[Herald Interview] 'Tiny Desk Korea,' a small production with big goals

A small office filled with albums, books and LPs, a singer performing in a modest setup without any special effects or lighting — these are the images that come to mind when thinking of "Tiny Desk Concerts."

"Tiny Desk Concerts," adapted from a popular National Public Radio segment in the United States that began in 2008, strives to capture the essence of music across genres and generations. Kang So-yeon and Kim Hee-won, project managers at South Korea's telecommunication provider LG Uplus, were captivated by the program's philosophy of focusing on the essence of music when they decided to create their music content.

"Initially, we were thinking of creating content that could extend to performances, additional events and business ventures. But then we reflected on why LG Uplus wanted to produce music content and came to think that music content should resonate with the audience no matter what. For that to happen, we needed to create content that could engage with the audience, and 'Tiny Desk Concerts' seemed to be the perfect fit for that," said Kang in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

After deciding to bring the philosophy of "Tiny Desk Concerts" to Korea and create content with Korean musicians, the LG Uplus content planners embarked on a long journey.

"It took us three months just to get contact information for NPR Music, and another month to actually make contact. It took another year to sign the license agreement," Kang recalled, highlighting the project's challenges.

"NPR told us that there have been many attempts to use the 'Tiny Desk Concerts' IP (intellectual property) for spinoffs, new series and other commercial projects. However, NPR said we were the first to fully commit to maintaining the original philosophy and production methods," said Kang.

Similar to the "Tiny Desk Concerts" filmed in NPR producer Bob Boilen's office, "Tiny Desk Korea" uses an unconventional space as its stage.

"NPR used Bob Boilen’s office as a studio, capturing the rare moments of musicians performing in an unfamiliar environment. We also chose a space that is not typically used for performances but has a desk. When we successfully signed the license agreement, LG Uplus was remodeling its in-house library, and we decided to use it as our stage," explained Kim.

To stay true to the principle of focusing on the essence of music, "Tiny Desk Korea" is shot in one take, with no in-ear monitors for the singers and no additional sound effects or mixing.

These numerous restrictions are meant to capture the essence of the music and natural interaction between the artist and audience. However, it is also a challenge that many musicians find hard to accept.

"Returning to a raw, buskinglike environment without in-ear monitors or high-quality speakers is a tough decision for musicians," Kang said. "Some declined to appear on our show because they couldn’t use equipment and the performance couldn’t be edited."

"Since the sound goes out unpolished, some may think the sound quality is poor. But that’s intentional. Some musicians mentioned that the audience's applause and reactions were conveyed much more vividly. Many showed a more natural side compared to when they performed on a big stage. That's the charm of 'Tiny Desk Korea,'" added Kim.

"Tiny Desk Korea" is produced in video episodes of 15 to 30 minutes. Following the format of last year's shows that ran from Aug. 25 to Dec. 22, this year's season showcases a new artist every two weeks. It started with indie singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin on July 12. "Tiny Desk Korea" can be viewed on LG Uplus Mobile TV and the show's official YouTube channel.

Last year, "Tiny Desk Korea" featured a variety of artists across different generations and genres, including rock's Kim Chang-wan Band, K-pop's V of BTS and jazz's Yoon Seok-cheol Trio.

Asked about the criteria for selecting artists, the two program managers agreed that any musician with the courage to sing despite the content's restrictions is welcome.

Kim recalled the performance by Kim Chang-wan Band, the first to grace the "Tiny Desk Korea" stage, as the most memorable. "When we were searching for the artist to appear on the very first episode, we had no references to show them and even we were uncertain if the content would be successful. But when we asked Kim Chang-wan to appear on our show and told him we desired to create a channel for domestic indie musicians, he readily accepted the request."

Kim Chang-wan, a composer and producer as well as an actor and radio DJ, spontaneously accepted an unplanned encore request from the audience during the shoot. "The audience requested the song 'Meaning of You' and he started singing it right away. When the band's guitarist made a small mistake, Kim Chang-wan laughed heartily. That scene was so natural and refreshing," Kang added.

Kang mentioned that one of the charms of "Tiny Desk Korea" is that even small mistakes are captured on video. "The artists seem to think of our content more like a live performance than a polished recording session, leading to more genuine and natural moments."

Kang explained that they have built a strong trust with NPR. "As long as we stick to the philosophy of focusing on the essence of music, NPR doesn't interfere much. We have complete control over artist selection."

Although the content is titled "Tiny Desk Korea," Kang hopes to expand beyond regional and national boundaries. "If given a chance, I’d like to invite musicians from across Asia. Our grand goal is to become a platform that introduces talented yet unknown Asian musicians to the public," Kang said with a smile.