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Meet Moses Sun

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Moses Sun.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Moses. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a guitarist, composer, and producer based in Los Angeles. I was originally born in South Korea but moved to Senegal, West Africa when I was 8 for my family’s mission work. Ten years later, I decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of being a musician. The only thing I knew at that time was that learning my favorite metal bands’ tunes (Metallica & Dream Theater) seriously kicked my butt, but I always loved a good challenge. Fast-forward 15 years later with a lot of gigging, writing & playing on artists’ releases, and having released my own Christmas album under my belt, I am happy and grateful that I still get to chase my dreams and call it my life’s vocation.

Realizing early on that I wanted to make a living in L.A. as a session musician, I dived in head-first into the gigging scene while in college full time studying guitar and composition. For several years, I attended classes, practiced up to 4 hours and answered around 50 ads on Craigslist every day, went to jam sessions and open mic nights to network with other creatives, taught guitar lessons, and also learned how to write orchestrations and programming on MIDI.

I’ve had the privilege of playing guitar with companies like For the Record that was featured in 2014’s Vanity Fair Magazine for their theatrical approach on songs featured in Quentin Tarantino’s films, helped prepare scores for TV shows like Luke Cage and VeggieTales, and also on major films like Kingsman: The Golden Circle. I music-directed the band for a German cabaret show called Party Like Gatsby in their U.S. debut two years ago and helped produce tracks for SeaWorld’s summer jet ski shows in San Antonio while playing nightly shows with a rock band for audiences out there. I am also involved in playing and writing music for various choirs and bands in Southern California, while occasionally busting out my wizarding wand to conduct my orchestrations for Christmas Eve services.

I have nothing but gratitude looking over the past years of my work in the music industry. I now operate out of a home studio, which helped me stay afloat during this COVID-19 pandemic as I am now fully able to work remotely with clients and colleagues. I recently began taking voiceover work in Korean along with my wife and also started submitting toplines for the K-Pop market as well, which especially made me feel proud for how far my country has come into influencing the consumer market at the world stage.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For a guy who spent most of his childhood in a small village in West Africa, it was difficult for me to enter the music industry with zero connections. Having musical skills was a given, but it was equally as important to know the right people to showcase your talents to, which I had very little of. However, it was in this situation that I learned to cherish every opportunity that came my way, big or small. And as a bunch of my one-time contacts turned into regular collaborations, I really started to appreciate their craft and their character qualities that inspired me even outside work environments. I’ve met my mentors and some of my closest friends as a result.

Financially, my income as an independent business owner fluctuated like a rollercoaster, which was a great source of anxiety and worry for me. Peak holiday seasons were usually nice, but there were some absolutely dead months in between when I had no idea what to do. I remember clutching onto my dwindling savings for dear life while surviving on $1 Jack-in-the-Box tacos and discounted groceries that were about to expire.

My financial situations improved as time went on, but due to some health concerns and my anxiety levels skyrocketing, I started suffering from insomnia and panic disorders around last year. However, when I realized that up to 2.4 million Americans suffer from this in a given year, I decided to make something out of it and hopefully connect with people in similar situations as myself. My most current musical project, as a result, is finishing up an album with quiet, peaceful music intended to help people sleep and relax. I’ve channeled my own emotions as a driving tool for this project, but I’ve also received enormous input and support from my wife who is a mental health clinician. I am hoping to release this soon on all platforms, and hopefully people will be able to hear it and help bring some calm and rest into their busy, chaotic lives.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Moses Sun Music is a platform that I use to offer my musical services to clients — which includes playing guitar, co-writing songs & collaborating with artists, and creating MIDI demos for mockups. I initially started out as a freelancing guitarist, but my work capabilities have evolved to offer a more comprehensive package. And I’ve realized over the years that my biggest draw is in people who want to either experiment with intimate acoustic/singer-songwriter vibe, to people who want epic, HUGE rock-band-and-orchestra type sounds for their songs.

Having said that, I will admit that hip-hop, rap, and EDM are not my biggest forte since there are plenty of producers who can do that wonderful genre better justice than I can. I believe that every style and niche has a place and a need, even in an over-saturated market that is Los Angeles. And while I should always strive to learn new genres and diversify my skills, I also see a merit in focusing and narrowing on what you’re passionate about and proficient at. And to me, that is a rock and gospel-driven sound, with a slight hint of fusion and a whole lot of orchestral grandiose thrown in the mix for a massive wall of sound. Or a minimally underscored guitar theme with a wisp of muted strings playing hovering just above the surface. Hopefully, your next piece is somewhere between those two extremes.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I had a professor in college who told our class one time that she was awakened by a phone call from Europe (living in California at the time) at 2 a.m. for a vocal audition. Still in her pajamas, she had to sing into her phone while trying hard not to yawn. That may have been an extreme case scenario, but I’m glad I remembered that story because I had a similar chance encounter like that about a year ago, although not as dramatic as my former professor’s 2 a.m. presentation out of bed.

I was on set as an extra for a TV sitcom, and my contracting agent happened to need a Korean vocal coach for another TV show. The day before, I recorded a demo of myself singing in Korean for an upcoming wedding gig. So in an amazing fit of coincidence (“you can speak AND sing in Korean?!”), I got the job on vocal coaching John Ross Bowie and Minnie Driver in an episode of the show Speechless. Not only that, but I also ended up translating the lyrics to Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” into Korean and teaching the same two actors on how to pronounce them as well.

I’ve learned that being prepared to present the best version of myself pays off in the long run. And that is how I hope to keep my career enjoyable, productive, and fulfilling.

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Image Credit:
Title Photo: Juliann Cheryl, Candid: Rumee Chung

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