[I’m an American] Jung Kwong-bok (Piano Tuner)

Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“People ask me. ‘Do you know how to play piano?’ The answer is always the same. Of course, I play piano well. But I only play one song. It’s called a “tuning song (played when tuning a piano)”.
“I’m an American.” Ten shades of ten Koreans. A series tracing the journey of Korean-Americans - how they struggled, settled, and then succeed in the United States. The fifth episode, the story of Jung Kwong-bok, a piano tuner.
 
Sitting by a piano hitting cheerful notes is Jung Kwong-bok. He became a modest expert piano tuner, having been in the industry for nearly fifty years.
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“I want to help piano tuners or people with related career in South Korea who want to immigrate to the U.S. I would tell them to humbly lay aside their pride and work in American ways. Then, even if it would take more time, their work will be acknowledged, right?”
Jung began his career in piano tuning in South Korea. When he tried to continue his career in America, it was not so easy, just like other immigrants starting out in a new land.
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“Who doesn’t have a difficult time? It is difficult to make it in your chosen field. I worked about 75 to 80 hours a week.”
As Jung look back to the past, he felt grateful for even hardships he endured as if he were being rewarded for persisting through them.
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“When I think about the moments of hardship in the past, I feel like I can write a book. Now having overcome them, I feel as if those challenging times made me who I am today. If I didn’t go through hardships, I could not be here today.”
Difficult moments could have held Jung back from moving forward, but the recollection of the past moments now brought a new understanding. Arduous times in America pushed him even harder to step forward.
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“Now that I think of it in hindsight, if I didn’t come to America, I would not have obtained certain perspective toward piano, skills as a tuner, and attitude toward customers that made me who I am today to get to this point.”
“What does piano mean to you?”
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“Piano is my life. My life. It is my work. I don’t want to embellish the meaning too much.”
Jung knows well responsibilities accompany his passion toward his work, and the word he constantly had to push out of his mind was ‘pride’.
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“Although I worked for a long time, I can’t think of a time when I was 100% satisfied with the work I did. I don’t think there will be going forward either. I think it is wrong to be 100% satisfied with the work you do.”
“What's the purpose of your job?”
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“A piano tuner’s role is to enable a pianist to play well. Applauses go to pianists, but I believe I contribute toward their performance. I believe I am also present where they perform.”
To Jung Kwong-bok, America is a country that shakes him out of indolence and awakens his passion. It has been a country that cheered him on by providing hope.
Jung Kwong-bok, Piano Tuner
“I want to continue doing this work for a long time. But workload will lessen, right? My strength will decline also (as I age). In that sense, I want to leave a record. ‘An oldest person to retire.’”

[@katchup]

What an interesting story!