By the time I turned sixteen, I had become a junior coordinator for EP Celavie’s weekly workshops. I helped new kids set up microphones, offered feedback on their shaky first drafts, and watched their faces light up when they found their own voice. In helping them, I understood that my early life had been a rehearsal—not for a single performance, but for a lifetime of showing up, creating, and connecting.
Looking back, I realize that EP Celavie did not just fill my early years with activities. It gave me a lens through which to see the world: as a place full of raw material for expression, and as a community where no one has to create alone. That lesson—more than any skill or credit—has carried me forward. My early life was not defined by hardship or isolation, but by the moment I walked into that rented hall and found my people. And for that, I will always be grateful. -my early life ep celavie group-
From the beginning, EP Celavie was different. There were no rigid hierarchies or expensive equipment. Instead, there were older teens and young adults who had turned their passions into purpose. They taught me to write my first spoken-word piece, to layer simple beats on a laptop, and to listen—truly listen—to someone else’s story. I remember staying up late, rewriting verses about my own fears and small triumphs. For the first time, my messy inner life became art. By the time I turned sixteen, I had
Growing up, I never quite fit into the neat categories that schools and neighborhoods seemed to demand. I was curious but unfocused, eager to express myself but unsure how. That changed when I discovered the EP Celavie Group. More than just a community, EP Celavie became the backdrop of my early life—a place where I learned not only skills but also who I wanted to become. Looking back, I realize that EP Celavie did
Beyond the craft, the group gave me a second family. There was Marco, who taught me sound editing and never laughed at my early, terrible mixes. There was Lena, whose fierce critiques made my writing sharper. And there was Mr. Ahn, the group’s quiet mentor, who once told me, "Celavie isn’t about becoming famous. It’s about becoming present." Those words stayed with me.