About two months ago, I drove my sturdy Honda most of the way across the US after performing shows in my home town(s) of Pullman and Seattle, Washington. In just three days it carried me all the way from the northwest to Missouri. The year is flying by, with two tours in the US, and preparations to head back to Asia, this time to Japan for a three and a half month artist residency in the southern prefecture of Fukuoka. In June I head to the Italian Riviera for the finals of the Sanremo Festival Degli Autori competition and several recording sessions on many different projects. Hello, 2010!

A couple of weeks ago, I had an amazing experience at the Paris Bar.

Admittedly, I do my job and don't think too much about the venue itself. But, through conversations with people who live in Seoul and go there regularly or travel through often, apparently Paris Bar is considered one of the very best venues in Seoul. Considering what a big city this is, that's pretty cool.

I've had the pleasure of being introduced to many important and famous Koreans who patronize the bar. However, a couple of weeks ago I had an encounter I won't soon forget.

I was only playing piano on my first set, which I sometimes do in order to build the momentum of the show. There was a table of Korean men and women seated right next to the piano who were applauding and whistling in appreciation. They invited me to their table for a drink on my set break. While a couple of them spoke English, the man who had been most vocal in his appreciation for my performance was sitting quietly, not saying a word. Suddenly he leaned over to his wife and began speaking in Korean. She began translating to me.

"My husband is Lee Seung Chul, and he is also a peformer. He wants to make sure you know how much he enjoys your piano playing. He thinks you are wonderful." I thanked them profusely for the compliment, and decided to give them a few CDs. I asked them to please stay for another set so I could sing for them.

Well, they ended up staying the entire night. I sat with them on every set break, and received more information about this man as the night progressed, both from himself and from all the staff in the bar who were telling me, "he is the MOST FAMOUS Korean musical star." By the end of the night he had, through his wife's translation, let me know that I could consider our friendship a true one, and that I could "drop his name" if it might help me at any time in my career. He then gave me an autographed copy of his CD and proceeded to invite me to a big concert he would be playing the following weekend in Busan. He was offering me free tickets, free accomodation, and inviting me to be a guest at their private party the following day. Unfortunately I was unable to attend becuse it was Valentine's Day, and my supervisor couldn't allow me to miss my performance that night.

It is difficult to express how much of an honor this interaction was for me because it involves many components of the Korean culture. For an older professional of high societal standing to (as they put it in Korean) "make a friendship with me" is one of the highest compliments that can be paid. Furthermore, to allow me to speak his name to others as a friend is also huge. I was extremely disappointed to not be able to accept his generous invitation, but he has been back to the bar since, and it is clear that he meant what he said about having a true friendship. In a society where "face" and position on the social hierarchy are things you encounter and deal with daily or even hourly, and where you are constantly expected to behave according to a complex set of social rules (which foreigners often admittedly do not completely understand), it was interesting to me that a common respect and love for music cuts through all of that, and allows genuine human interaction to take place.

One more reason why I love music......

I've been learning more about Seoul in the past few weeks. I think it's taken me until now, nearly the halfway point in my time here, to "settle" in, but I finally feel I am starting to understand the place I will be living in for the next nearly four months.

Highlights for me have been discovering the 24-hour women's spa, which offers two hour Thai style massage for under fifty dollars, amazing saunas of different intensities and styles (one was almost like a brick igloo, and was so hot they keep a sand hour glass inside to warn you of over-heating, and they actually had eggs hard boiling in their shells in there) great hot baths and all the spa services you could possible want. I've never been much of a spa-goer at home, but here it is very much a part of the culture - the Koreans literally schedule time to relax into their lives as regularly as possible.

I also did some reading up on Itaewon, which is essentially my neighborhood. Itaewon is considered the "international" neighborhood of Seoul, and is located directly near the US Army Base. When you walk down the streets of Itaewon, you will see faces from all over the world, and of course many soldiers walking around as well. Food from every culture, imported goods from places such as Egypt, and Africa, interesting vendors (like the man who sits all day knitting various items of clothing in his little booth on the corner near the grocery store where I shop) and live music venues give the place a lively feel - it's active around the clock, especially on the weekends. Itaewon is a bit run-down as the business fronts have not been re-done in decades, and the city is debating what the "new look" of this international district should be. Most people argue that since it is already international in flavor, more Korean flourishes should be added to the look of the storefronts. Overall, Seoul is one of the cleanest-feeling and cleanest-looking cities I've ever visited.

An interesting fact about Seoul is that while it is (I think) the largest city in the world, it is also considered just about the safest, and you might, in the wee hours of the morning, see adolescent kids on skateboards, ex-pats out for a night run, or insomniacs walking their dogs.

The Grand is located essentially on a small mountain, and next to the hotel is an expanse of land which has been turned into a park with miles of walking paths, "fitness" areas, ponds, outdoor art sculptures, the highlight being the 30-minute climb to the top of the mountain where one can go up into Seoul Tower - which reminds me of the Space Needle from home, though Seoul Tower is nowhere near as fetching - and get an amazing view of the sprawling, light-bejeweled Seoul.

In terms of my gig - I am enjoying this opportunity to learn many new songs, and transpose songs that I usually play on guitar to piano versions. I'm also trying every night to be creative and re-interpret songs I play almost every evening. Regulars at the bar have started coming in specifically to see me, and I've "earned" many Korean friendships with guests and co-workers. Where at first I was befuddled by the social hierarchies here, I've started to appreciate one aspect of this system very much: when you do obtain respect from a Korean and a friendship is begun, I absolutely get the feeling that this is taken very seriously and that the friendship will be cherished indefinitely. This reminds me of when I visited Japan as a teenager and stayed in a guest home. My initially reticent Japanese host father (who was disappointed I could not speak Japanese) ended up spending hours with the Japnese/English dictionary the night before I was to leave for home, writing me a letter telling me I would always have a family in Kasai. Hard-won affection, when given, is especially touching.

I have friends coming to visit me in Korea - a blessing which makes me realize how fortunate I am to have so many wonderful people in my life and also gives me so much to look forward to for the duration of my time here, much as my family coming to see me in Vietnam got me through some of the lonely spots there, as well.

I am making it a goal to write more often in the blog, so please check in every week or so to see if I've kept my promise! :) Also - if you're a Facebook member, you can look up the Hilary Scott fan club. It is actually a site written completely in French, because it was started by my French friend Agnes Dautraix, who is not only a singer herself, but is making a name for herself by interviewing music artists from all over the world, some of them quite big names. Please join - English language posts are welcome, and Agnes would like me to spread the word about the group.

More soon!@

Hi from Seoul, Korea!

Christmas is only a couple of days away. I am trying to figure out ways to "invoke" the holiday spirit over here, even though I am far from most of my friends and family. So, with the new friends I've made here, I've been baking cookies, listening to Christmas carols, and wearing as much red and green as possible. :)

More importantly, I'm trying to count my blessings and make sure to express my appreciation for those blessings.

I am playing music, which is my love.
I am making a living playing music, in uncertain economic times.
I have people who love me, whether they are right across the street or thousands of miles away.
I am healthy.

I can't think of much else I need - and I realize that I also can't think of much to complain about, though there have certainly been difficult and lonely times here in Seoul. For every blessing I counted above, there are people struggling, and it's important to remember that as well. What can I do to help other people? My friend Mary and I are looking into volunteering at orphanages and women's shelters here in Korea. Something to bring myself OUT of myself will probably help me a lot when those lonely, sad times occur.

So, no matter your beliefs - I hope that during this holiday season, right before the new year begins, you count your blessings and also recognize your own ability to make the world a better place on whatever scale you can.

And - musically speaking, I'm finding the blues to be the best cure for my blues.

Well - many people probably won't find this blog for a while as I assume no one is following a blog that is more than a year overdue! I hope we can get you back on the site after sending out a notice in the next newsletter. I apologize for my blogging absence - but I hope to be back "on the wagon."

2008 brought about many changes for me personally and professionally. In the summer of 2007 I moved back to the northwest to be near family, sadly leaving behind a nearly seven-year run with the Hilary Scott Band, which I miss very much, and for a period of time had been focusing on writing and recording. I took three trips back to Columbia, MO between summer 2007 and summer 2008 where I played in shows with members of the Hilary Scott Band and worked on an album with Wes Wingate at Mansion Studios (the album will be released in summer of 2009). In April of this year, I was contacted by an agency called Premier Talent International, and offered representation by Vanessa Feltner, the owner of the company, who finds musicians jobs overseas. My first placement was for three months in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and now I am working my way through a six month contract in Seoul, Korea. I may have future placements in other areas in Asia, the UAE, and Europe. The job combines cover music and some originals, and I perform piano and vocals. I have found pleasure in developing this other aspect of my life as a professional musician. On the flipside, I recall with nostalgia the wonderful music the Hilary Scott Band made, and I still plan to return to the Midwest for shows with the band when possible.

Since this lifestyle is so different from what I had been doing previously, I have interesting stories to tell, which I will try to find time to blog about. Thanks for reading this and please keep checking in.