Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Yeh.
Karen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up on Long Island as the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and began playing piano at the age of six because my older siblings were also taking piano lessons. I began on the cello three years later in my public school system and instantly fell in love. My parents weren’t crazy about the idea of me studying music in college, so, I agreed to do a double degree program at Northwestern University. I quickly realized that splitting my interests in this way was not sustainable for me, and decided to pursue my music degree full time. It was a very high-level program and I had a very demanding mentor, but I learned a ton.
After finishing graduate studies at both Indiana University and UC Santa Barbara, I realized that I yearned to be working in my field instead of being a student. I moved to Los Angeles not knowing anybody in my field and started my music freelance career completely from scratch. Nobody told me how to do it, held my hand along the way or helped prepare me for this. It was nothing like being a student and in music school, you don’t often learn about the business side of being a musician. Only a year and a half after moving to this amazing city, I am playing with four different symphonies, creating and performing concerts with my friends, and becoming involved in some very unique projects.
I started modeling about nine months ago while posing for headshots with my photographer friend and he encouraged me to join TGS Collective, a network of creatives that connect like-minded people together. I quickly appeared in two of their monthly publications called Archive Magazine and have been doing photo shoots and working with brands ever since. It’s been so much fun and I’ve been able to connect with some of the most inspiring, motivated people I’ve ever met.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This road has had its fair share of potholes. I struggled a lot with my own self-worth when I was in undergrad and often compared myself to others. The negative self-talk and harsh criticism I received from my mentor, drove me to a dark place that took years to undo. To this day, I am still learning that other people’s words don’t define me and there will always be somebody who has a problem with me. What I do best is being myself and I’ve found that those are the moments when I really shine. I’ve since met some amazing people that are invested in my growth as a person and as a performer.
Please tell us about Karen Yeh.
I am a freelance cellist and model and I love working with other like-minded creatives in my area to create stunning displays of art and music. I have twenty years of playing experience as a classically-trained cellist which allows me to perform with some of the most talented musicians in Los Angeles. I have a ton of experience as an orchestral musician and I’m currently performing with several orchestras in LA. Though I’m in the early stages of modeling, I have quickly appeared in publications alongside some amazingly talented people. I’m really proud of the projects I have been a part of and the fact that I’m building my career from the ground up. What sets me apart is the amount of creativity, joy, and organization I bring to the table.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have stopped listening to the people around me who doubted my success. I took their words to heart and let them get into the very depth of my self-worth, which crumbled me for several years. I wish I knew about the importance of self-compassion as well. Sure, there were people around me who would say negative things, but I was my own worst critic. After doing a lot of work on myself, I can now spot those limiting thoughts from a mile away and just being aware of them has helped me immensely.
Contact Info:
- Website: karenyeh.net
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: kayyeh
- Facebook: facebook.com/kareyeh
Image Credit:
Zach Mendez, Alex Morehouse, Eduardo Guandique, Ella DeGea, Michelle Terris
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