m like, “You bought to study. You bought to follow.”
Chung Park: And what an amazing metaphor. Let’s callus up somewhat bit, we want a number of calluses to get by way of life, that’s a wonderful metaphor.
Alex Cumming: UCF Day of Giving is a celebration of Knight Nation. It’s our likelihood to bounce, stomp, splash, and cheer for all issues black and gold. On April seventh, rally collectively and present your assist by making a [email protected]
The annual UCF Celebrates the Arts is again on the Dr. Phillips Heart for the Performing Arts. Occasions embrace performances of Shrek the musical, concert events and the brand new Steinmetz Corridor lectures, opera chamber music, visible arts reveals and extra. Be a part of us by visiting arts.ucf.edu/celebrates.
So I learn your article on the UCF discussion board about generations performing as bridges for tradition. Are you able to elaborate on that article for individuals who have but to learn it?
Chung Park: This can be a factor that actually drives me, and all of it goes again to what I feel is the idea for tradition. I don’t know, I assume one definition of a tradition is being round different individuals who share recollections with you. And so I feel on form of a stage of a household, there’s a household tradition, proper? You say together with your siblings, there’s a tradition there, “Do you keep in mind once we went on this street journey and you bought completely sick and we needed to pull over and also you threw up on the shoulder of the freeway? And that’s all a part of the lore of the household. As I say, it’s humorous now, these recollections good and unhealthy and nice Christmas or once you broke your leg or no matter is, — it’s all a part of the lore of a household. And I feel that form of writ giant, it’s the tradition of a whole, of an enormous inhabitants of individuals. And so it’s these shared recollections which might be so necessary.
I learn an article in regards to the final member of an indigenous tribe in South America, who spoke a sure language. And I used to be enthusiastic about classical music and that is the factor that quite a lot of classical musicians even don’t perceive that really I feel actors may perceive higher, which isn’t every thing is on the web page and it doesn’t matter if it’s written by any person who’s nonetheless dwelling, like whether or not it’s Tony Cushner or by any person who’s been useless for a whole bunch of years, like Shakespeare. You guys know that not every thing is on the web page. You additionally know that you may’t willy-nilly change the phrases. However basic musicians, a motion within the ’30s and ’40s and ’50s on this nation the place there was like, “OK, simply play what’s precisely on the web page fully objectively and the musical sound prefer it’s speculated to.” So you recognize, to not get too inside baseball, however there’s extra to the language than what’s on the web page. And so I began considering, as soon as I get my tooth into one thing like this, I am going down so many rabbit holes. I’ve examine these Indian poets who may learn these epics that have been like simply 1000’s and 1000’s of phrases. Typically it could take them actually days to get by way of these and so they discovered that there was little or no variation between not simply between tellings by the identical individual, however between tellings of those epics by totally different individuals. I used to be simply in awe of the capability of humanity. I used to be additionally considering what is that this tradition factor? And coming to the notion that’s it’s our shared reminiscence.
And (what) now we have to get into the weeds of is there a proper or improper technique to do one thing? That I don’t know, however there may be typically a means that individuals have finished these items for some time. One of many analogies that I used with this was really a meals analogy and I stated, “So if any person makes pasta fagioli it’s not like your grandma’s improper, proper? It’s not the proper pasta fagioli.” I feel Beethoven must be performed a sure means in order that it’s recognizable and sadly it’s simply, it’s not on the web page — not all of it anyway. And so I used to be telling my college students that you’re the keepers of this reminiscence. You’re the keepers of this tradition.
Sadly, that final indigenous man who died in South America, there’s no person keep it up that reminiscence anymore, that language. And music is a language and after I know I sound like a dinosaur after I say this, however I’ve heard individuals say, “Google is my reminiscence,” and that frightens me, deeply frightens me. As a result of as soon as that occurs, you possibly can rewrite historical past. You possibly can actually rewrite historical past and so I feel it has implications far past simply ensuring that we’re enjoying a Beethoven symphony on the proper tempo and so that is one thing that I take into consideration simply when it comes to the, of significance to our shared humanity. Music is certainly one of these final nice pursuits, actions. Identical to theater is the place it’s simply higher should you do with out the piece of music in entrance of you. The place it’s superior to play stuff that has by no means been written down. One of many issues I’ve gotten into just lately is enjoying outdated time Appalachian fiddle music and may’t even write it down. You possibly can strive, however the notation is actually not refined sufficient to write down down the rhythms accurately on this music. It’s solely handed down by way of a form of an oral custom. These items are tremendous sturdy. Typically I, you recognize, after I’m feeling actually salty, I curse Gutenberg. As a result of unexpectedly we will write all these things down and folks thought we don’t must maintain it in our brains anymore.
However I feel the actually good things is the stuff that we share with one another by speaking and by interacting. That’s actually what that article was about.
Alex Cumming: I used to be a really large fan of the article and gave me tons to consider and to the touch again on what you have been saying in regards to the connection between performing Beethoven objectively and the way not every thing is on the piece of paper. Isn’t a part of tradition what we convey to it? With an actor, you may rent me to do that position or you may rent my buddy to do the position, identical position, however he has his experiences, I’ve my experiences. We’re going to come back to that in another way and I think about it’d be comparable for a musician coming at a bit of music who’ve totally different backgrounds, totally different tastes. They’re going to assault it in another way, put their very own subjectivity into it.
Chung Park: Oh yeah, it’s precisely the identical. You understand, and we have to rejoice these totally different approaches. Speaking earlier about belief, if we belief sufficient within the music then we all know that it will probably stand. It could take the totally different factors of view that this music goes to have because it goes out into infinity. I’m certain {that a} Hamlet of immediately is nothing like what Shakespeare noticed within the Globe. It’s nonetheless Hamlet and Beethoven can be Beethoven 400 years from now. I feel it’ll nonetheless be very important it simply, it retains it alive. We have now to depend on the individuals, and once more, typically after I’m being salty, I’ll really put my pointer finger on the rating throughout orchestra rehearsal and I’ll faucet on it and I’ll say, “Look, I’m being actually annoying and the rating just isn’t biting again. It’s not doing something after which I’ll inform the scholars it’s not alive with out you. It wants you.” In order that’s the opposite a part of the tradition.
That is one thing that’s tremendous, tremendous invaluable to me. It has actually saved my life and given me a a lot better life than I ever imagined I may have as a poor child rising up on the north facet of Chicago. I feel that it has the ability to do the identical for a lot of others who’re coming from comparable circumstances.
Alex Cumming: I really like what you’re saying right here speaking about tradition or speaking about music as a result of there’s such lovely crossover between the 2.
Chung Park: On the finish of the day, I hope that individuals see that there’s a universality to what we do as actors and musicians. That it’s not a facet dish. It’s an extension and an expression of who we’re and what makes us human and that it’s not some form of specialised factor that’s solely finished by professionals. What I inform my college students is, as a result of now we have a ton of non-majors within the orchestra — and I really like them, they’re nice. They’re tremendous enthusiastic and a few of them play nicely sufficient to threaten a few of the majors’ egos somewhat bit. Let’s simply say we’ve obtained a extremely nice cohort of non-majors on this orchestra, and I inform them; “OK, you’re going to go off and also you’re going to be a rocket scientist at NASA, that’s superior. However I hope that on Friday nights you’ll get collectively and play fiddle tunes together with your buddies. I hope that when you’ve got youngsters that you just’ll play a lullaby for them and maintain this stay music going this potential to succeed in individuals by creating one thing with your personal two palms. I hope you’ll maintain this going.” That’s simply certainly one of, it’s certainly one of my little goals.
Alex Cumming: Passing on a reminiscence.
Chung Park: Proper, precisely.
Alex Cumming: So how can the on a regular basis individual, since we’re right here on the subject, introduce extra music into their lives purposely.
Chung Park: Oh, there are all types of the way. The very first thing they should do is simply recover from any concern that they’ve, simply get on the market and do it. And should you’re an grownup newbie, I’ve some information for you. You’re going to sound actually unhealthy once you begin. However adults can discover ways to do issues almost in addition to younger individuals can. These scientists are determining that adults have great neuroplasticity. They’ll study stuff. They must do issues in several methods, study issues in smaller chunks. They must be somewhat bit extra organized, going again to that factor of imaginative and prescient. It’s OK if you would like to have the ability to play, Für Elise on the piano, you are able to do it. It’s going to take you awhile. So play music, sing, even doing karaoke, I feel is a technique to to have that outlet.
One of many organizations that we haven’t talked about right here on the town, it’s simply gigantic and superior and so they do unimaginable issues for the group, CFC Arts. They’ve obtained the nation’s largest beginner choir. You would be fully tone deaf and sing in that choir and no person would even know there’s so many individuals round you. Yeah, go and sing with that group, simply belt your coronary heart out and sing with them and be round different individuals who need to create issues. Make your personal music. I feel that’s what I might inform individuals to do. And there are different devices which might be devices that just like the autoharp, that are geared straight in direction of amateurs. I performed the autoharp somewhat bit and it’s extremely satisfying to play. it makes a ravishing sound it’s very straightforward. Decide up an instrument, go and sing, get collectively on Friday nights. I’m, as a reliable musician, I’m that unhealthy as an actor. |And on Friday nights a gaggle of scholars and I get collectively and we learn Shakespeare and so typically there’s solely 4 or 5 of us, so we’re a number of characters.
Alex Cumming: That’s how they used to do it. 10 individuals doing the entire present, it was loopy.
Chung Park: So yeah, so we had 4 or 5 individuals and there was one actually awkward second the place any person was the daddy and the daughter on the identical time. That was fascinating and we’re having enjoyable. Among the phrases we don’t know the way to pronounce them, however we’re having enjoyable. And I feel individuals can do that in their very own dwelling rooms as nicely with their children, their neighbors. simply go on the market. Simply learn Shakespeare.
I feel lots of people underestimate simply how a lot artwork is of their each day life. If you wish to get entangled you’ve got all these nice sources at your disposal. Exit and simply seize what you possibly can.
Completely, you don’t must be knowledgeable. You’ve got, I assume, it’s important to be skilled to receives a commission for it. However you don’t must be skilled to get knowledgeable satisfaction and a job nicely finished.
Alex Cumming: I like that rather a lot. It’s free to have enjoyable.
Chung Park: Yep. Yeah. That’s for certain. Thank goodness. Hopefully they received’t take that away from us.
Alex Cumming: Not but. Okay. So what’s some recommendation that you’d give to any person who needs to do what you do?
Chung Park: There are two issues. No. 1 is you need to be pretty much as good as potential at your craft as a result of the one factor that actually cripples artists, and I’m certain that you just’ve handled this, I’ve handled this. And I do know that even individuals on the very highest stage, the entire nice composers, the entire nice performers they’ve all handled. That is self doubt. There’s nothing extra, corrosive than a insecurity. So that you need to be pretty much as good at your craft as potential. You need it to be bulletproof. You need to put together for issues with the concept that you’re going to succeed. That is step one.
After which the second step is we have been speaking about this earlier. For those who perceive the ability of networking and the way necessary it’s so that you can know the proper individuals, then you’ll all the time be good to just about all people that you just run into as a result of it simply takes one individual saying, “Hey, this man’s a jerk.” And even should you’re not, as a result of I feel most individuals are typically not. All of us have our human frailties, however I feel we’re all fairly first rate individuals. However be good, have manners, do issues that combine your self. And for a very long time I assumed if I’m good then my work will communicate for itself after which I noticed that’s somewhat little bit of a “my means or the freeway” form of angle. And for some time now I’ve been considering, as an alternative of attempting to persuade individuals, why don’t you appeal them? Doesn’t all the time work and you recognize, I’m a piece in progress, however I’m attempting. And I inform my college students this on a regular basis that your community is your single most necessary asset after your information base. These are the 2 issues I might say. And should you’re coming from a spot the place it’s onerous to make a community, prefer it was for me, I didn’t know anyone, then it’s important to put your self in conditions the place you possibly can meet individuals who will help you. Don’t be afraid to shoot for that factor that you just suppose is unattainable. If I had finished that, I might by no means would have been fortunate sufficient to go to the great colleges I went to. I by no means would have been fortunate sufficient to go to the festivals I went to. And I had assist, my mother bless her, actually. She simply, she labored so onerous to place me by way of faculty and to pay for these festivals. However these are the issues that not solely gave me that community, however I used to be additionally round individuals who didn’t have my limits and so they have been like, “You need to do that competition,” or “You need to actually apply for this faculty. There was a great instructor there.”
One of many issues that I actually matter is seminal to my progress as a musician, tt was, I spent a semester in Germany. If I hadn’t gone to this faculty, then I wouldn’t have met this one that had a spouse who’s instructing at this competition at Germany. I wouldn’t have met this unimaginable instructor who was a member of the world’s greatest string quartet and if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have realized what I realized and I wouldn’t be right here. For me wanting again mid profession, it’s very easy for me. The traces are so clear going again to the place to, to the entire interactions that led to my being right here. Be pretty much as good as you might be, that’s by no means going to cease the work, it’s nonetheless continues. I nonetheless think about myself a pupil after which after that community.
Alex Cumming: A wild domino impact of who you recognize and who they know and what you’re doing with all of your work with younger individuals, you’re establishing networks. You’re constructing these younger college students to know the significance of getting individuals round you and who it’s you join your self with.
Chung Park: Oh, yeah and I hope that UCF turns into a community I all the time regarded enviously on the networks of individuals on the College of Michigan. They’re a community unto themselves and different colleges like Oberlin, I’ve by no means met people who find themselves extra rabid about their colleges (than) in Michigan, individuals in Overland. And I hope sometime that individuals say, “Geez, these UCF individuals, man, they’re simply driving me loopy. They’ve obtained this faculty delight that’s simply so annoying.” Additionally I noticed one other factor, extra of a school soccer fan than I ought to be, when Scott Frost left for Nebraska and folks have been making enjoyable of UCF, go forward, man. We’re up in your grill now. Clearly.
Alex Cumming: Hire free.
Chung Park: We’re in your head and in order that’s that form of stuff. And I hope that it migrates from the soccer area, into the humanities and into engineering and into all the opposite issues in that we’re like, if we’re America’s most annoying alumni base, I’m superb with that.
Alex Cumming: No downside right here. Yeah. It’s one of many issues they inform us. The performing program and the theater program is normally, attain out. UCF is certainly one of, if not the quickest rising alumni base and we’re going to be all over the place. We already are all over the place, however we’re going to be all over the place — after which some.
What’s one factor that you just’re nonetheless hoping to do on a private and on knowledgeable?
Chung Park: It’s my hope for UCF is that can’t wait to see the corridor, on campus efficiency area get constructed. I do know all people’s working actually onerous. I do know President Cartwright may be very supportive of this. Dean Moore’s, actually in quite a lot of methods, he’s devoted his total life to this. Our college students want a venue to showcase their expertise. There’s an unimaginable quantity of expertise right here. We’ve obtained unimaginable college students and our college students want a showcase and so they additionally want a venue to share this expertise with the group, with Orlando. In order that we will actually be part of every thing that’s happening right here and take our place beside the opposite unimaginable organizations which might be right here in Orlando. In order that’s what I’m hoping to see. I inform my college students in orchestra rehearsal. I say, look, the higher you sound, the extra of a case that now we have for that corridor to be constructed, let’s go on the market and earn it. So persons are paying consideration. My colleagues work extremely onerous. They’re devoted, they’re proficient. They’re the explanation why these college students come right here at the side of constructing the corridor, simply the rising prominence of the humanities packages generally, that’s what I hope to see for UCF.
Alex Cumming: I totally agree. I’d like it if the Central Florida group says, “UCF is doing this, we obtained to step it up. I need it to have a stamp of that is the usual remainder of y’all.”
Chung Park: Proper.
Alex Cumming: Step on up.
Chung Park: You’re going to have to concentrate now.
Alex Cumming: Chung, thanks a lot on your time. I’ve so loved getting to sit down right here and chat with you and to get so stoked enthusiastic about what’s to come back very quickly.
Chung Park: I’m excited. Thanks for asking me to be right here. And that is simply to the scholars at UCF. I really like you all. You encourage me to get me away from bed day-after-day. You drive me to be a greater instructor and an individual day-after-day. And I dedicate my life to creating your lives higher. Thanks for being there. If the scholars weren’t right here, I wouldn’t have a motive to be right here. And so that you guys give my life function. So thanks for that.
Alex Cumming: The seemingly countless creativity right here at UCF is so inspiring. As UCF continues to develop so will the wonderful output of labor from our college students. Be a part of us on the following episode of Knights Do That. The place I’ll be talking with Michael Chiang, the primary medical pupil to additionally obtain a grasp’s in hospitality in a twin observe program. As we chat about his journey as he approaches commencement and the way he stays resilient within the face of adversity. I’ll see you then.
Michael Chaing: I feel that will get to the center of what hospitality is, it’s attempting to offer individuals who stroll by way of the door the very best expertise. So for me as an ED doc, even on the microscale, it’s attempting to acknowledge that individuals who are available are individuals who are available a particularly susceptible place. And once you see them, they not solely need you to deal with all of those infinite quantity of worries that they’ve and likewise deal with no matter life detrimental conditions they may encounter, but in addition to really feel comfortable. On the finish of the day, no matter what I’m doing. I can discover consolation in the truth that I’m right here and I’m saving lives.
