Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy de Rose.
Hi Joy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey started in 2013 when I began learning guitar and piano. Almost instantly, I felt a constant euphoria from music and it took me to completely different dimensions of life that I have yet to experience, I felt alive, I felt a burning passion, and I felt complete. During this time, I happened to listen to Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan’s songs and upon listening to her music; I realized I wanted to become an artist just like her. She had naturally became a role model to me. Her music not only made me into a better person, but it healed me, revived my health and gave me more energy emotionally and physically. I had originally studied medicine in Korea, but once I tasted the power of music, I thought it was as great as modern medicine or even greater.
I realized that I had a strong desire and passion to express my emotions through music and it was then that I craved to create my own sound and to know myself better. I decided to pursue music and luckily had the privilege to study at one of the most prestigious contemporary music schools, Berklee College of Music in Boston.
I got accepted at Berklee as a vocalist, but the music technology core class in my first semester had opened up a new path to me. I was fascinated by creating sound and producing music with computer software programs. Ultimately, I chose Electronic Production and Design (EPD) as my major. It was a place of creativity, challenge, inspiration and passion. I enjoyed every single moment while I studied as an EPD major. It had allowed me to understand the timeless connection between art and science. I discovered my passion in exploring the endless possibilities of artistic expression through cutting-edge technology.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not, there were a lot of setbacks and frustrations during my journey. When I first started at Berklee, I had to deal with many insecurities about myself. Since Berklee was a place full of gifted and talented musicians from all over the world, I felt like I was not enough and lacked heavily compared to other musicians. It took a lot of work on me to get to the confidence level I am at today. The workload was also extremely challenging, sometimes too difficult to handle. In my second semester, I almost dropped out of school as I was at my wits end from just piled on frustration and heart-breaking moments. However, support from my colleagues and mentors put me back on track. I am truly grateful to the people that helped me on continuing my journey when I had a hard time at Berklee.
Majoring EPD had also been a huge challenge, especially in the beginning when I did not have any background or understanding on synthesizer and sound design. I was intimidated, it felt like being abandoned at a foreign country without knowing their language or means to communicate at all. I had to overcome these challenges by asking for help from my friends, student tutors and professors. It took time but slowly, I became comfortable in the environment and confident at when learning new skills and facing new challenges and eventually, I found myself fully immersed in the world of sound and music technology. During my senior year, I was selected as a tutor at the EPD department and was given the privilege to help other students who were struggling in the class as I did before. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences that I have ever had.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an electronic musician and a vocalist and a multi-media artist. I pioneer sound and technology that reflect my imagination, passion and my view of the world. There are infinite possibilities when creating sound, sharing experiences, and that is what makes it all so fascinating. I would say the distinctiveness and value of my work come from my ability of combining music, media art and technology. The skillset of creating my own sounds and media art that I have developed since Electronic Production and Design major at Berklee is an irreplaceable asset to me, and that is what makes my art creative and unique. Of course as a vocalist, my voice is also a very important element and tool of my music, it adds a special flare.
The power of music is magnificent. I think music is the strongest form of magic, it heals people, it uplifts their spirit and it empowers the world. Ever since I have experienced the magic that music creates, I strive to create magical experiences for others by combining music and technology. This includes immersive live performance/sound installation and creating digital environments like virtual reality for immersive art experiences.
My recent project, AURORA [ https://youtu.be/vxQAd9jSReM ] is an example of my unique way of storytelling in an engaging experience combining art and immersive technology. In particular, my music video “AURORA: GODDESS OF DAWN”, which I created using VR technology and the mi.mu gloves wireless controller, was awarded the International Music video Award and the International Sound Future Award. It was also selected and included at many film festivals such as Montreal Independent Film Festival, Venice Shorts and LA Independent women film awards for the best music video category.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Through my journey so far, I have learned that I am much more capable than I think. Whenever I faced challenges, at first, I was unsure about my ability and was always nervous on the outcome and people’s reaction, but at the end, I found myself successful at dealing with the challenges and hoping for the best. Therefore, I cannot emphasize enough that there is no limit to one’s capabilities and success, it just takes a little courage and time and patience to accomplish whatever we want to do in life.
Contact Info:
- Email: joyhyunjulee@gmail.com
- Website: www.joyderose.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyderose.music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyderose.music
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTpyq1M3KloqHAxOo3O85rA
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7JzGfPzIGCSOrNcXrGPWTp?si=shpgHRylQBS7KzcMx7zWaA
- Other: https://beacons.ai/joyderose.music/
Image Credits
Geoffrey Carter Sol Inti
