A piano sounds through a stage as its keys are traversed by Coppell High School senior Joshua Kim, filling the air with a harmonious symphony of notes.

Kim, by a pianist’s standards, started late. He initially attempted to play the guitar, but was led to the piano through the comments of his guitar teacher, who suggested he take it up.

Enchanted by its sound and the ability to play more complex pieces on it, Kim was drawn to the piano, and started playing consistently when he was 10.

“When I play the piano, especially at a performance, there is a certain time where I become extremely focused and everything around me flushes out,” Kim said. “I am left with just the piano and me.”

Piano enables Kim to get a sense of the music he is playing and connect with the piece at an intricate level.

“One of the most enjoyable parts about the piano is when you get attached to the music and feel it for yourself, which is how you really express yourself with music,” Kim said.

Kim moved to Coppell during his sophomore year from Johns Creek, Ga, and has moved several times before, enabling him to be adaptable and continue playing well in all circumstances, adjusting to changing people and settings.

“He is a good kid, is sociable, and knows how to connect with people very quickly and easily,” Joshua’s older sister, Rachel Kim, said.

His ardor for piano has led Joshua to find a clear direction to head toward past high school: a future in music. He plans to major in piano at the University of Texas at Austin, a decision he made his junior year.

“It was around the time when we had to figure out what we had to major in, and I couldn’t really find anything that intrigued me academically,” Joshua said. “None of that sounded like something that was interesting enough to major in pursuit of a career.”

Previously, Joshua had been uncertain about what he would do after high school, which had sown concern into his parents. The appearance of a drive to achieve and a passion to follow a path made them feel reassured.

“In junior year, he felt a kind of confidence about what he thought and was interested in pursuing his dreams of being a pianist,” Joshua’s mother, Soo Kim said. “From that moment he started changing positively.”

To others, Joshua is not only a very skilled pianist, but he also represents someone who is tenacious with their dreams.

He has pushed forward in his effort to major in piano, even if it is something that very few of his peers are doing.

“One of the things that Joshua felt when applying to colleges was a sense of loneliness because he felt he did not know others who planned on solely majoring in music,” Rachel said, “But when everyone is focused on being so profitable and making enough money to be comfortable, we lose sight of what is really important that can help you develop as a person.”

As a whole, Joshua hopes to use piano to give himself a life that fulfills him, and keeps himself constantly

intrigued and growing as a person.

“I think not only has it helped me with music, but it has taught me to commit myself to something,” Joshua said. “Piano is the only thing that I have committed myself to this much in my life.”

This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on April 30, 2024.