This A-Profiler we bring you composer, performer and educator, Beata Moon. A teaching artist for the Lincoln Center Institute, she has worked with people of all ages and backgrounds through music. Find out about her growing up in Indiana, what her first name means, and how her biggest guilty pleasure is a "no no."

Your site URLs:
www.beatamoon.com

Do you know who wrote/created your page on Wikipedia? What additional information would you like to add?
No, I don't know who wrote/created the Wikipedia page. There is a mistake – my first CD, Perigee & Apogee, was released on Albany Records. My work as a teaching artist is also important to me and I would like to add that as well. Here is an excerpt from my bio:

She is actively involved in aesthetic education as a teaching artist at Lincoln Center Institute and for The Academy – a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and The Weill Music Institute. She has collaborated with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in their "Composition in the Classroom" program.

How long did you live in North Dakota? Were there many Asian Pacific Americans there when you were growing up?
I was just born there, so I don't remember anything about it. I don't think there were many (or any) Asian Pacific Americans there at the time, nor were there many where I grew up in Indiana. The only other Asian I remember was this Filipino boy in my grade who came to my elementary school later on and everyone kept telling us we should go out only because we were both Asian.

After I watch "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" I had to have a slider from there. I was in Indiana when I had my chance and unfortunately I was a little disappointed with their burgers. What do you think of White Castle? Is Bennigan's a popular restaurant?
I actually don't think I've ever eaten at White Castle's, sorry! I think Bennigan's was a popular restaurant, but didn't they recently go out of business because of this economy? My family didn't go out to eat much when I was growing up.

What is the feeling you get when you are on the piano?
It depends on what I'm playing. Music-making is a creative way for me to deal with my feelings. My composing has been an outlet to deal with whatever feelings I may be experiencing. It surprises me when sometimes the music doesn't sound how I felt initially when I started writing. I remember feeling down when I started writing a piece but it turned out upbeat!

When did you realize playing the piano would be your passion?
I actually didn't know I loved the piano until after I took a break from playing during college. I had just started my Master's degree at Juilliard for piano performance and took a year off because I needed to find out for myself if this was what I wanted to do. I was raised in the typical Asian fashion in that children don't have a lot of say in what you want to do – you do as you're told. I was told to practice and I did, even though I wasn't really into it all the time. Now I love playing and I am so glad I am able too.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Who are some of your favorite artists?
I like listening to rock, jazz, blues in addition to "classical" music. The term "classical" really doesn't do justice to the music that's out there. There are so many young, living composers of diverse backgrounds writing exciting "classical" music today. Reena Esmail, Huang Ruo, Valerie Coleman, Missy Mazzoli, Bongani Ndodona are just a few names.

Have you tired playing any other instruments?
I tried to play the violin in high school for a short time but that was hard. I couldn't play vibrato (making the strings vibrate) and it was annoying to me to have to find the pitches. At least on the piano, you don't have to find the right pitches –the keys are already set in their tuning, although you're stuck with whatever the tuning may be.

Is there meaning behind your name?
Beata means "blessed" in Latin. e.g., "beata terra means "blessed earth." People sometimes ask me if my name is a stage name, but it's not. My parents just liked the meaning of the name.

How has Korean's influence the way piano is played today?
I think the biggest Korean influence is having learned discipline, which has definitely helped me in all areas of life, not just piano. I have friends who weren't taught discipline and I see how it's hard for them to follow through on things. I'm grateful for being taught discipline even though I didn't like it at the time.

How did your parents feel when you choose piano as your career?
They actually chose it for me, and at first they weren't too pleased when I took a year off from Juilliard and stopped playing piano for a couple of years. That's when I discovered composing. They've been very supportive of me since then.

If you didn't have a career in piano what do you think you would be doing?
Hmm. Maybe I would be a social entrepreneur. That way I could use creativity to try to find solutions to some of the problems we face in the world today.

If you were a judge on a reality competition show like "American Idol" which role would you assume? Example, would you be blunt like Simon Cowell or sensitive like Paula Abdul.
Ideally, I'd like to be a combination of the two, but most likely I think I would be more sensitive.

Korean food yeah or neah? I'm actually a big fan of bulgogi and kimchi. Is kimchi eaten at every meal?
Definite yeah!!! I love bulgogi and kimchi and bibimbop! I think kimchi is eaten at every meal for hardcore Koreans, but my mom made American food as well when I was growing up so we had a lot of variety.

What's more nerve racking, performing in front of an audience or teaching new students?
Performing! Teaching new students can cause anxiety especially if you don't know what the environment is like, but it's not as nerve racking as playing in front of an audience. I think the expectation level if much higher from an audience than from students. And most solo music is performed by memory, so there is the added worry of memory slips.

Is classical the only genre you work with? Have you ever venture out and tried jazz, popular, or hip hop?
"Classical" is the only genre I'm most familiar with. I wish I could play jazz but I never improvised when I was little and I don't have enough of jazz music in my ears.

Where does your inspiration come from when you create your music?
I think my inspiration comes from being happy that I'm alive and not taking life for granted!

Who is the best piano player alive today? Of all time?
That's a tough question to answer. I love Martha Argerich's fiery playing and Murray Perahia's sensitive playing. But there are many pianists out there that I haven't really listened to.

What drives you to become the best piano player?
I think I want to keep improving and getting better at whatever I'm doing, whether it's playing the piano, composing, teaching, etc.

What's the one guilty pleasure you hate to admit?
Well, now with everyone more environmentally aware, taking long baths seems to be a "no no" but I love taking long baths!

Thanks for taking the time out to do this interview; got any words you like to leave your fans?
Thank you! Enjoy life, go after your dreams, and never give up!

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This issue of A-Profiler is brought to you by Ray Lam.
Special thanks to Beata Moon.

Photograher: Tess Steinkolk. Photos used with permission.
Copyright retained by original copyright holder(s).