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omonatheydidHeather Choi was washing the dishes in her Franklin Lakes home last November when she was captivated by a singer's performance on a program marking the 20th anniversary of the Korean television station SBS.
It took her a couple seconds to realize the young woman was blind.
Knowing the difficulties the visually impaired face in South Korea, Choi, 47, became determined to help the vocalist in any way that she could. With the help of the station's New York bureau chief, she tracked down the singer, Areum Lee, in three months and brought her to New Jersey to take voice lessons.
Choi felt a special connection to Lee, having studied at the Manhattan School of Music as a young violinist herself after emigrating from South Korea.
"I had one thing in my mind, that it was meant to be," Choi said. "Now, I see her, and I'm getting this hope for her."
Lee is staying with Choi and her husband, Mingi Choi, 49, a Bridgewater physician, this month while taking six weeks of classes at the Newark School of the Arts.
"We very much wanted to make it work for this girl," said Dara Falco, the school's executive director.
In South Korea, people who are visually impaired have limited job prospects, and many become massage therapists. Lee is training to become one herself, but her dream is to become a singer.
Choi wanted to give Lee a chance to work on the technical aspects of her craft in hopes that more doors might open for her. She is largely self-taught, although she has taken classes at the Hanbit School for the Blind in Seoul.
Lee does not speak English, but she easily memorizes the words and melodies of pop songs by Billy Joel and Beyoncé after hearing them a few times, Choi said. "Listen to her singing, it's like, 'Oh my God. It's an American singer singing.'"
"It is clear in my mind that she has total, total perfect pitch, because she in her ear can pick up anything at any time no matter what it is and play it," said her voice teacher, Nadine Herman, director the music department at the Newark School of the Arts. "She has all the elements: incredible intonation, a wonderful voice, an incredible range and the ability to communicate."
NJ
It took her a couple seconds to realize the young woman was blind.
Knowing the difficulties the visually impaired face in South Korea, Choi, 47, became determined to help the vocalist in any way that she could. With the help of the station's New York bureau chief, she tracked down the singer, Areum Lee, in three months and brought her to New Jersey to take voice lessons.
Choi felt a special connection to Lee, having studied at the Manhattan School of Music as a young violinist herself after emigrating from South Korea.
"I had one thing in my mind, that it was meant to be," Choi said. "Now, I see her, and I'm getting this hope for her."
Lee is staying with Choi and her husband, Mingi Choi, 49, a Bridgewater physician, this month while taking six weeks of classes at the Newark School of the Arts.
"We very much wanted to make it work for this girl," said Dara Falco, the school's executive director.
In South Korea, people who are visually impaired have limited job prospects, and many become massage therapists. Lee is training to become one herself, but her dream is to become a singer.
Choi wanted to give Lee a chance to work on the technical aspects of her craft in hopes that more doors might open for her. She is largely self-taught, although she has taken classes at the Hanbit School for the Blind in Seoul.
Lee does not speak English, but she easily memorizes the words and melodies of pop songs by Billy Joel and Beyoncé after hearing them a few times, Choi said. "Listen to her singing, it's like, 'Oh my God. It's an American singer singing.'"
"It is clear in my mind that she has total, total perfect pitch, because she in her ear can pick up anything at any time no matter what it is and play it," said her voice teacher, Nadine Herman, director the music department at the Newark School of the Arts. "She has all the elements: incredible intonation, a wonderful voice, an incredible range and the ability to communicate."
NJ
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-13 08:21 pm (UTC)That's interesting and a little strange. I wonder what's the reasoning for them becoming massage therapists as almost a default. Good luck to her.
this was a while ago but
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Date: 2011-07-13 10:52 pm (UTC)and uh yay franklin lakes? lmaono subject
Date: 2011-07-13 11:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-14 08:07 am (UTC)and props to that lady for reaching a hand out to her. this whole story is just.. :']