Los Altos Town Crier 9/10/03 ~ ANOTHER PIANO PRODIGY IN OUR MIDST
Talent at 14 years old

Mercury News 2002 ~ A MIND FOR MUSIC
Young jazz performer, composer inspired by mentors - Article by Michael Cronk

The Jazz Buff Newsletter October/November 2003 ~ YOUNG YUMA PLAYS FOR PAJA

YOUNG YUMA PLAYS FOR PAJA

by Jennifer Huang
The Jazz Buff Newsletter October/Nobember 2003

Yuma Sung, 14, wrote his first jazz composition at age 10 and won Downbeat's composition award at age 12. He recently performed with Dave Brubeck and Dave Benoit for the "Three Generations" at Villa Montalvo.

On October 5, the young pianist and his trio will treat PAJA with an intimate performance at its member party. The Jazz Buff caught up with Yuma via email to learn more about his burgeoning career, his dream to write a movie score, and how he learned he has perfect pitch.

What first attracted you to jazz?

I was visiting my first piano teacher when I was around 9. She said that there was concert going on that night which was with one of her favorite bass players (Seward McCain), Vince Lateano, and David Benoit - which my mom knew - and Taylor Eigsti. It was at San Jose State University's Music Hall, where I would be teaching in around 5 years ...So we went.

The moment I stepped inside the auditorium, my mind and my eyes adjusted to these settings. I had never seen such a huge auditorium! I had never seen two nine-foot long grand pianos! I had never seen a drum set! I had never seen an acoustic bass or a saxophone! I first went ''wow'...I had never seen such concert with such great energy, excitement, interaction, sound.

When the concert ended, I was standing up, clapping as hard as I could! It was just a magical moment for me. After that, I shook hands with David Benoit. It would be less than a year until I met the man again. When I got home, I remember hearing The Best of David Benoit 1987-1995 for the first time...The track that I listened to the most was Linus and Lucy. After hearing it several times, I played it on the piano. My mom came rushing out saying, 'Isn't that David's Linus and Lucy? How did you do that?' I sat there not knowing how, but grinning. ' I don't know ...'

That was the first time I 'discovered' that I had perfect pitch. After that, I had my first jazz teacher, Christopher Malloy. This was around 1999. And from there on, jazz was a part of me. After Chris, I had the two greatest guys as teachers, Don Haas and Smith Dobson, who both died 2 years ago. I won the Downbeat magazine Student Competition Award for best composition in the Junior High Division for Looking Up, which I composed in memory of Don and Smith.

Less than a year after the first David Benoit concert I went to, I met him again at Villa Montalvo, around 1999. We met him backstage and I played Linus and Lucy for him. And now, David has done so many things for me - concerts in LA, the Three Generation concert - I can't thank him enough. He’s like my godfather. Taylor (Eigsti) and I are also very good friends.

Is it tough balancing gigs and practice with homework and school activities?

Very hard. When I'm doing homework, whenever I get frustrated, bored, angry, confused, I just walk away, either to the piano or the computer. When I'm playing, I'd either be playing something that I know, or something that I don't know, I just fooling around/creating with sounds on my Clavinova. Whenever I have a gig day, 80% of the time I wouldn't be doing my homework before the gig.

Right now, with all this school stuff and band rehearsals, I don't have really time to practice, but I play a lot. I get distracted very easy. Whenever I'd be 'practicing' a song or exercise that I'm supposed to, of course many things would be running around my head distracting me-what's left for homework, what I need to do, what time is the rehearsal today, what's my next composition, etc. By the time I'd be thinking of all this, I'd be playing something. This gets my mom angry, but it's a good way to start coming up with new idea/compositions.

What do you think about when you're performing?

When I first started doing jazz performances, I couldn't help thinking about the crowd. I would get so nervous, and start to 'stutter'. But now, since I've been getting more used to it every single time, my 'stuff' seems to flow more smooth. I imagine that there is no crowd watching me, but I keep in mind that the crowd has to like it.

What do you think when you're composing?

It could be anywhere, anytime, and any when that I could be composing. Sometimes it just comes when I do nothing, sometimes when I walk, sometimes when I just look at something, sometimes when I'm visually watching something in my head, or when I'm on the piano. Somehow, most of my songs are all Benoitiosh. Sometimes something just pops into my head. Other times it takes time to develop - days, months.

How did you learn to improvise?

I don't really know. When I first started, the first thing I was taught was basic theory (dominant 7th, aug, dim), and the blues scale. I mainly did blues songs until I did II-V-Is. Then when Don and Smith came, things became a bit scary because I didn't know anything except the blues scale. But I got used to it.

I also listen a lot - usually listening gets me some ideas for improv. I listen to David Benoit, Taylor Eigsti, Randy Waldman, Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Hiromi, Brad Mehldhau, some ''straight' jazz players, some pop stars, some rock stars, some oldies stars, soundtracks, Victor Borge, anything. It's good to know all styles so that people do not address you as just the 'jazz pianist'.

What did you learn from playing with Brubeck, Benoit, and other top jazz artists?

Things could be sooo fun when you're up there when you're playing with well-known people. You never know what's going to happen up on stage- after I slipped off my bench...It just feels better to play with the pros.

As an Asian American, do you feel like you've faced any stereotypes? Do you look to any other Asian American artist in particular as paving the way for you?

Even though I may be the only Asian in the jazz band and there aren't many Asian kids who like jazz, I find it to be normal. As long as I'm happy and love what I do, I love hanging around with these really good teen musicians. I love playing with these awesome teen players and pros. I'm just different:).

There aren't many Asian jazz pianists around. In fact, I just know one in person-Victor Lin. There's something special about him. Even at 29, he always has a special way of making people smile/laugh/happy. With anyone! Even if you just walk up to him, the next minute you'd be cracking up, smiling. He's not just a jazz pianist/violinist. He's an entertainer. He uses perfect pitch to entertain everybody- playing the latest popular song, 'joking' up famous songs/standards.

What do you daydream about?

Many things. I daydream what would I be doing rather than must sitting in the classroom. I would daydream about new ideas while sitting on the desks. I could spend 10 minutes just daydreaming about something. I could be daydreaming of my greatest orchestral composition, my greatest film composition, anything.

Which movies do you thin have particularly good soundtracks?

Many. Forrest Gump - Alan Silvestri; Top Gun, Thirteen Day - Trevor Jones; Back to the Future - Alan Silvestri; anything from the award-winning John Williams; Shrek; Pirates of the Caribbean; Catch Me if You Can; Rush Hour; Somewhere in Time; The Matrix; etc.

Are their any directors you would particularly like to work with?

I am currently working with a band director at my school in Valley Christian - Dave Gregoric. He works like no other teacher. He has the patience, enthusiastic, humor, passion, and energy to work with kids.

I’m not just a jazz guy. I'd like to be versatile in music- playing with everybody from Jon Williams, to the Beatles, Rippingtons, Dave Koz, Kenny Loggins, the next pop/rock star, the next Victor Borge, the nest singer, etc...Look at Randy Waldman- www.jazzpilot.com. He's worked with everybody. So I'd like to work with anybody except for rap.

What would be your dream gig/performance?

I don't really know yet. I guess I have to try to put my best in any gig at this point.

Yuma recorded his deput CD, Looking Up, in May. Learn more about Yuma at http://www.websiteink.com/yuma.