Meet BEOM Trevor Jargon | Musician, Painter, Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with BEOM Trevor Jargon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi BEOM, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe both risk and failure are part of the process. That being said, I don’t think failure should be a shameful experience. It means the artist is trying, and a solution is in proximity as long as they don’t give up. The momentum should be rewarded in some capacity, hopefully for the love of the craft. Intrinsic inspiration tends to be infectious, and leaves me personally less prone to burn out, if I’m truly crating art for myself and I stay honest to that path.

Of course, the first time I performed on a live electronic music set up I built in my garage, or when I first started my songwriting career my performing live loops, I was a nervous mess. The collection of failures endured from the process are now trophies to me, each memory strengthening the current version of myself as an artist and musician. I think it was helpful studying jazz, learning to improvise in tricky situations and learning to take criticism in a productive manner were life changing. As a sensitive person, these lessons were not always easy, but I am beyond grateful for them.

The English language has quite a bit of baggage regarding the word failure. I try and create a frame of reference where it’s just all about learning, and I love to learn. Thus, I love to fail, especially when I “fail upwards”.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artist name is my Korean name, BEOM. It translates to tiger. It started off as my first nickname as baby, and it came full circle, long story short. I believe all human beings are creators initially. Our heartbeats make us percussionists, our bodies make us dancers, and our voices make us poets. The struggle of living on Earth is that our creative power sometimes gets taken away from us due to survivalism, whether it be physical, financial, etc. I grew up with an incredible childhood, even though both my parents had difficult upbringings. My family, both the Korean and American sides are proof that humanity can prevail the worst and still be kind in a strange and scary world. I remind myself everyday that it is an enormous privilege to pursue art and music.

My current source of pride was building an entire music studio that fits into a suitcase. It is functional for recording and performing. It is extremely personalized. It is rugged and can survive bold conditions such as intense dessert heat, Colorado snow storms, and the sandy humid beaches. It is extremely satisfying to sing into, and making a crowded room full of people dance is absolute ecstasy.

Frankly, as a reckless individual, I am surprised to have survived this long. I’m just happy to be here. I have had many struggles with mental and physical health. My friends say that I have been through a lot, frankly I must have a bad memory or a gravitation towards the things that satisfy me in life. I hope my art and music demonstrate this jubilant joy to survive and participate in the chaos it is to exist.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In total honesty, my favorite spots are often secluded in nature, hidden by the trees and mountains here in Colorado. Picnics at Sloan’s Lake in Denver area are a must on a sunny and beautiful day. The night life downtown can be wildly entertaining with the right people. Denver is a friendly city, it is easy to make friends just about anywhere here in my opinion. If I were to take a visitor around town, I would show them the Denver Art Museum, Meow Wolf, and Roxy on Broadway to see a show.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Firstly, I got this wonderful opportunity from y’all thanks to my partner Ashley Morgan, fellow painter, so thanks to her for looking out for me. I am the luckiest human in the world when it comes family. I truly got the lottery consisting of unconditional love and support. I have a myriad of the best music educators available. The faculty that makes up CU Boulder College of Music and CCJA (Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts) are the cats that taught me how to play music. I’ve had many talented people in my life from all walks of different nations and culture share with me how their music works, and brings life to the stage. I’ve played bass in over 20 projects in Colorado, (not counting freelance jazz ensembles), each project and leader shared their craft with me. I am truly touched by the people who reach out for painting commissions as well, it gives me so much motivation to pick up the paint brush, The world can be such a vibrant and colorful place with the right people. Thank you!

Website: https://beom.website/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beom_bass/

Image Credits
Photographers: Lijia Cheng, Meesh Deyden