"I am happy when I am making music. I may not be good at it, but I definitely love it. I know my limits. I love this work so much and want to do it for a long time."
On stage, he may appear weak, but his voice is more intense and rich than anyone else's. His deep voice fills the concert hall. Singer Jung Joon-il was fully devoted to his music and performance.
From January 13 to 23, Jung Joon-il met his fans with an impressive 8 performances of 'Piano Winter 90 Minutes' at the newly opened Ewha Womans University ECC Yeongsan Theater. It had been four months since his last performance, 'Something That Is Not', in October. Jung Joon-il proved his musical standing by selling out all 8 performances.
First of all, the concert venue stood out. With only 288 seats, Jung Joon-il's breathing and even his whispers were directly conveyed to the audience. This brought immense satisfaction to the passionate fans who wanted to see and hear him up close.
This concert was solely composed of Jung Joon-il's voice and pianist Kwon Young-chan's performance. No additional sessions were needed. With Kwon Young-chan's accompaniment and Jung Joon-il's vocals alone, the concert hall was completely immersed in emotion. As if showcasing the end of longing, attention was focused on Jung Joon-il's voice. The air in the concert hall, where not even applause could be heard, made it feel as if only the artist and the audience were present.
According to insiders, Jung Joon-il was involved in everything from stage props to setting and atmosphere. While the audience listening to the songs is important, it was an effort to maximize his own satisfaction and completeness in singing.
As Jung Joon-il sang songs like 'I Don't Love You', 'Well Done', 'First Snow', and 'Love Again', he smiled faintly and introduced himself late, finally easing the audience's tension, who responded with applause and laughter.
"I really focus on delivering the music I created well. I don't want to muffle what I love (singing). I wanted to convey each song deeply. But doing 8 performances is a bit tough. (laughs)"
Is it Jung Joon-il's charm? When talking, he puts aside the seriousness of singing and shows a willingness to communicate with the audience more comfortably.
At the same time, Jung Joon-il mentioned that he doesn't focus much on the lyrics when singing. He concentrates more on the pitch. He sat on a chair set up on stage and performed all the songs. It created an atmosphere reminiscent of his studio. It felt like he wanted to convey the breath of the song as it is, rather than focusing on flashy techniques and stage performances.
The concert was not very long either. It filled the '90' minutes as the title suggests.
"Thinking back to the past, there were difficult times. But I was just happy making music. At one point, my house was on a neighborhood hill, and just being able to listen to music while climbing that high hill was happiness itself. Those memories have accumulated, and now I am earning money through music at some point. It is infinite happiness for me, and I always feel grateful. Of course, to all of you."
As a long-time listener of Jung Joon-il's music, I was reminded of his musical philosophy. It sounded like a 3-minute gift reflecting his life, not just music for the sake of music.
Jung Joon-il presented about 20 songs, including performances. It was a time to see his music up close and learn more about who 'Jung Joon-il' is beyond being an artist.
Jung Joon-il lightened the steps of his fans by announcing an orchestra performance in the first half of this year.
