Jun Kung: Music is my life
By Christine Yu
The 24-year-old local singer Jun Kung is famous for his live band shows. So far, he has released two albums, called Here and Now and Nowhere Man, with most songs composed and played by him.
He has also formed a band called Hann with two other friends and a famous local bandsman named Paul Wong.
He said, "I am blessed because I can play music. Music is my life."
Jun developed his music from a young age.
"My whole family loves music. When my mum was pregnant, she always went to the disco where my dad worked as a musician.
"Also, they liked singing very much. They even sang when having meals. Being raised in such a family, I have been greatly interested in music.
"When I was about 3, my dad brought me to the disco in which he was working. Once, a drummer let me play his drums. I felt so great at that time.
"From then on, I began hitting cans with chopsticks.
"There were two cassette recorders in my grandma's home. I always recorded different sounds and then did mixings,"he added.
When he was 14, he started his first job as a session musician in Beijing. It was crucial to him.
He explained, "The job exposed me to different kinds of music. I also learned music-recording skills.
"As a professional session musician, I also learned to create a comfortable environment for directors and singers to work well."
Four years later, Jun flew to New York to study. "At that time, I was not old enough to go to a pub and I had no girlfriend. I felt very lonely. I wanted to have someone beside me. Thus, I wrote my first song 'Missing You'.
"My music inspiration comes from anywhere at anytime. For example, when bathing or when I am on the toilet.
"Sometimes, a melody suddenly pops up in my mind. I play and record it immediately. Afterward, I listen to it and sing it repeatedly until I can create a song."
To Jun, music is better than words.
"People communicate through words. However, there are always hidden meanings behind the words. Thus, things can be misunderstood easily.
"I think that music is more direct and has no boundary. I am not a good speaker, so I prefer using music to express myself," said he.
"Good music can touch people's hearts. For instance, the song 'Yesterday' doesn't have a perfect pitch, but it is very popular because it affects people."
Many local people categorize his music as alternative, but Jun disagrees.
"My music is fun. When I am producing my music, I feel good. I want to make others feel good, too. I hope it helps my audience explore what they like."
Jun thinks that the local music scene is not well diversified.
"The local music market is too small. Audiences just follow the pop trend. Eventually, local band sounds will disappear.
"We should listen to different kinds of music and understand their cultures and backgrounds. The media plays an important role in introducing various kinds of music. This gives more choices to our audience."
Jun likes live performances. "Every live show is unforgettable. I sing every song enjoyably as if it would be my last concert. Also, the interactions between musicians and audience are empowering. The audience's responses are always important to me."
He likes to work in a studio, too.
"Everything must be precise and perfect in the studio. Just tuning by itself can already take several days. I must make sure that my music is precise and accurate. That's a challenging task."
Concerning his future plans, he said, "I want to get married and have a son and a daughter. I guess that will not happen for about 10 years.
"I also want to have an apartment in the countryside with my own studio in the basement," he added.
