This A-Profiler we bring you Jenny Hyun, an up and coming singer/songwriter who, at 21 years of age, has already gone through a lot in the music industry. Find out who saved her from a tragic life, what her process for songwriting is, and just what Randy, Simon, and Paula from "American Idol" thought when she auditioned during the first season.

Your site URL:
www.jennyhyun.tv

What is your ethnic background?
I'm full-blooded Korean.

How did you get started in music? What age did you know that singing was your passion? What inspires you to write your music?
I come from a very musical family. My grandfather on my dad's side plays the violin, cello and piano. My father plays the guitar, violin and piano, and my mother sings. The oldest memory I have of singing is when my parents and I used to sit around and sing Christian hymns while my father played the guitar when I was around 4 years old. But it wasn't until I was around 7 or 8 that I really fell in love with singing. I would literally lock myself in the bathroom and sing along to Mariah Carey's music for hours and hours with no breaks. I was completely obsessed!

My inspiration for writing music is whatever is going on in my life or in the world that touches me in some way. I write songs that I can listen to and draw inspiration from, otherwise, it's just words and a melody filling a track. That's why it's always been hard for me to record songs that were written by someone else. I have to feel that I'm fully representing what this song's about, and that can only happen when they're my lyrics and melody.

I also have a really hard time writing music if someone else is around me, even though Aaron is allowed to walk by once in a while, I don't let him stick around when I'm deep into my writing. But Aaron knows not to give me ideas or suggestions for my songs or else I get very snippy. I have this thing where my songs have to come solely from my brain or else I feel that I can't take complete credit for it. I didn't always have these quirks, but I notice the more I grow up, the more sensitive I get about my music.

I know your parents have seen you through some hard times within the music industry recently. Have your parents always been supportive of your aspirations in the music industry?
No, they weren't supportive of my singing at all. Like a lot of Korean parents, they pretty much had my whole future planned out in their minds, and becoming a singer was definitely not an option. I don't blame them too much since I know it's mostly a cultural, "filial piety" thing, but I knew for a long time that I was going to be a singer and nothing was going to stop me, not even my parents. Eventually, I proved to them that I have a bright future in music and that's the only time I saw them turn around. But even if they hadn't, I would have still gone through with my career choice. After all, it's my life and I'm not going to spend it doing something I don't enjoy and feel passionate about. I would regret it for the rest of my life.

What inspired you to enter the "Becoming Christina Aguilera" contest on MTV? Do you think that opened up some doors for you right away?
To be completely honest, my ex-manager forced me to do this show. I was young, naive and very submissive and because my ex-manager worked at casting for MTV, he told me to do it. I actually argued with the producers when they wanted to bleach my hair blonde (I suggested wearing a wig, but they said it wouldn't give enough of a shock effect on TV), but my ex-manager was on their side, not for the benefit of my career but for the benefit of his at MTV.

You see, as a music manager, you want to preserve what makes your artist unique and only change what's necessary to help them get signed. In this case, he changed what made me unique as an Asian American artist and helped in making me look like I was trying to fit the mold of every blonde popstar out there. Funny thing is, he's Asian so I would think he would understand that concept but sometimes, greed gets in the way of common sense.

It was just bad management on his part, but I don't regret doing the show. It was a cool experience, especially at that age and having just moved to NYC, but I can't say it helped my career in any way.

Your first major foray into the industry was not a pleasant one with deals not working out the way you had hoped. What do you think you learned from that experience?
I've learned that no matter how nice or trusting a person seems, in business, there is no such thing as a nice and trusting person. Like Judge Judy would say, all that matters is what's within the 4 corners of a contract. When you're an arist with no direction or financial backing, you are literally putting yourself in a shark-infested pool of people who will take advantage of you as far as you let them.

It's dangerous to go into this industry with only fame and fortune in mind. Getting to that point is arduous and if you don't watch what you and everyone around you is doing, it's very easy to mess up your whole future. This experience has made me very aware of that, even slightly paranoid.

Now you have your own self-released album out and are hoping to gain more exposure to reach your dreams. Do you find that more opportunities are becoming available as an independent artist on your own?
I don't consider this an actual album. I call it that since it's a collection of my music, but there are songs on this album that were from a totally different time in my life and they don't represent who I am now. I'm not saying that I'm not proud of those songs, Jean and I made a great team, but the only reason I put this CD out is to just get my name out there for when I do release an official album.

Have you ever or would you ever consider going the route of "American Idol" or other talent showcasing shows? They seem to create such a instant fan base and such great exposure that it can be quite enticing.
This is a very little known fact, but I once did try out for American Idol during its first season. In fact, I was the first person in line at the Los Angeles auditions. What people don't know is before you audition in front of Randy, Paula and Simon, you have to audition in front of a bunch of producers who make the decision on whether or not you move on to the next step, which I did but I got rejected by all 3 of them!

They told me I didn't have enough stage presence and didn't project enough which I completely agree with. When I was 17, I hadn't performed in front of strangers in years and I was a very shy and immature girl so I was definitely not ready for that competition. But I'm actually grateful it didn't work out, because American Idol contracts made my contract with my ex-manager look like child's play.

As an Asian American in the music industry, your songs like "Geisha Girl" speaks particularly to those who may try to stereotype you and "Won't Give Up" is about your strength and resolve to reach your goals. Do you find that others find inspiration in your lyrics? Have you tried to shop "Won't Give Up" to entities like the Olympics where, I personally think, it would be quite appropriate?
I've gotten great feedback from people about my lyrics. It gives me the greatest sense of accomplishment to know someone's listening to my songs and truly understanding what it's about and why I wrote it. Something I keep in mind when writing is I try to write songs that a young me would've wanted to hear. I think it's so important to have more role models in the music world, especially now when most songs are about drugs, partying and sex. I know how easily celebrities, especially musicians, can influence a young mind and there are a lot of kids out there who don't have family or friends to lean on for comfort and the only place they can find it is music. I know because I was that way, and if I'm going to put my music out there for the world to listen to, I want it to be something positive and uplifting, not angry and shallow.

When you have free time, what do you enjoy doing other than music?
I'm very much a homebody and always will be. Even though I love traveling and going out to clubs and events, I feel much more secure and free to be who I am when I'm at home. The simplest things make me happy, like walking our dog to the park and going for a long drive. But of course, I love the typical girl things like shopping and fashion, it's hard not to when you're living in, what I consider to be the fashion capital of the world!

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the internet! I'm pretty much your average computer nerd.

At age 21, you've gone through a lot in the music industry already. What is your advice to other aspiring artists out there?
A music career is not what you see on TV and in magazines, even in reality TV shows about music. They're just fleeting moments meant to be captured on camera to show the world how wonderful it is to be a star, but if you base your career around just the illusions and superficiality, you may get rich but you won't be happy. You must absolutely enjoy what you do and never forget why you started, although it's so easy to forget along the way. That's why I only encourage someone to get into this business if they have at least one strong, supportive, trustworthy person behind them and keeping them grounded, otherwise, you'll get financially, emotionally or mentally damaged by this industry. I got lucky, because I met Aaron at the right time but if it wasn't for him, I would have lived a very tragic life.

Thanks for allowing us to interview you. Any final words or shout outs you would like to give?
As always, I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me, especially to the ones who were there from the very beginning, you know who you are! No matter what happens in my career, I will always do my best to inspire and entertain to the best of my ability.

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This issue of A-Profiler is brought to you by Nelson Wong. Special thanks to Jenny Hyun and Aaron from A&J Entertainment.

Images courtesy of Jenny Hyun. Used with permission.
Copyright retained by original copyright holder.