The Wrong Classroom

Born in 1982, when Jeongmin entered the Busan Hyenam School, a special school, welfare for the disabled was not as common as it is now to the point where students went to school on a baby strollers as wheelchairs were not common. Jeongmin could not even dream of going to a normal high school, however his dream was to become a artist. He had talent, but could not go forward as he was not free in using his hands.

 

 

Jeongmin filed to enter college, and searched for something to learn for living and came across the 2005 Busan Viewers Media Center education as a founder of computer video editing. 

On the first day of class, he entered the classroom and realized something was wrong 10 minutes after the class began. Instead of going to the editing room, he went into the recording room by mistake, and first met with the recording studio. He didn’t leave as he know at first sight that this was the path that he was looking for. The computer program “Cubase” was very attractive, and could not take his eyes away from it. 

He continued to take music media classes with non-disabled people. He was never late, and from Professor YOU Minhyung, at Dongui University, he told the professor that he still had the passion to play attentive music.

 

 

Writing Songs

When listening to songs at school, he usually focused on the music that he listened to all year along until he learned it by heart. Therefore, composing a new song would take approximal 7 months to learn the song and compose, 

 

 

There were times when it took 10 minutes to input a single note. He usually felt frustrated because it was difficult to record even if he remembered a good note. After making 70 songs with difficulty, he put them on a demo CD and sent them to a famous entertainment company. There was no response. He went to an entertainment company, but he was hit by the doorstep. It was no different when he met a famous music director who his acquaintances introduced him with difficulty. The music director, who did not know that he was disabled, crumpled his face and said harsh words as soon as he saw him. But Jung-min didn't give up.

 

In 2009, he produced the song named "Mong" because he wanted to register himself as a composer. He wrote the lyrics and composed the songs. It is the first work that PARK Wonjin, an underground singer who sang a folk song he knew, sang. It was difficult for him to get a recording room, so they recorded the whole song at home, which was not much in good condition, but still a precious work of one of the five songs.

 

 

In 2009, his father passed away, with memories with Jeongmin, everywhere in Korea. He recalls that these memories fostered the artistic inspiration for him, and he became a stronger singer after losing his father who supported him as much as he could. He vowed to do it on his own from now on. 

The year after his father died, he, a native of Busan, moved to Seoul to work on his music. Twice a week, he met musicians by travelling on KTX to and from Busan to Seoul, and when participating in the events, he missed the train and struggled to find a place to stay overnight, begging members to go to Seoul and live. He was full of dreams that he would have to go to Seoul to release a proper album and work as a composer.

 

Communication Online 

He turned himself online, starting from a personal broadcast on Afreeca TV. If it was difficult for him to promote his music through an agency, he needed another way, and that wasy was to communicate with the public through the Internet. The idea could be interested in showing me composing in real time.

 

 

He made his stage name with the meaning  that he was born again as a composer. Polaris means the North Star. Traveling with his family as a child, It was made with the inspiration of the North Star. It is the composer who gives the song to the singer, but since he is a rookie, the song was not sold. Instead, LEE Jeongmin posted a video online in April 2011 that he was looking for a singer to sing the song with a story that he struggled to compose, which quickly spread through netizens as a "wheelchair composer." The composers who saw it contacted me to help me arrange the song.

It was even introduced on the broadcast, but the singer could not be found. LEE Jeongmin once again made a video and posted it on the site, and singers like WOO Eunmi and Go Eun, who saw it, expressed their intention to participate in the album with a message of support on Twitter. The title song "Someday" is about "Please wait for me," which was made when coming to Seoul with all the memories and loved ones behind me in Busan.

It was rainy season when recording the album, but the recording studio was on the basement floor. It was hard to go down to the basement and come up in the rain, but the singers were so good that the recording was able to end quickly.

 

 

This way, LEE Jeongmin's first album was released in the fall of 2011. LEE Jeongmin did all the basic work, but he needed an agency to produce the album. It hurt him in process of finding an agency. Everyone asked for money. LEE Jeongmin spent 30 million won on the album, which is equivalent to his entire fortune. However, the agency used him as a disabled person to treat singers as a talent donation without paying them an appearance fee, and did not review or promote the broadcasting company after the album was released. LEE Jeongmin, who had no experience at all, was helpless.

The first full-length album, "Someday," was a wonderful album made by six guest singers, including singers WOO Eunmi and Go Eun, but the broadcasting company did not play the song because they could not promote it. So LEE Jeongmin visited the broadcasting company himself. KBS was kind to people with disabilities because it had 3 Radios, and a disabled broadcaster. So, he was able to appear in "Blue Sky tomorrow" and deliver the album to the producers and go to the deliberation room to apply for the album review.

 

 

However, MBC did not enter the broadcasting station without a reservation. Leaving him waiting outside, and viewing the logistics vehicle entering, he stuck close to the side and sneaked in. Just in time, kindergarten children lined up for a tour of the broadcasting station, so they were able to mix with the group and enter the MBC broadcasting station as if they were family.

 

 

According to the press releases, all articles were hard to be carried. However, a grateful reporter from the Yonhap News, SEO Jeongmin actively promoted himself to his value. 

This is what the song writer LEE Jeongmin said in an interview after releasing his first album.

"This album has a lot of hopeful messages. I hope I can get hope by listening to the song I made because I'm not feeling well. I want to tell you that anyone can become a shining star like the North Star."

 

The Scary Jungle Music Industry 

Jeongmin said that as a song writer, the difficult thing is to adapt to the industry. Major agencies also operate song writers under the agency's while working on the album, he met several guide vocals, but he was reluctant because he belonged to an agency or was not a famous enough.

 

 

After , singer Daae participated in releasing the single "polaris" in 2013. It was difficult for Jeongmin to  stay still because he wanted to let the world know about his song. Therefore, it was produced at a minimum cost without an agency. He made it based on his story with his stage name as the title to give hope that everyone can become a star.

 

"I've made a lot of songs, but I can't find anyone to sing. I like Tiffany and SHIN Hye sung's voice. I want to work with them, but will that day come?”

 

He registered as a song writer with the Copyright Association, but had little copyright fee. He hoped to live with his music income, and his dreams to provide songs to famous singers and make OSTs for movies and dramas. His ultimate dream is to set up an entertainment company and produce singers and actors.

He enjoys his talents being used for public interest purposes. In order to make the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics a cultural Olympics, the KT Share First UCC Movement Headquarters held a wheelchair first movement, and the campaign song "I'm Behind You" was written and composed, causing a great response by vocalist HWANG Youngtaek and singer Daae.

 

Wheelchair First Song I am right behind you

No matter how urgent

Take a look around closely 

Hold on for a second,, in consideration, wheelchair first. Not all look together. 

Handicapped first, and then we go 

I am right behind you 

Wheelchair Fir-st- Wheelchair Fir-st

 

He writes and produces songs simultaneously. Because he has good hearing, he has been directing, dubbing recording movies and documentaries and vocal recordings, and is constantly working on music such as performance staff. 

 

 

Recently, Sissant Music Co., Ltd. joined the music business, signed a copyright and copyright contract, and started a new challenge.

LEE Jeongmin said that in order to work as a song writer, there must be a recording studio accessible to a wheelchair user. The biggest problem is that recording rooms with elevators are expensive, and low-cost places cannot be used because there is no elevator. Therefore, he pointed out the practical problem that he was disappointed because he thought there would be a recording studio when he heard the news of the establishment of a Ieum center in Daehak-ro.

 

LEE Jeongmin (Polaris)

2017 Special K Awards YOUNG ARTIST Award

2009 Mong 1st album released

2011 Polaris LEE Jeongmin's 1st album is released

2013 Polaris LEE Jeongmin's single released

Participated in the 2006 drama OST

Participated in the 2007 drama "Nasty Love" OST

2007 KANG Minkyung and LEE Hyeri (now Davichi before debut) Vocal training

2008 Media Center Video Editing Instructor

2008 Dongui University Special Lecture on Practical Music and Popular Music

2008-2010 Superstar K Season 1 and Season 2 Gyeongsangdo Provincial Review

2009 Busan National University Music Club Special Lecture

2009 Korea Music Copyright Association registered as a Korean artist (composer, lyricist, singer)

2009 Documentary Video Production

2010 Seoul Persons with Disabilities hosted by feeling & music artists

2014 Inje University Special Lecture (Special Education Department and Social Welfare Department)

2015 Ieum Promotional Video Production

2016 Ieum A slightly different band audition judge

2018 Wheelchair First Campaign Song Production, Songwriting, and Producer

2022 Korea University participates in a special lecture on music clubs