TITLE: Director of MYCincinnati youth orchestra
HOMETOWN: Minneapolis
WHY WE LOVE HIM: Because of his work changing the lives of Cincinnati youth in Price Hill and beyond through Classical music.
Growing up in Minneapolis, violinist, composer and teacher
Eddy Kwon was surrounded by water and trees, but also arts and music via the city’s diverse cultural centers and two orchestras. Today, he does his part to share these gifts with children in the Cincinnati area as the director of MyCincinnati youth orchestra, an organization that gives the children of Price Hill access to free, high-quality Classical music education as a tool for personal development and community engagement.
After graduating from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music with a degree in Jazz studies, Kwon was driven to stay in Cincinnati because he loved the community. “I’m lucky to know so many people that are driven by a vision of a more just society, trying to build community in a responsible and compassionate way,” he says.
And it seems that he himself reflects MYCincinnati’s mission of achieving personal transformation through musical excellence. He guides music lessons, rehearsals and performances, drawing inspiration from all of MYCincinnati’s young musicians. “Through their dedication to music, they teach me how to be a more compassionate and resilient person,” he says.
Music opens up his heart and soul, Kwon says, and brings him closer to some truly amazing, passionate young musicians.
What aspects do you love about your job?
I love that I feel like myself when I’m at MYCincinnati. I love that my coworkers are my best friends and all artists I admire so much. I love that I get to be part of such a cool community that is committed to social justice in Price Hill.
How do you define passion? How is passion different from love?
I think passion is one-directional. At best, it is energizing and can inspire others. It’s a feeling. I think love, like bell hooks says, is a complex process that requires honesty, openness and care. There are many feelings within the process of love.
Right now, I’ve been thinking a lot about the safety of our young people. Life is starting to feel much more fragile these days. I feel passionately that the systems that tie a young person’s chances at a healthy life — of dreams and meaning — to their race, gender, class and ability, need to be destroyed.
What do you love about Cincinnati?
I love that, for the most part, there’s not a whole lot of pretension. People don’t necessarily move to Cincinnati to say they “live in Cincinnati.” At least, not yet. So, the folks that live here are here because they’re driven by something else.
Do you have a favorite place in Cincinnati? Why do you love it?
MYCincinnati is my favorite place in Cincinnati. The program runs out of an old firehouse in the heart of East Price Hill. It’s constantly filled with amazing people, and it’s becoming a wonderful space for community arts and activism. My other favorite place is Maranata Store, a Guatemalan restaurant/grocery in Price Hill run by an amazing family. The best food in the city.
Name someone that you love: role model, best friend, inspiration, etc., and tell us why.
I love my mom. She’s the most badass person I’ve ever met. She and my dad moved to the States from Korea over 30 years ago. She went from working at Dairy Queen to becoming program director at the Korean Service Center, a social service agency in Minneapolis. All while raising two annoying kids who never wanted to get “real jobs.”
What’s the best lesson life has taught you about love?
I love writing songs as a way to process love. When I was in my early 20s, I had so many wild, unreasonable feelings. I’m glad I wrote songs then. Now, my feelings are much more reasonable, but I still use songwriting as a way to process life, and to show love to myself.
What is a phrase or motto you live your life by?
For better or for worse, I don’t think I actually live my life by a phrase or motto. My morality has always been pretty fluid. Maybe the closest thing I have to a motto are memories from my childhood. There were a few moments that felt so impossibly good. It helps me to remember these moments.
Learn more about MYCINCINNATI at mycincinnatiorchestra.org.
This article appears in Feb 10-17, 2016.