Techniquelle

Raised by a Korean mother who came to a foreign land with no money, a fiancée studying across the world, and merely one or two friends in the U.S., Joanne Kim was born as the second child in 1985. She grew up with no particular indication that she would be so interested in music. Rather, she had a broad spectrum of capabilities, shyness and curiosity defining her persona.

Joanne was first introduced to a Baldwin piano at the tender and impressionable age of 6, as engaging in the activity of playing as she was being a girl scout, saving tadpoles from her mischievous older brother. She later made acquaintance with the violin as a late elementary school child, continuing both instruments until graduating from high school.

But it was really in middle school, where she joined the local church praise band, where sparks began to fly and she eagerly forced a band member to teach her the first few songs she would learn on the guitar. Her foundation in music theory propelled her forward to quickly advance in this instrument, without any one teacher or any professional music lesson, although she takes professional lessons currently to continuously shape her sound. Her enjoyment of singing also developed, and she became inspired to write her own songs of expression, following the example of many others who were doing the same.

Through the numerous opportunities she’s had to perform in front of church members and before God, she really got the hang of the whole music thing and enjoyed the expression and experience of music.

During her college years, she transferred to the University of Virginia, a change that would completely rebuild her perspective on life. While studying to become a nurse, Joanne delved into her many interests including philosophy, acting and performance, as well as deciding to hone her secret love for music. She learned to become a person who would engage in the world, who would love to and seek to learn constantly, and who would value unselfish love from friends, family, strangers, and God. Her musical tastes expanded during this time, and she very openly began to admire bands such as Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Muse, and women artists such as Bjork, Ella Fitzgerald, and KT Tunstall for amazing musicality and sheer poetic lyricism.

As Joanne contemplated what kind of person she wanted to become, what kind of life she would want to live, she decided that with her one life she’d like to live it to the fullest, fully vulnerable and exposed. Her music is her expression of vulnerability, as well as her hope to see people share in her experiences as a person, as a Christian, as someone who wants to see and defend true beauty and goodness in the world.

Whether as a musician or a nurse or a philosopher or writer or whatever else may, in the future, engage Joanne’s interest, she wants to be a part of a bigger story being written about the world and impart some goodness that she’s received developing as a person.

Thus, Joanne Kim is Techniquelle. And this is her music.