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Interview by: Elmo Chong and Gina Choi (G.NA)

John Kim’s career has taken him across a diverse range of operating and investing environments from early-stage startups to fortune 500 companies. John is the founder of the cross-border venture capital firm Amasia, that helps technology companies get global. Amasia primarily invests in US tech companies from the pre-Series A to Series B stage and is open to investing at a later stage and in other geographies.

Before Amasia, John focused in finance, serving as Senior Vice President at Mercuria Energy Group, Executive Director at Goldman Sachs and Portfolio Manager at Korean National Investments. While in these roles he managed trading and investment strategies across a diverse set of asset classes including commodities, public and private equity, fixed income and derivatives.

John started his career as an entrepreneur, founding music internet and e-consulting businesses before joining Merck & Co as a System Specialist. He left Merck to start his third company, a Delaware incorporated rock band called The Ally. John toured across America and recorded with top artists most notably receiving a platinum record for his album contribution with Grammy award-winner Brandy.

More on John's VC Firm: https://amasia.vc

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Kelvin Wooten is a Grammy Award Winning producer who is currently based in Athens, Alabama. 

He plays multiple instruments and has arranged, written, and produced some of the top artists in the music industry. Some of the artists he has worked with are: J.Cole, Jasmine Sullivan, H.E.R., Kiana Lede, Anthony Hamilton, Earth, Wind & Fire, Mary J. Blige, Al Green, The Bee Gees, Nappy Roots, Jill Scott, Raphael Saadiq, Macy Gray, The Isley Brothers, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Eric Clapton and TLC. Mr. Wooten operates a studio and label called Woodaworx in Athens and one of the artists signed to his label is the rising star Deqn Sue. Her music has been played on the Netflix Series Orange is the New Black and she has been featured on NPR’s acclaimed Tiny Desk Concert series. He also wrote and produced the song “Freedom” for the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.

For more on Wu 10: https://www.woodaworx.com

For more content: https://www.sonical.ly

Interviews conducted by Elmo and G.NA

For more sonical.ly content go to:

Tiktok: @604sonically
Instagram: @604sonical.ly
Twitter: @sonically604

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Andrew Choi (Hangul: 앤드류 최; Korean name: Choi Sung-hyun; Hangul: 최승주) is a South Korean singer and composer signed under SM Entertainment. He was known as third place of SBS's K-pop Star Season 2.

Discography:

2022  | Sugar | Young-Jae | Vocals (Background)
2021  | Ten Songs of Worship & Praise for Our Tumultuous Times | St. Lenox | Vocals, Guitar, Instrumentation, Composer
2021  | Doughnut | Twice | Composer
2020  | Universe: The Black Hall | Pentagon | Composer
2020  | Super One: The 1st Album | SuperM | Vocals (Background)
2020  | Neo Zone: The Final Round | NCT 127 | Composer
2020  | Neo Zone: The 2nd Album | NCT 127 | Vocals (Background)
2020  | Monster | Irene & Seulgi | Composer
2019  | SuperM: The 1st Mini Album | SuperM | Vocals (Background)
2019  | SSFW | Chanyeol | Composer
2019  | Obsession | EXO | Vocals (Background)
2019  | Neo City Seoul: The Origin | NCT 127 | Composer
2019  | Follow-Find You | Monsta X | Composer, Writer
2019  | Famous | Taemin | Composer


For more content:  https://www.sonical.ly

For more sonical.ly content go to:

Tiktok: @604sonically
Instagram: @604sonical.ly
Twitter: @sonically604

What does it take to create music that changes culture?In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, legendary producer Fernando Garibay shares the creative philosophy behind producing Lady Gaga's Born This Way and working with artists including U2, Sia, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Shakira, Bruno Mars, Sting, Steve Aoki, Armin van Buuren, and many more.Fernando discusses creativity, flow state, overcoming adversity, building a long-term career in music, the purpose of art, and how artificial intelligence may reshape the future of music creation.We also explore the vision behind The Garibay Center, where technology, creativity, education, and human potential come together to help develop the next generation of creators.In this episode:🎹 Producing Born This Way with Lady Gaga🎵 Building a career with world-class artists🧠 Flow state and the creative mind❤️ Why music matters to humanity🤖 AI and the future of music creation🌎 The mission behind The Garibay CenterLearn more about The Garibay Centerhttps://www.thegaribaycenter.com🌐 More interviews:https://www.sonical.lyHosted by Elmo ChongFounder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music ProducerMusic Creators Educating Music Creators.00:00 Intro01:27 Growing Up With Music03:47 The Instruments That Started It All06:46 Becoming a Music Producer10:49 Overcoming Adversity in the Music Industry14:49 The Mindset Behind Long-Term Success21:41 Why Humans Need Music23:30 Does Flow State Really Exist?30:05 Does Making Music Change How You Listen?34:38 Have I Ever Made the Perfect Song?39:56 What Success Really Feels Like— Rapid Fire —40:54 Rapid Fire44:19 The Vision Behind The Garibay Center46:09 Will AI Replace Music Creators?

How do you turn life's hardest moments into meaningful songs?

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Kiana Ledé opens up about her journey from winning KIDZ Star USA to becoming one of today's most respected R&B singer-songwriters.

Kiana shares how songwriting helped her navigate life's challenges, the creative process behind her music, finding her unique voice, and the inspiration behind songs like "Deeper" and "Jealous."

We also discuss writer's block, recording vocals, creating emotional performances, leaving space in a mix, and practical advice for aspiring songwriters and music creators.

In this episode:

🎙️ Growing up surrounded by music

✍️ Learning to write honest songs

❤️ Turning heartbreak into creativity

🎵 The stories behind Deeper, Jealous and Grudges

🎚️ Vocal production and songwriting techniques

💡 Advice for the next generation of music creators

Listen to Kiana Ledé

🎧 Jealous (feat. Ella Mai): https://kianalede.lnk.to/Jealous

🎧 Deeper: https://kianalede.lnk.to/Deeper

🌐 More interviews: https://www.sonical.ly

Hosted by Elmo Chong
Founder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music Producer
Music Creators Educating Music Creators.

00:00 Intro

01:27 Growing Up With Music

03:48 Discovering Songwriting

05:02 Sharing My First Song

10:32 Overcoming the Hardest Moments

18:37 What Songwriting Taught Me About Myself

21:13 Can Happiness Kill Creativity?

23:30 Why I Love an Acoustic Sound

24:57 The Secret Behind My Vocal Arrangements

28:00 Have I Written the Perfect Song Yet?

30:24 Why Fans Mean Everything

32:27 My Best Songwriting Tip

33:50 Advice Every Music Creator Needs to Hear

35:49 What's Next for Kiana Ledé?

#KianaLede

#RNB

#Songwriting

#MusicCreators

#EllaMai

#Deeper

#Jealous

#SonicallyPodcast

What does it take to build a career producing music for some of the biggest artists in the world?In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, 5-time Grammy Award-winning producer DJ Khalil shares the lessons he's learned from producing for Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Dr. Dre, Aloe Blacc, and many more.We dive into creativity, overcoming rejection, collaboration, imposter syndrome, staying humble after success, music production techniques, studio workflow, and the mindset required to build a lasting career in music.Whether you're a producer, songwriter, recording engineer, or independent artist, this conversation is filled with practical insights from one of the industry's most respected producers.In this episode:🎛️ Producing for Eminem, Kendrick Lamar & Drake🏆 Building a 5-time Grammy-winning career🎵 Music production and creative workflow🤝 Collaborating with world-class artists🧠 Dealing with rejection and imposter syndrome🎚️ Production tips for aspiring producers🎙️ Favorite DAWs, plugins and studio workflowHosted by Elmo ChongFounder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music ProducerMusic Creators Educating Music CreatorsSubscribe to the Sonical.ly PodcastMusic Creators Educating Music Creators.00:00 Intro01:45 Growing Up Around Music04:40 How I Became a Music Producer09:51 Overcoming Rejection & Early Career Challenges17:06 Handling Criticism After Success20:25 The Secret to Great Creative Collaboration24:37 The Most Magical Studio Moment I've Experienced27:54 Do Grammy Awards Change Everything?33:24 Dealing With Imposter Syndrome38:50 The Best & Hardest Parts of Making Music44:08 Staying Humble After Winning 5 Grammys49:27 My Best Music Production Advice53:16 Advice for the Next Generation of Music Creators— Rapid Fire —57:12 My DAW of Choice59:44 The Plugins I Use Most1:01:21 A Sound That Always Inspires Me1:02:02 My Biggest Strength as a Producer1:02:53 How I Know I've Made a Great Record1:03:42 The Secret to Staying Relevant1:03:49 Will AI Change Music Forever?1:04:48 What's Next for DJ Khalil?1:06:06 What "Sonically" Means to Me#DJKhalil#Eminem#KendrickLamar#Drake#DrDre#MusicProduction#MusicProducer#Songwriting#HipHop#SonicallyPodcast

How do you build a successful music career without a major record label?In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Houston indie duo Hotel Ugly share the creative journey behind the breakout hit "Shut Up My Mom's Calling," how they developed their unique sound, and what it really takes to succeed as an independent artist.Mike discusses songwriting, music production, audio engineering, mental health, recording workflows, finding creative inspiration, and the realities of building a career in today's music industry.Whether you're a songwriter, producer, musician, or aspiring independent artist, this conversation is packed with practical advice from two creators who built an audience on their own terms.In this episode you'll learn:🎵 How Hotel Ugly discovered music🎛️ Their songwriting and music production process🎙️ Audio engineering and recording techniques🧠 Why mental health matters as an artist🚀 How "Shut Up My Mom's Calling" changed everything🎧 Their favorite DAWs and plugins💡 Advice for independent music creatorsHosted by Elmo ChongFounder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music ProducerMusic Creators Educating Music CreatorsSubscribe for more interviews with world-class artists, producers, and songwriters.00:00 Intro01:47 Growing Up With Music04:45 When We Knew Music Was Our Future06:26 The Artists That Inspired Us07:44 Finding Our Signature Sound10:44 The Hardest Part of Becoming Artists15:27 Why We Stayed Independent20:20 Why Mental Health Matters More Than Success23:31 Inside Our Creative Process26:21 What To Do When Music Stops Feeling Fun27:48 The Next Chapter for Hotel Ugly29:02 Do Real Recordings Sound Better Than Plugins?33:15 The Best Production Advice We Can Give35:12 Advice Every Music Creator Needs to Hear— Rapid Fire —37:08 Our Favorite DAW38:50 The Plugins We Use Every Day39:37 The Sound That Always Inspires Us40:20 Our Biggest Strengths as Creators42:06 How We Know We've Written a Great Song42:44 The Secret to Staying Relevant44:45 Will AI Change Music Forever?47:18 What's Next for Hotel Ugly?48:57 What "Sonical.ly" Means to Us#HotelUgly#ShutUpMyMomsCalling#IndependentArtist#Songwriting#MusicProduction#MusicPodcast#MusicCreators#AudioEngineering#IndieMusic#SonicallyPodcast