Cathy Henson

I’m a “late to the party” K-Popper. People lover. “Let’s get together” worker. Creative generator. “It’s never too late” believer. Here’s my the story…

My arts journey began 44 years ago in visual arts as a Fine Artist. When I realized in college that I wasn’t the next great painter, wise professors graciously mentored me into a path towards graphic design and advertising. After three of the best years of my life in design college, I graduated and hit the pavement looking for a job. Again, thanks to a wonderful mentor, I began a career in corporate design in Vancouver, Canada. It was an exciting time working on the World Expo 86. Great music and concerts were everywhere with the grunge movement emerging just hours down the coast in Seattle. The grunge movement moved into mainstream and that’s when I lost heart. Besides Dave Matthews as a brief respite in what seemed like a music wasteland, between raising my babies and working as a full-time Mom, I had trouble finding music that touched my soul.

So, I departed the world of rock music and began following classical and modern composers…which landed me in the world of movie soundtracks. The thing is, you can only listen to Hans Zimmer so many times before losing it.

Thankfully, a friend rescued me from silence. While at a family birthday party, I happened to sit next to two wonderful Hispanic aunties. Since ARMY (BTS fans) are particularly zealous, they were soon showing me pics, songs, and concert experiences while husbands chuckled about almost dying in LA traffic on the way to concerts. Their excitement and passion completely intrigued me. I promptly looked up BTS after the party and it was like a whole new world opened. Like Lucy in Narnia, I jumped into this wondrous world of K-Pop and have experienced a kind of happiness that only K-Pop can deliver.

Why is K-Pop so meaningful at this time in history? Why are people around the world learning Korean and singing these songs word for word? What is so great about K-Drama? What is the K-Pop industry about? As we explore K-Pop as a genre, I hope to learn more about how this music has come to feed the souls of millions across the globe.

Join me on this journey at K-Pop 4 Border on KOFA radio to find some answers.