Music is My Sunshine

A dentist has made her singing debut. Park So-yeon, 39, who travels back and forth to work at clinics in both Gangneung, Gangwon Province, and Gangnam, Seoul, recently released her debut album, “The Song of the Star and the Wind.” The crossover album consists of 10 pop classical songs.

However, it is not an amateurish album made by someone as a hobby. In fact, the album that Park paid a great deal of attention to in its details such as its cover drawn by illustrator Gwak Seon-yeong has been viewed as a “well-made album.” Lee Yeong-hun, best known for composing hit songs such as “Gwanghwamun Love Song,” “Sunset Heartbreak,” and “I Still Don`t Know,” produced and wrote the songs and lyrics of the entire album. Everyone was surprised to learn that Lee, who has not announced new songs since Lee Mun-se’s 13th album, worked on the entire tracks of a rookie singer’s debut album.

“I was introduced to Mr. Lee through an acquaintance when he immigrated to Australia four years ago. We kept exchanging e-mails for two years. I told him why I wanted to do music, what kind of music I wanted to do, and what I wanted to express through music. After hearing my genuine affection in music, Lee gave me chance to have an audition.”

Gwak, who majored in piano in Yewon School and vocal music in Seoul Arts High School, once dreamed of becoming a vocalist. “I never thought of doing anything else besides music,” she said. However, she gave it up when she failed to enter a music school where she had planned to study.

Having changed her mind, she entered Yonsei University College of Dentistry and opened her practice in 2000 in Gangneung. She later got married and lived a stable life as a mother. But one day, when she consulted with a psychologist on a friend’s recommendation, she rediscovered her long-cherished dream of becoming a singer.

“Can you imagine what it is like to be a ball that is dragged underwater but keeps coming back to the surface because of its buoyancy? That’s why I decided to do music after having many u-turns. I think I’m destined to sing because I have the buoyancy,” Gwak said.

Although she plays her songs in the clinic, she is still too shy to tell her patients about her album. Gwak says that she wants to sing until the day she is no longer capable of doing so to make up for her long wandering.

“These days, it is hard to find a song that touches my heart. I hope my music will be able to heal the emotional scars of people and help them carefully reflect on what has been missing in their lives, as well.”

salthj@donga.com