J. Park is not your average keyboardist. He is also a pianist and a composer. His pop-influenced compositions and solemn, romantic piano ballads capture the simplicity yet complexity of easy contemporary listening; just right there in between. And he does all this without knowing how to read a single note of music.

J. Park was born to a poor, modest family, with many siblings, and loving caring parents: Italian on his father’s side and Korean on his mother’s. As a toddler, he used to tinker around at an old upright piano at his grandparent’s house, never knowing what path this magical instrument would take him in the future.

Throughout his childhood, he was taught strict character and morals, which carry over and reflect today in helping to shape his music. Ironically, J. Park at an early age swore off ever playing an instrument, specifically the piano.

Early in his childhood, J. Park was introduced to the magical music of Yanni. This was much different than the average music staple of Michael Jackson, Prince, and pop music of the day. J. Park took a liking to Yanni’s musical style and background, and would sit at the edge of tables, imitating it being a piano, playing all the notes, throwing back his head (like Yanni), the works. He had a blast!

At school, J. Park would watch his peers play the piano, and he used to envy them. One afternoon, at a school assembly in the auditorium, J. Park’s classmate happened to be playing a grand piano that was on the stage. J. Park stood close by and watched in amazement. At the end of this musical piece, J. Park asked his classmate, “How do you learn to play that?” His classmate responded, “Well you have to learn to read these (and picked up a musical score book) first.” J. Park responded, “No, WITHOUT learning to read music, how can you learn to play?” His classmate said, “Ummmm, I don’t think you can do that…”

One day in his early teens, his father brought home a Yamaha keyboard as a gift to one of J. Park’s sisters. J. Park sat at this piano and started tinkering around, until he started playing each and every one of Yanni’s songs by ear. Soon, J. Park had his own keyboard, and another, and started practicing in earnest, all without knowing how to read a single note of music. In 2000, J. Park started recording his own material.

Fast forward to today. J. Park has finally been able to complete a a number of albums with all new material, and is ready to take on the world of music and release his compositions. His music is not only a tribute to his only musical teacher, Yanni, but is in J. Park’s own conspicuous style, “refreshing”. Drawing from his life’s experiences, J. Park hopes the musical world embraces him as well as his greatest musical weapon: improvisation.

“What I’ve come to observe thus far, any such magnificent musical expression cannot come from anything but a powerful emotion and passion. I feel that so many people will be able to hopefully relate to my music, not because of the way that it sounds, nor the way it has been constructed or played. It is because the message that’s behind it; it’s important, it’s true, and it’s clear. This is what we all understand and know.”

J. Park is eager to let fans hear his music, and witness how it has changed him from the inception of his career to a decade later.

“The fans are the ones who get to tell you how true your music is. From the feedback I’ve already been able to get, I’m confident that I can reveal my musical passion with them, and they’ll appreciate this special communication, this special language, that we’re able to share.”

Music is not the only thing that J. Park does. He is an IT administrator and webmaster. He is a computer enthusiast, and can be found all over the net on different forums asking and helping people regarding all different aspects of networking and computing.