Life & Work with Cara Kim Ko of Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Kim Ko.

Hi Cara Kim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My career story began when I dropped out of my major in Science and pursued Music. I remember sitting in the middle of Bio Chem & Physio course, thinking about what next Chopin piece I’d practice when I’d get home. I realized that my heart and passion was no longer in Science, and I decided to completely turn my life course to a different direction. Luckily, with the supportive faculty, they helped guide me through the transition, and next thing I realized, I was practicing 8-10 hours a day prepping for my audition.
Fast forward and reflecting, I didn’t realize that the notion of pedagogy came naturally to me. Embarking on the concept of sharing a commonality of interest, finding ways to connect, creating unique methodologies, observing one’s strengths and weaknesses, finding solutions, counseling while showing empathy, and the gratifying feeling of witnessing ones’ success over financial gains was my day to day agenda. And even today, it is an edifying experience.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Initially, I had a perfectly laid out 12 year plan; getting through my undergrad, MCAT, med school, internship, residency. My counselors and institutions back then carefully guided my plan, which I still feel very grateful to this day. Well, all of that pretty much became non-existent when I decided to switch my life, dedicating myself to pursuing music. It was a hard choice. This also came with uncertainties and doubts of whether I made the right decision for myself or not. The struggle was that I felt I was far behind other classmates. Many others had far more experience than myself, and I felt like I had to work harder to play catch-up. Though there really are no “deadlines” on life’s plans, yet I still felt very delayed from my initial 10 year plan.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I play different professional roles in the music industry. Piano Pedagogy is my main profession, and my other passion is being actively involved in the community. I have to thank all the wonderful non-profit organizations at the local, state, and national level, where I have the privilege to undertake leadership positions with some of them, and my commitment into giving back by serving the community and to the students, is possibly one of my most gratifying experiences. I also performed and collaborated with other talented individual artists, with Debut Orchestra and AYS Symphony of Los Angeles (which was broadcasted on KUSC radio), adjudicated local Festival events, and am currently a Professor of Music at Mt. SAC, and lastly, continuing my business with Leitmusik, LLC. All of this is something I never dream of doing and becoming during those previous years of having doubtful contemplations.
The most exciting current project is integrating AI and creating apps to use as tools/resources for my students’ music education. I’m not sure if this is something to be proud of, but I do stay curious and look forward to more new challenges and experiences. I do want to say that I have attempted to try several different tasks that I can get my hands on. And I have the most supportive husband and family to thank for, and not giving me grief about working around the clock! And of course, my friends and colleagues who are always giving me inspiration and motivation.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Oh absolutely, my mentioning about switching my career path was one of my biggest life risks. I feel like everything else is planned quite safely; never moved out of the state/country, and always trying to weigh out the risks of some decisions I’d make. There is a certain percentage of doubt that runs through my thoughts that prohibits me from taking higher risks such as financial investments and creating social media content (primarily because I’m a shy introvert). Sometimes, my brain compares the concept of risk-taking with gambling. If I am uncertain about the “gains,” then I won’t place my bet. I’d need to understand the stats and data before pursuing. However, I know sometimes playing it too safely does come with a disadvantage, which is that I’d lose the opportunity of “ceasing the moment.” With all that said, I am truly grateful to have family, friends, and colleagues to help me take the initial leap forward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraykim/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-kim-ko-69614441/
• Other: [email protected]