Jasmine Choi on Flute Unscripted: Practice Advice, Pandemic Projects & Her First Gold Flute
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.
Caity Massoud: Jasmine Choi, thank you so much for being on Flute Unscripted. It's really nice to see you.
Jasmine Choi: Nice to see you too. Thanks for having me.
Caity Massoud: Of course. I just saw you the other day in the store at Flute Center, and you were trying out some piccolos, right?
Jasmine Choi: Yes, it was really an amazing experience. Whenever I go to Flute Center, I'm excited about so many things. First of all, there are so many choices of instruments, including the piccolos I've been trying out. And I have to admit, one of the greatest assets of Flute Center is the staff. You have all these amazing, kind, and smart people, and I feel so welcomed every time. The last time I was in New York, we did a master class together, and we also did a fundraiser for kids in Ukraine. So I really appreciate everything you're doing.
Caity Massoud: And we love you. Thanks for your partnership with everything.
Jasmine Choi: Sure.
Caity Massoud: So what shall we talk about today? I think we should go back a little, because a lot has changed since the pandemic. You and I connected for maybe 20 minutes on Instagram Live right at the beginning, when things were shutting down. I'd love to hear how your life changed when that happened. I know you were savoring time at home, but you also took on a lot of new projects. You were streaming live master classes on YouTube, and you were interviewing flutists, which we can commiserate about, because we both know what it's like to do this now. You've been really busy. Was that a creative renaissance for you, in a way?
Jasmine Choi: It's amazing that we're still in the pandemic. People are still getting COVID, can you imagine? When we did our last interview, it was 2020, right after the pandemic had officially started. Nobody knew what was happening or how long it would last, and the concert scene and all of life had shut down.
Since then I've done a lot of new things. At first, I practiced a lot. Then the pandemic kept going, and I thought, what shall I do now? There were still no concerts. Of course, I went through a period where I got really scared. What if I don't get to see my friends in the US or in Korea anymore? At that point I was in Austria, which is where I live, although right now I'm sitting in New York.
It was so scary, and then I realized, well, there's the internet, there's Zoom, there's Instagram. So I started connecting with family and friends first, doing a lot of Zooms. Then I thought, why don't I connect with the musicians I love? So I started interviewing people over Zoom, like you're doing right now. I wrote articles from those interviews, and I did a flute series where I interviewed a lot of flutists I love. They were such rewarding conversations, and it was such a fun time. Oh my god, what else have I done?
Caity Massoud: Flute method books, right?
Jasmine Choi: Oh yes, I published the books for beginners. Unfortunately, they're only in Korean at the moment. We're working on translating them into English and Chinese.
Caity Massoud: That's exciting.
Jasmine Choi: Also exciting is that I've made videos based on the method book, and they're coming out soon.
I also felt bad for the young people who weren't able to have normal school days or in-person lessons. A lot of them asked me how to stay motivated when nothing is happening: no concerts, no auditions, no competitions. I thought, maybe if we learn something together, we'll have a lot more fun in the process. So I started collecting students' videos of short orchestral excerpts, put them together, and started live master classes. Students were chatting and asking questions at the same time, so it was half master class, half interview and flute talk. It was a lot of fun, and we did about 10 of them.
And it never ends, because I also did a series to help young pianists. We did virtual collaborations and played the Reinecke "Undine" Sonata, with each movement played with a different pianist. I put our two videos together, with me playing in front of a green screen, so it looks like I'm in their room.
Caity Massoud: Do you feel like you learned a lot of new skills that year?
Jasmine Choi: Yes, editing video and livestreaming. It was surprisingly complicated. During that process, I realized more and more how much I love playing the flute. Everything else was too complicated, and when you don't love what you're learning or doing, it's very stressful. The technical part, setting up the video and audio, was not my thing. So I moved on.
Caity Massoud: It gives you an appreciation for the thing you do love. And it was a great way to connect with people. It was really great to see you engaging with the community, making the best of that time, and still reaching out to people.
Jasmine Choi: Looking back, it was a beautiful time, and I learned a lot. Life is about connecting with people. It's not just about how many right notes I play. I came to appreciate all the great people and friends around me more, and to learn how to help each other, because that's what we're here for.
Caity Massoud: Exactly. And now that things are opening back up, you get to see friends and fans again. What projects are you working on now, and what are you looking forward to? What has the adjustment been like, going back on the road and touring? Does it feel a little more difficult this time around?
Jasmine Choi: First of all, I don't take anything for granted. I appreciate even more every move I make, every concert I have, and every musician I meet.
Caity Massoud: Another thing you were working on was the SmartCase. Can you talk a little about that?
Jasmine Choi: Oh yes, I happen to have it here. This is the flute case called the SmartCase. The project started well before the pandemic. I think we started working on it at the end of 2016 or 2017, I can't remember exactly.
I wanted to make a flute case because I travel all the time and wanted to carry less luggage. Normally I had a carry-on, a handbag, and a flute case, and that's already three things. I wanted to put the flute case in a backpack, handbag, or tote bag, but we all know it's just a little too long to fit in a normal bag. That was my first goal. The designer, who is a carpenter, took it even further. Not only is it short enough to fit most bags, he made it really secure, with three-way security. I can show you. It looks like wood, but it's actually carbon.
Caity Massoud: I think I saw a video of you running over the case with your car, right?
Jasmine Choi: Oh my god, that was so scary.
Caity Massoud: Not with the flute in it, right?
Jasmine Choi: No. The car ran over it and nothing happened. It kept its shape. They said, "Next time, let's do it with the flute." I said no, not worth it!
Caity Massoud: With everything you have your hands in, do you ever start to feel burnt out or fatigued, especially now that things are coming back to normal?
Jasmine Choi: When I think of all the things I have to do and have promised to do, it's stressful, because now the concerts are happening too. The most important thing in my head is always the next concert. After that concert, the next one becomes the most important thing.
But other than that, it's great that there are a lot of things to take care of and a lot of new projects. I don't rush them. It's like the SmartCase: it took more than three years, but eventually it happened. So I still have a lot of new arrangements in the pipeline, another flute method book, performance books, and, as I said, the videos for the beginners' method book.
Caity Massoud: Along those lines, are you the kind of person who says yes to everything, or are there things you say no to? Is that hard to do?
Jasmine Choi: Saying no is harder, but I do say no. Some things will take a lot of effort if I say yes. But my deciding question is always: is it helpful to the flute community? Will anyone find it helpful and useful? If the answer is yes, I say yes, and then I do the troubleshooting later.
Caity Massoud: That seems like good reasoning. I feel like we could talk more about tips that might help young flutists and people who really look up to you. Do you have advice for young players who are getting back into school programs that are reopening in person, and navigating a music world that has changed over the last few years? Any tips about motivation, finding your purpose, or staying focused?
Jasmine Choi: Well, you and I didn't go through the pandemic as students, so we don't know what it's like going back to school. But I can talk in general about how to motivate yourself and how to practice better.
A lot of people say that practicing the right way, with good quality, is important. But to get there, when you're young, when you've just started out or you're a teenager preparing for college, I think quantity is also crucial. Working for hours and hours is how you figure out your own way to practice efficiently. Without those hours of practicing and figuring things out by yourself, you wouldn't know how to have a really good practice session. It's not only about learning every note. There's more to it: how to inspire yourself, how to always be curious, how to make progress every day. That only comes from your own experience, from hours of practice every day.
Once you do that as a teenager, you'll really appreciate it years later. You'll think, "I know how to work on this." You'll have only an hour to tackle many things, but you'll know exactly what to do. Everyone practices differently, and everyone has different things that take them to the next level, but you can figure it out on your own. So I'd say it's okay to put in a lot of hours when you're young, because when life hits after school, believe me, you'll have less time to practice or do anything.
The other thing is that nowadays, being able to focus on anything for a certain period of time has become a skill a lot of people lack. If you can only practice with full concentration for five minutes at a time, that's okay. But you can train yourself: 10 minutes the next day, then a little more, 11 minutes, 12 minutes. I think that's how you build concentration. It's very important, because when you play the Prokofiev Sonata, it's almost half an hour, and you have to play it on stage without fidgeting or checking your phone. So that's a very important skill, especially for young people, and for us as well.
Caity Massoud: How do you get in the zone before a performance? Do you have a pre-performance ritual or a set of things you always do before you step on stage?
Jasmine Choi: The funny thing is, getting into the zone for a concert is much easier than getting into the zone for practice. Practice is what I worry about more. Before a concert, I don't have much of a ritual. I don't do much of anything, actually, other than thinking about the concert and preparing for it. It's important for me not to let my focus drift from the concert, so I keep things very simple.
For practice sessions, though, I try to get into the right mindset beforehand, and then it's much easier to bring that into the session. That's more of a daily challenge for me.
Caity Massoud: You said you were practicing a lot during the pandemic. Do you feel like you've held onto that, or has it slipped away a little?
Jasmine Choi: In the beginning I practiced a lot. I always felt chased by time, always squeezing practice into small windows: in this hour or two, I should get this done. Then all of a sudden I had the whole day, and I thought, wow, I feel so rich! When you have something you never had before, it feels amazing. Then after a while, it got old. [laughs] But it was actually a very beneficial time. We needed it. I needed it.
Caity Massoud: In what ways have you seen yourself grow as a soloist? I imagine it can be an isolating position sometimes. What parts of it have brought you joy over the years, and what challenges have you overcome?
Jasmine Choi: It's been nine years since I started doing only solo work. What I've found different, and more exciting, challenging, and difficult in a way, is that I always have to be on top of everything: scheduling, choosing which concerts to play and which not to, and which repertoire to perform. When the choice is wide open, it gives you freedom, but it also gives you a lot of responsibility.
Caity Massoud: Do you have a favorite piece you love to program, one of your greatest hits?
Jasmine Choi: The thing is, I'm the kind of player who wants to do something new all the time. That's good and bad, because some people want to hear the older repertoire. For example, I'm well known for the Paganini Caprices, and people want to hear me play them often. But I don't want to put them in every concert, so I have to compromise a little.
Caity Massoud: I also want to hear about your journey with your Brannen flute, which you recently decided to sell here at Flute Center of New York. Can you talk about where the two of you have been together in your career and how you grew with it?
Jasmine Choi: It's actually still very hard for me to let it go. That's why it took me more than 10 years to decide. I think we even talked about this last year. I was about to sell it and then changed my mind: how can I let it go? But this time, I brought it to you. It's here.
This was my very first gold flute. I was 12 years old. I don't know how many viewers know my story, but I'm from a smaller town in Korea. There's a very prestigious music school in Seoul, two hours from where I lived. I really wanted to learn more about the flute and music, so I auditioned there, and I begged and begged my parents to let me go. Long story short, in the end they let me go to Seoul alone, at 12. They said, "It's going to be really, really hard. You have to come back right away if you find it too difficult." But how would I know? I had no idea. I went there and realized that life could be difficult, lonely, and homesick. That was exactly when I got this gold Brannen flute, as a present from my parents.
For the next 20 years, it was the only flute I had. I didn't have a second flute. After hours and hours, days and days of working and spending time with this flute, I auditioned for the Curtis Institute of Music, met the legendary Julius Baker, and had lessons with him every single week for four years. I went to the Juilliard School and studied with Jeffrey Khaner. Then I went to the Cincinnati Symphony and played there for six years under Paavo Järvi.
Caity Massoud: Now I see why you couldn't let it go. It's part of your identity.
Jasmine Choi: Yes. It was more than my best friend. But I kept thinking, you can't just let it sit in your closet. Maybe it would be better for the flute, too, if someone else had it. So I thought about it again and again, but every time I got close to deciding to sell it, I was in tears, and I'd say, "Okay, no." [laughs] So that's how it happened.
Caity Massoud: We're honored that you trusted us with it. We'll find it a loving new home and take good care of it. That's a wonderful story about its journey. Thanks for sharing it.
Jasmine Choi: I might change my mind! [laughs]
Caity Massoud: Thank you so much for being on today, Jasmine. It was such a pleasure to chat with you again.
Jasmine Choi: It was fun. Thank you so much.
Caity Massoud: Until next time. Bye!
