The first foreigner artist ART insight met, Henry Bloomfield

글 입력 2014.02.17 14:10

ART insight met the up-and-coming foreign artist,

Henry Bloomfield

Nice to meet you, Henry. I’m really curious why you decided to come

to Korea. Please tell us about this decision of yours.

When I began studying at Berklee College of Music, I attended a big welcoming concert on the first day of orientation and sat next to a guy named Sungtaek Oh, by chance. We got along well and soon became good friends. As Sungtaek started introducing me to many other Korean students, I became really interested in Korean culture. I quickly noticed many Koreans’ high musical expertise and wanted to learn from and work with them. I formed a band with Sungtaek (drums) and two other Korean students: Changmin Jun (bass) and Bumsuk Lee (saxophone). We played gigs about every two weeks. Then, during the summer of 2012, I visited Korea for the first time. I stayed for about three weeks in Ilsan with Sungtaek and his family. I was so blown away by their generosity and I truly felt like part of their family for that short period of time. I knew that I wanted to return to Korea as soon as possible.

How did you meet your current band members? Could you please
introduce them to us?

My good friend, the well-known session bassist and professor, Hoon Choi, very kindly introduced me to three of his students at Howon University: Dongho Lee (guitar, 29), Seungjin Hong (drums, 21) and Hyun-Kyu Kim (bass, 23). We have been playing gigs together for a few months under the band name “Henry Bloomfield” and have been having a great time.

What are your first musical memories as a kid? And do you have any
artists whom you are very inspired by?

During my childhood, having dinner with my mom, dad, and sister Emma was a special and important occasion. I cherished these moments when we could enjoy food all together, talk, and relax. This is certainly a big reason why I’m sensitive about good food now! Often times, when we ate, we listened to jazz piano trios such as Oscar Peterson, Vince Guaraldi, and Bill Evans. I am very thankful that I was exposed to some of these jazz giants at such an early age, also thanks to the recommendations of my first piano teacher and good friend, Sai Ghose. I still enjoy listening to these players but am currently focused on the likes of Frank Ocean, Pharrell, Janelle Monae, and Jamie Cullum. In fact, back in January, during Korea’s lunar new year celebration, I visited Tokyo to attend a Jamie Cullum concert. It was phenomenal.

I heard that you were a member of Hoodie Allen’s band. How did this
happen and how was your experience?

Jimmy Small, one of my high school buddies from Groton School, is childhood friends with Hoodie’s drummer, Jim Kadesch. So when the band started looking for a keyboardist for their upcoming tour, Jimmy kindly advocated for

me, I met the group, and then was lucky enough to join their national tour. So I left my classes at Berklee and played with Hoodie and the band for the next four months. It was my first time standing on such big stages and playing for so many people. Hoodie, Jim, Kyle (vocals & guitar) and Dylan (turntables) were all top-notch players and good guys. It was a very meaningful and exciting experience for me and I’m really thankful for that opportunity.

I listened to various pieces of your music on your website. What is
your process like for writing songs? And which element of a tune is

most inspiring for you?

Usually, the rhythm is the first thing that draws me in. If my fingers start snapping and my head’s bopping, I’m hooked. When I am writing a song, one part, such as the words, rhythm, harmony, or the melody, randomly comes to

me. But most often, the harmonic progression emerges first. This seed then guides the realization of the other elements. I also enjoy composing keyboard parts to pop/rap tunes that don’t actually feature piano in their studio albums’ instrumentation. I have fun trying to craft a melody or chords that fit into the original song in a creative way. It’s almost like attempting to squeeze an extra piece into a puzzle that is already “complete.”

Then when and why did you start writing songs? And whom are you
writing for?

The first time I started writing songs was back in 11th grade for, of course, my first girlfriend. Nowadays, I’m open to any number of different stimulations to help me compose a tune. I write for myself, about other people, or sometimes for no one in particular. But without question, writing, composing, and arranging are my essential musical passions and ones that I plan on improving for the rest of my life.

I heard you just released an EP last fall. Is this your first solo album?
Do you have any plans to release more albums in Korea?

I released my first album with my great buddy and former bandmate, Davis Vigneault, when I was in 11th grade. We recorded at Groton School and were strongly aided by the direction and guidance of our music teacher at the time, Christopher Borg. Since graduating, Davis and I have been blessed by the generosity and friendship of two of our former teachers, Craig Gemmell and Nancy Hughes. They have a beautiful barn right next to their house so, for the past couple of summers, they let us turn the barn into our own makeshift studio. During the summer of 2011, Davis and I worked on one album together in which I wrote half the tunes and he wrote half the tunes. As only a two-man band, I played drums in addition to vocals and piano and Davis played bass in addition to vocals and guitar. In total, Davis and I released three albums together under the band name Astonishing Tales. Then, in the summer of 2013, back at the barn, we worked together again, but on separate projects. After having recorded two songs, “Royal Flush” and “Get Ahead,” in Boston at Mad Oak Studios, with the excellent producing of Sean Slade, mixing by Benny Grotto, and excellent performances by Sungtaek Oh (drums), Hoonhyung Lee (bass),Tom Zmuda (saxophone), Neal Rosenthal (trumpet), Yichun Teng (trombone), and Kyumin Shim (organ), I recorded one last tune, “Baby Made a Move,” in the barn. On this track, I sang vocals and played keys/drums/synth, Davis added guitar, Tom and Neal came by to lay down nasty horn takes, and Valentina Lombardi sang wonderful backup vocals. Then, with film director Anthony Caddigan (Dark White Media) and his assistant Jay Holmes, we shot the “Baby Made a Move” music video on site, at the barn. As for current plans, right now I’m recording tunes that will likely result in another EP or a full-length album. Be on the lookout for a music video release, “Homeroom Teacher,” in April. I will even try to sing some Korean verses…we’ll see how that goes!

How do you practice? And if you have any plans to perform soon, could you tell us about that?

When I arrived in Korea, Sun Joo Kim, the sister of one of my Berklee friends named Sunhwa Kim, very kindly helped me find a practice room. My band tends to rehearse at Howon University’s great facilities. Over the past few months, we’ve been gigging at spots like Crazy Horse, Jack B Nimble, and Basquiat.

What is your plan for continuing to pursue your music career in the
coming years?

Wherever I end up, no matter the city or country, I’m excited to continue pursing my music career by letting my atmosphere and the people around me inspire my ideas. For now, with great Korean bandmates and friends, I’m very happy in this country and hope to make some great music.

From left to right:

Dongho Lee (guitar), Jiyoon Choi (reporter), Henry Bloomfield (vocals & keyboard),

Seungjin Hong (drums), Hyun-Kyu Kim (bass)

▶[ Youtube ] : Henry Bloomfield - “Baby Made A Move”

ART insight reporter ・ Jiyoon Choi, Sunga Lee / writing ・ Seojin Choi

ART insight (www.artinsight.co.kr)

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