By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Many may not recognize the name Kim Yeon-woo, 37, but his soft yet powerful ballads like ``Still Beautiful?" and project group Toy may ring a bell.
``I have been doing ballads for the past 14 years. Old habits die hard, and I guess it was hard for me to move out of the box,'' Kim said during an interview with The Korea Times at Yeouido last week.
Kim is one of the best known vocalists here, giving vocal lessons to top singers like Lee Young-hyun from Big Mama, Lee Suk-hun from SG Wannabe, Lim Jeong-hee or J.Lim and also teaching aspiring singers at his alma mater.
Building a career as a singer is never easy, and for Kim, his professional career took unexpected turns at an early age.
As a student in the School of Music at the Korea National University of Arts, he got a glimpse of the music industry as he worked as a chorus member for singers like Lim Chang-jung and Kim Hyun-chul.
Then came the big opportunity. As soon as Kim won a prize from the You Jae-ha Singing Competition, he got a call from singer and songwriter You Hee-yeol.
``Right after graduation, I worked as a guest singer from You's second album. It sold more than 10,000 copies and that was the start of Toy's popularity,'' he said.
The project group Toy and You became famous for delicate ballads and heartwarming lyrics, but for Kim, it wasn't all good.
``It took some time for fans to realize that it was me singing the songs. Even until 2000, many people didn't know who I was,'' he said.
Staying behind the scenes for several years was enough for Kim, and he finally broke away from the shadows and went solo, releasing his own albums and gaining popularity for his powerful voice and stage presence.
``There was a time when I felt a bit depressed, but I still feel lucky to have met You. I'm grateful and we still keep in touch, although he is a bit more busy than I am,'' Kim said laughing.
When asked about his life as a professor, Kim smiled and said there were always ``talented students who just hate to practice.''
Kim's voice started to speed up as he talked about his perspective toward ``good singing,'' which was based on not only training hard but also knowing to feel and control.
``Singing all comes down to emotions and feelings. Even if you are a great singer, if the listener cannot feel anything, you have failed. It's also important to know how to control your voice and not ruin your vocal chords. Look at famous singers. They don't struggle to make the high note. You need to learn control,'' he advised.
When asked about what he thought of the current music industry, Kim thought for a moment, and said he recognized change.
``We are focusing too much on `idols,' and it now seems we only have two genres: Idol music and trot, or traditional pop. The society has changed, people have changed and feelings have changed. We just live in such a fast paced world that even I can't bear listening to my old songs because they are too slow,'' said Kim.
What would be the singer's dreams?
``Personally, I would like to set up an academy where aspiring musicians can learn and train. Who knows, we might come up with the next Boyz II Men. As a singer, I am grateful that there are fans who are waiting for my music and for them, I will try my best to continue singing, probably until I die,'' he said.
Kim has prepared a special performance at Chungmu Art hall as part of ``Stars on Stage'' concert May 21-24. For more information, visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call (02) 2203-6601.