*This was originally posted over in the blog section on Nov 13, 2018. I moved it over to the stories section as this will contain ongoing posts*

Hello again,

So in my very first blog post, I mentioned how I am pretty new to the world of Kpop and so far I have found so many things interesting and fun. But the more I delve into the entertainment industry here in Korea, there are things that are also sad and unfair. I’m sure things are sad and unfair in any type of entertainment industry in any country but since I am currently in Korea at the moment, I’m only speaking about Korea.

It has been a whirlwind delving into the world of Kpop. My experience learning about the Korean entertainment industry perfectly describes my experience in moving to this country. There is just so much to see and do and experience, and at times it’s pretty overwhelming, but still fun.

The first Kpop group that I ever heard of and took an interest in was Got7 and I still really like them. I first heard of them back in 2016 when their little reality show was still on Netflix. And just this past Summer I had the pleasure of attending one of their concerts for their North American tour when they stopped in Brooklyn, NY. It was my first concert ever and I had such a great time!

Another group that I like is a group called JBJ. Unfortunately I just discovered them. Like, JUST discovered them; a few weeks ago. Each member was a contestant on the popular show Produce 101 and although they did not get selected as members of the final 11, they were a second fan-made group that had a lot of success. I really wish I could have found out about them back when they were an active group, but oh well.

Exploring all these new artists for me has made me take more interest in the music industry in Korea which led me to finding out about the whole trainee thing that happens with artists. I had no idea that people don’t just get discovered in Korea like they do in America. The whole idea of being a trainee for years and years on end, starting from such a young age was absolutely mind blowing to me! All I could say over and over again was “people actually trainto become a music artist??” Growing up in America, I always thought being a singer/actor or entertainer in general was based on talent. Of course there are performing arts schools that people attend but that’s completely different than entering an entertainment company.

So with this new found knowledge, for the past few weeks I have just been researching and researching what it’s like being an idol trainee. It sounds like a truly harsh lifestyle to have to live. Way harsher than what is portrayed on shows like Produce 101. But don’t get me wrong, I liked the show. I love music reality shows. I grew up watching shows like American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, and other things like that. Musical competition reality shows are pretty much the only reality shows I watch.

But anyway. In finding out about all this, it makes me wonder what it’s truly like being an idol trainee. As someone who loves music and writes their own songs, I wonder if I would be able to live the life of a trainee so I can do the thing I love. I first started writing songs at the age of 10 and I have been writing songs off and on ever since. Some idol trainee hopefuls even audition to enter a company at that age! It’s wild to me because that’s so young!

Admittedly, I am not a good dancer and my voice isn’t the greatest either. But I am a pretty good writer and I love writing songs. So I want to see if I can create a kpop idol trainee inspired lifestyle of sorts. I want to know what it will be like to dedicate my life to music and training to be the best. I have seen some old blogs dedicated to people trying to do their own kpop trainee lifestyle challenge but for whatever reason, those posts are all taken down now. It makes me wonder if the lifestyle is truly that difficult even when doing it in the comfort of one’s own home. Why do people stop the challenge?

So I am planning to do an experiment. I don’t know what to call this challenge but I want to make my own kpop idol trainee inspired experiment. Since I am not a Korean speaker and this experiment is only inspired by idol trainees, I am not limiting myself to only music by Korean artists. In the next coming weeks, I will be gathering more info on idol trainees’ lives. I will also be gathering potential songs I want to sing and choreographies I want to learn as well. Music will include songs from both Western and Korean artists.

Other Info

I want to do this just because when I was younger the only thing I ever wanted to be was a dancer and a singer. I actually wrote this in my old journals. Well I’m older now and I know that becoming a dancer and a singer is not going to happen for me but I still love dance, I still love music, I still love writing songs. I guess I am just doing this to see if I would have even been strong enough to devote my life to a craft I love. Will my singing improve? Will my dancing get better? Will I be able to catch on to choreography quicker as time goes by? Will I be able to write a few songs at the end of all this? I don’t know yet.

Also, I know that I will not have the facilities, equipment, and teachers/trainers that actual trainees and music artists have access too but this is just something I want to try and I want to document my experiences. I have been researching daily lives of music artists from western countries as well, not just Korea, but they are all pretty much the same when it comes to busy schedules.

So, once again, this challenge is just INSPIRED by the idol trainee lifestyle.

Things I Will Include In This Challenge

• Workouts (I actually used to work out every single day but I kinda fell off…oops)
• Vocal practice (I’m calling it practice instead of training since I won’t actually have a trainer)
• Song writing
• Dance practice
• Language study (I wanted to include this since I currently live in Korea and need to start speaking the language if I want to be able to do anything on my own)
• Journaling (to document my thoughts & experiences)
• Recordings/Self-evaluations (to listen to myself and critique my dance form)

I am waiting until a break in my work schedule to do this challenge so I can actually devote my days to doing this. Since I am not an actual artist and I have nothing to lose, I kinda feel like this will be fun lol. I’ve always wanted to know what being an artist is like.

So until my break, I will be gathering songs, choreos, and creating my own “trainee” schedule that I will have to abide by. I’m aiming for making this a 3-week challenge. Will I last? Who knows.

*Disclaimer*

I have no desire in auditioning for a company and trying to be an actual kpop trainee. Also, I am in no way trying to make fun of the Korean entertainment industry either. I am genuinely just curious about this process. So please leave your negativity checked at the door!

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy my posts to come ^_^