Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Sophia Moon has been singing in front of audiences since the age of ten, writing songs since the age of fifteen and is now hoping to make her mark on the US billboard charts. Her sound is an appealing blend of R&B and classic pop, ranging from piano-based power ballads (“Innocence”) to dancefloor anthems (“Echo”). With her striking looks, strong, soulful vocals, catchy beats and infectious melodies, comparisons to the likes of Christina Aguilera, Leona Lewis and Rihanna are almost inevitable, but Moon has a distinctive style (both musically and image-wise) that sets her apart from the others.
Sophia was exposed to music from an early age. “My family is very musical, so our household always hummed with the strumming of the guitar or the tinkering of the piano” she explains. “My parents both sang and played instruments and both of my brothers, Mike and Tommy grew into music as well, singing and writing music. My mom tells stories about how even before I could barely walk or talk on my own, I would grab hold of a hymn book, open to a random page, often upside down, and start singing random incomprehensible tunes emulating the people in my church. “ In spite of this, Sophia herself didn’t come to the realisation that she could sing until she was ten, when she joined the fifth grade choir. They were auditioning for soloists to sing the song ‘Castle in a Cloud’ from Les Miserable and Sophia took it upon herself to critique every auditionee, scrutinising their pitch, timing and tuning. Of course, her friends challenged her with quips of “OK then, let’s see if you can do better”. Sophia was shaking with nerves. “I was absolutely terrified because I had never sung in front of anyone in my life, but after my Simon Cowell-ish reviews, I had no choice but to try out.” She had no reason to feel anxious or apprehensive, though, as she took to the stage and blew everyone away, earning the part and her first experience of singing in front of a large audience.
Sophia soon acquired a taste for performing on stage and her confidence, assertiveness, beauty and talent led her to compete in pageants. She was crowned Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens International Miss Teen NYS in 1997, which prepared her for a future career in the spotlight.
Upon hearing her music, it comes as little surprise that she cites Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston as major musical influences whilst growing up. “I would turn the stereo to the max and lean in as close as I could to listen for every intonation, every breath. I took note of every emotion” she recounts. “That’s how I learned to sing. We certainly couldn’t afford a voice teacher.” She admits that she studied her Celine Dion cassette tape so attentively that she wore it out completely.
Although inspired by the divas of her day, Sophia’s biggest musical influence was much closer to home: “My big brother, Mike. He was always encouraging me, even when my parents tried to discourage me.” Mike motivated and inspired his little sister and has remained a prevalent force throughout her musical life, later going on to write and produce her debut single “Lost in Love” in 2001. Although not a commercial hit, it was an underground success and gave her enough recognition to get the ball rolling and move on to other musical projects. Two years later she released an album with an Asian American a cappella group called VariAsians and in 2005 she this period she co-founded independent label Fifth Street Productions, through which co-wrote and co-produced a full length album entitled “No Limit” in collaboration with two other artists.
Initially, not all of the Moon family were as supportive as Mike, and Sophia felt torn between pleasing them and following her dream. Although her parents were very musical and encouraged their children to express themselves creatively through singing, writing songs and playing instruments, they were less enthusiastic about her choice of music as a career path. Understandably, her mother had different dreams for her daughter. “She wanted me to go to College and lead a different life with different opportunities than she had growing up in post-war Korea followed by the immigrant’s struggle in America.” With family values and loyalty being an integral part of Sophia’s life, she followed her mother’s wishes and attended college in Boston on a four year full scholarship and did her proud by becoming the first family member of her generation to graduate from university.
Sophia inherited her mother’s strong work ethic and pursued her music career whilst working full time. She climbed her way up the corporate ladder and had a very successful career in banking. Totally committed to both her job and her music, she would go straight from the office to the studio every evening. The physical and emotional exhaustion caused by juggling two careers eventually began to take its toll on Sophia, and after a series of physical health issues, she ultimately made the difficult decision to quit her job and become a full-time musician in 2009. “One day it hit me that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to all of us” she poignantly reflects.
Leaving behind a lucrative career to pursue a dream is an enormous risk, particularly in the current economic climate, but thanks to Sophia’s relentless drive and determination, it so far appears to be paying off. After spending three years working on her debut solo album entitled “Staring Back At Me”, she finally had the opportunity to release it through Amazon and iTunes in December of last year. She has also been co-writing with A-Rex Productions who recently signed to EMI after catching the attention of legendary record executive LA Reid. It seems that quitting her job has undoubtedly given her the push that she needed and has allowed her the space to progress and evolve as an artist.
So what’s the next step for Sophia? “At the moment, I am working on my music videos… My goal is to have a three of them done by the end of the first quarter. I am also coordinating and organizing my own industry showcase in Boston and New York – a full out performance/show with my awesome live band – to create the buzz among industry folks on the East Coast. My website is being designed and finalized. I’d like to go on tour toward the middle-end of this year, performing and getting on local radio stations around the country. I am in the studio quite often, still writing and recording regularly… starting my second solo album as well as writing songs for other artist projects hoping to get some major placements. I have a clear roadmap on any given day, but it’s constantly evolving with every new person I meet and every new opportunity that comes my way so in a lot of ways, I take it day by day… “
Writer: Carys Jones, Super Special Edition March/April 2010 Eloquence Magazine
