Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Choi.
Hi Ellen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in South Korea. I started playing classical piano when I was four years old. I loved playing and listening to music from that early on but I didn’t start taking contemporary/popular music seriously until I entered the K-pop industry as a trainee in middle school. I got used to the ropes in the studio and vocal booth and how all the other things ran in the K-pop industry back then, but I eventually wanted to focus on my newfound love for Soul and R&B music; so I thought what better place to do so than in Los Angeles? I moved to LA right after I graduated from high school to pursue my career in music, doing all that I can with it from teaching, writing, performing, and recording. My early piano playing helped tremendously with my musical ear as I gained pseudo-absolute pitch (self-taught perfect pitch) enabling me to create and sing harmonies on a whim, which proves very useful in the studio. As of right now, I’m beginning my first steps into the solo music artist-world performing my first solo shows this coming summer and building my catalogue of music with my other producer and writer collaborators here in Los Angeles. Shows, music videos, an EP, and other collaborations and writing placements are all in the making and will come to fruition very soon and I am extremely blessed.
Alright, 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?
Finding my own sound proved to be a long-term task of its own, to which I (and many of us music creators out there) still struggle with on a day to day basis, but I get closer and closer with every project I finish. With today’s era where anything goes in terms of trends and music, I’m still trying to figure out the way I can fit into the big picture and for what I can stand for as a music artist and female vocalist for other Asians in the music industry. I’ve also learned that collaborating with like-minded people helps with every aspect and enables us to grow and learn off of each other, which also helps me when I’m suffering from writer’s block.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My music artist’s name is “LENA.”. I am a singer-songwriter and a vocalist. I write songs, melodies, lyrics and can perform and record them very well. I’d like to think my voice is unique to the game as it is right now, and I am proud of it. I’ve written and recorded top-line melodies for the K-pop industry and have collaborated with many highly all-claimed writers and producers in the American industry as well, but I am focused on my own music at the moment.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My parents deserve all the credit and appreciation in the world for believing in me and supporting me from day one, and I am ever so grateful for them because I know that artistically supportive parents in Asian culture is pretty rare! I also thank the support from my friend Bom Kim who I met after I moved here to LA. She helped me curate my sound, pushed me in certain industry and marketing aspects, and is a frequent collaborator. I also need to thank my producer Jayvid Borja for aiding me to breathe life into myself music and branding and for pushing me to be the best version of myself. I also like to thank one of my mentors Jessica Vautor for helping me shape my vocals and my performance ability to the standard they needed to be at. I sound the way I do right now because of her. I would not be who I am as a person and as an upcoming artist without these people in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ampl.ink/LQmPr
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elllenchr/
Image Credits:
Jayvid Borja
