Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS Senior Profiles we’ll be publishing.
From weekend trips to Boston to play as a part of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the Boston Youth Symphony (BYSO), to early morning rehearsals with the high school’s Honors Chamber Orchestra (HCO), violin has been omnipresent in Jeremy Kim’s life. Starting as part of the Fiske Elementary School orchestra, Kim now plays as a part of BYSO’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Orchestra and with his peers in Music For Society, a student group that advocates for music education to all audiences.
Kim also participated in Senior Districts and All-States in ninth and tenth grade, placing third overall in All-States. Most recently, he was a finalist for the Fidelity Investments Young Artist Competition and was given the opportunity to play at Symphony Hall.
“I stay involved because even if I am busy, music is a way for me to relieve my stress,” Kim says, “and watching people enjoy it, even if there are only a few, makes me feel like I can truly contribute something to my community.”
Music has been an integral part of Kim finding his voice. As a child, he was introverted, often hesitating to speak up in group projects. Through violin, however, Kim was able to find a community that aided him to gain more confidence. Even now, Kim considers the orchestra community and interactions with others one of the most important and rewarding parts of his experience playing violin.
“[I started] Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras in 2013 as a second grader who didn’t really have much direction in his life. I was able to meet conductors and be part of a community that taught me a lot,” said Kim. “I realized that I truly love being in an orchestra that I can play with and understand.”
Music has continued to play an important role in connecting Kim with members of his community.
“From my time in orchestra with him, I know him to be both an amazing role model to aspire to as a musician, as well as bringing a presence that made orchestra fun,” said Kevin Liu ’23. “Yet on top of all that, he is one of the most dedicated and hardworking people that I know. He is able to balance academics and honing his talents in violin with playing video games and hanging out with his friends extraordinarily well.”
A core element of music is repetition. In both independent practice and group rehearsals, the concentration needed requires grit and perseverance. For Kim, simple things like his dog help him stay motivated through the hours of practice.
“Honestly, if you practice for hours on end, you’re gonna get bored,” said Kim. “I just think of a random thing. For example, I have a dog, so I just put her in front of me and just look at her, if I ever feel like I just want to throw my violin on the ground. Those sorts of random things are aspects that keep me in the zone and practicing.”
Harmonie Chen ’23, who played with Jeremy in the middle school orchestra, affirms his dedication to the craft.
“I know that Jeremy practices constantly and sometimes even until midnight. When I was struggling in violin, he would always give me tips on how to play better and he even helped practice with me,” said Chen.
However, repetition isn’t the only struggle in violin for many musicians. In fact, what Kim struggles with more is when the outcome of his hours of repetition and practice are met with rejection.
“Around eighth and ninth grade, I had a lot of rejections for programs that I applied for. I wondered why I didn’t get in after the hundreds of hours I practiced for them,” said Kim. “I realized that the mindset that I have to do something or I have to get in was not healthy for me. I decided to sort of take a step back and instead focus on my own playing like: ‘How can I express myself through my own playing? What are my own flaws?’”
Kim credits his musical success to many of his acquired skills, including the increased ability to better express himself and appreciate music.
“From a technical standpoint, my musical experiences have given me the ability to memorize concepts easily and to keep calm under pressure,” said Kim. “Besides that, I have learned to truly appreciate music. Through it, I have been able to slowly express myself better. Of course, there are challenges with practicing, but for me, the end result is worth it.”
Dr. Sergey Khanukaev, the high school’s orchestra director, can see Kim’s diligence in the pursuit of music.
“Following his excellent audition Jeremy was accepted into the HCO,” said Khanukaev. “He stayed with the orchestra all the difficult times of COVID-19 and is currently concertmaster, playing a very important role in orchestra life and success.”
Kim’s most memorable experiences occurred during his time in the high school’s Music for Society club, a branch of a The Back to BACH project. This club is aimed towards spreading awareness of instrumental playing towards communities.
“Right before Christmas break we went to Fiske Elementary School to give a presentation about how music can shape your life and how [younger students] could practice and get started. I hope it serves as an inspiration to younger people,” Kim said. He hopes to continue to play violin in his future, but not in a conservatory.
“Rather than going to a music school which is known to be toxic and competitive, I’d rather keep it as a personal interest I enjoy,” said Kim. “Through this, I can always lean back if I’m struggling in school with coursework.
“I know, in high school, you feel like you should do something to get into a certain college. But I feel like instead of considering an instrument as something to boost your chances to get into college, I believe that you should just do it as it comes,” said Kim. “Always enjoy what you’re playing.”
The new Wellesley High graduate says “I always like to ask myself: ‘Am I enjoying this? Am I enjoying what I play?’ Whenever I practice, obviously there might be passages I might not get right away, but as I go on I think like ‘Do I need to give myself a break? Am I happy right now?’ Eventually after a five-minute break, I start going back to it. And then suddenly, I started playing better. So I guess with that kind of mindset I am making sure that I’m happier with how I’m playing. That sort of mindset should carry on even through music majors and performances. You don’t want to be nervous in front of the judges. You want to always play the best that you can. So I believe I should just stay happy.”
In the fall, Kim will be attending Princeton University to study molecular biology.
Article written by the WHS Bradford’s Suzie Kim ’23, Executive Editor-in-Chief, and Hank Guo ’23, Editor-in-Chief.
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