October, 2018

David (Jonghak) Kim is the first MusicLink Alumni to be featured in a Spotlight. David serves as a perfect example of what our MusicLink students can become through their passion to learn and grow through music. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Bachelor's degree in composition, David is currently teaching at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond VA. He serves as accompanist and coach to vocalists at the university, preparing them for competitions and performances. He explains that "I want to continue teaching because that is something I just find myself doing naturally. I find that teaching helps me a lot as far as my own musicianship is concerned. I definitely see teaching as my future."

David has also continued composing, working with Korean film makers in composing and arranging music for film. Of course, with a current roster of 35 students, there is less time now for composing. He has been quite active in the chamber music scene and finds that this experience has taught him to work with others which relates to useful life skills in communication.

He also reaches out to children in Richmond through a youth ministry at his church, counselling children who are in difficult situations in their lives – " just being there to listen to them and encourage them to lift themselves up wherever they are."

David began lessons through MusicLink in 1996 studying with Judy Ferencz, Dr. David Kreider and Judith Schultz in piano and Dr. Glenn Caldwell n composition. While in MusicLink, David enjoyed a masterclass with Awadagin Pratt and continued to correspond with him. Pratt actually wrote a recommendation for David when he was applying for college. David was part of a MusicLink presentation at the MTNA convention in Washington DC and enjoyed several years at prestigious music camps thanks to the MusicLink camp scholarship program.

"MusicLink is definitely at the forefront of the statement that if you put your mind to it in music, you can accomplish so many things. All the people in MusicLink provide 100% support – they definitely did for me. They gave me the confidence to think maybe I can really do this – on a different level from what I thought I could do. In essence it was the beginning of my musical career. MusicLink started the whole thing."