Ann Kim has been playinga traditional Korean string instrument, Gayageum for about 14 years. Although she majored in the instrument in a university and wanted to follow her career path as a professional musician, a question has haunted her all the time; “Can I live only with music?”
In 2016, she came to Australia to find the answer.
Ann Kim said SBS Korean program “Once you major in the instrument, there are so many exams to pass and performances that you need to prepare, then you don’ really have time to enjoy the music itself. I always want to know if I could really live only with music and my time in Australia really had proved that I enjoy my life with full of music.”
Her first destination in Australia was Brisbane where she applied for a busking license. In Brisbane, you have to pass an interview to become a legitimate busker and only one person amongst 182 people usually gets the busking permit. It is believed that Ann Kim is the first Gayageum artist gained the busking license in Brisbane city. Later she moved to Sydney in the hope of meeting up with a wide range of street audience since then visitors in Darling Harbour and Circular Quay on weekends had been able to hear the Gayageum melody played by Ann Kim until she came back to Korea this month.
Ann Kim’s busking experience and her live Gayageum performance is available on the podcast above.
Gayageum musician Ann Kim Source: SBS Korean Program
