Meet Ilyeob Choo

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ilyeob Choo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ilyeob, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My work ethic comes from my parents and my love for music. Growing up, I was taught to work hard and pursue something with my best efforts. Doing something half-heartedly was not in my parents’ dictionary, and I inherited that same mindset. So, when I decided to pursue music at age of twelve, I did it whole-heartedly. In addition, composing music is when I feel most immersed in something. I’m in a trance when I make music, and it makes me feel like nothing else in the world matters. So, when I compose music, it doesn’t feel like work at all, even though it is my job.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a composer and producer working in Los Angeles. I’ve scored for CJ Entertainment’s Toy Soliders Fake Men 2, award-winning short film, Spark Wheel, among others. However, my core background is making contemporary pop music of different styles, and I take great pride in that. Because I compose and produce in various genres, I know a lot of tricks on how to enhance a storytelling through audio. For example, I have made reggae music in the past, and there are so many micro-rhythm shifts happening in reggae music. A traditional composer might underestimate the power of shifting grooves, but I know what an effective tool it can be to make the overall mood change. For example, placing a percussive slam at a slightly different timing can really surprise the audience or a laid-back groove can provide a calming atmosphere as opposed to a slightly-forward groove, which can make everything sound a little more edgy. In addition, I recently produced and released a Splice sample pack called Touch of Glass. In it, music-makers from all walks of different styles can access my uniquely curated cinematic textures. Not every composer has a Splice pack of their own, and as I said, having an expertise in music production in addition to composing cinematic scores is something I am proud of.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

As cliche as it might sound, you have to focus on what you love and gradually develop it into your expertise. Because your expertise in something is what distinguishes you from the others. For example, a client might hire me because I know how to produce reggae music in addition to film scoring. So don’t be afraid to dig deeper and hone your craft even if you don’t end up doing that particular thing for the rest of your life.

Secondly, music is not a rocket science. Seemingly abstract and emotional art such as music can be deconstructed with critical listening and reconstructed with creativity. When you develop your ears to the point where every music you hear becomes a learning experience, you never run out of ideas. I’d say that having good ears, as a composer and producer, is a critical skill to develop.

The last skill or quality I think is important as a musician is just being a kind person. A lot of people underestimate the power of kindness. A ruined reputation is hard to restore in this industry, and the most impactful people I’ve met in my life were incredibly kind to me. So I strive to carry that same kind and positive energy with me.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I learn a lot of life lessons from music. Two of them are: one, a beautiful composition has a good balance, and life must have it, too. Two, a good composition paces itself well, and pacing yourself in life is very important. What I mean by that is you have to take care of yourself when you feel overwhelmed. A song cannot be at its climax all the time. If it were, it wouldn’t hit right. I also know that I can’t perform at the highest level all the time. So when I feel overwhelmed, I acknowledge that I’m tired and try to provide the rest my body needs. That means eating good food, working out, and taking time off from DAW to recharge. I try to take the weekends off, at least Sunday, if I work on Saturday.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ilyeob.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilyeobchoo