Second Album "Love Story" Released July 16, 2025!

My first acoustic EP called "Daydreams"(released Feb 15, 2025) has over 5,000 streams, first album "Falling in Love" (released May 3, 2035) has over 4800, and my most recent album "Love Story" (released July 16, 2025) has over 2100 on Spotify! Thank-you to all those who are listening and relating to my musical short stories!!

My recent acoustic album "Love Story" tells the unforgettable love story (through the order of the songs) of the emotions felt before meeting each other (Haven't Met You Yet), falling (See the World Through You, Even Before), wanting to hold onto the moment (Could We Stop Time), loving (I Really Do), and facing the authenticity of differences for a loving departure (Honestly, Baby, You and Me) with an unknown future (Will my Heart Still Run to You?) Enjoy the story!

Stanford Sabbatical Winter 2023

I had the privilege in working with the Stanford Life Design Lab Team in the Winter of 2023. https://lifedesignlab.stanford.edu/team Kathy Davies, Urmila Venkatesh, Dustin Liu, Christian Simamora, Shanice Webb, Bill Burnett - what a team! I learned so much from them about designing your life principles for first year and senior undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. https://designingyour.life/ I strengthened my skills in design thinking concepts, brainstorming, prototyping, class engagement in topics such as success, discernment, wayfinding, and so much more, all outlined in Bill and Dave's book. THANK-YOU! 

 As for my living, I stayed at a one bedroom Stanford West Residence practicing minimalist living surrounded by other scholars and faculty. So refreshing! One Korean floor bed, one floor chair, one floor table, one bowl, one pot, and I used one closet. The living room and den stayed empty enough for me to dance and work out in, if I wanted. I walked and ran everywhere (closest grocery was 1 km away), only having to use uber twice for groceries coming back home. I took the train to travel to the city (SFO) for events and seeing friends. It was liberating not having things, a car and furniture to clean/dust. I took advantage of Stanford programs such zumba classes (love it!), ballroom dance, healthy living, personal trainer for my half marathon training, and ran the San Francisco Half Marathon by the Pacific Ocean! The run was breathtaking and inspiring to run my personal best at 2:42! I maintained my piano by playing at some beautiful music rooms on campus.

West coast living is definitely different from east coast Boston because the weather is warm all the time, people are outside exercising more. It was common to see people show up to class in yoga wear because they had a fitness session in between. Loved it! 

Big thank-you to my co-parent partner who made this possible as he hosted the kids for a bit over two months (I did visit once in the middle). Kids could have come with me, but then they would have been in three different schools in one year, so they stayed home in Toronto. Grateful and lucky for this opportunity! Thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Stanford and bringing it all to my home U of Toronto!

Debut Album "Falling in Love" Released!

Just in time for sunny Spring, a gift to all those you have ever loved:

my debut acoustic album "Falling in Love" (Acoustic) - just released today! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4tIbIt95cVRted1dba2Tct?si=6rL0msAcRB6Vg1emY1vHzw

If anyone can guess what city I am singing about in "Just In My Mind" - reply back in the comments. :)

All the songs were recorded at Revolution Recording Studios, with me playing piano and singing at the same time, in one take with sound engineer Luke Schindler. For some songs, we played back the first take and I sang impromptu harmonies that resonated with me in real-time! No auto tune here. 

Hope you enjoy my musical creations and yes, I am busy working on the next one in my spare time after the work thing :)

Wishing everyone a fulfilling season with renewed energy and growth, just like all of these blossoms!

Warmly,

Nana Lee Piano Keys

https://open.spotify.com/album/4tIbIt95cVRted1dba2Tct?si=oHvoS6K2QAuJN465RxPg8w

Harvard Sabbatical Weeks Two - Twelve Fall 2022

I experenced so many scholarly and personal adventures during my sabbatical, but I will summarize here in one posting because I so many current events I would like to cover. More details will be in my next book!

Scholarship

I attended some of the programming for the Master's of Medical Sciences in Immunology as I had been involved with the Applied Immunology Program at my home university - as an observor and a guest lecturer for the individual development plan and career planning session. I also attended their PhD Pathfinder program and other sessions hosted by the Office of Graduate Education. I learned so much from the professors and students there. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Thank-you!! Enjoyed a beautiful office space at 77 Pasteur and visited many times to the Cambridge campus to hear lectures outside of my discipline and visit museums. I gave four talks at Tufts University and worked on a national project developing GPD programs.

Personal Growth

I student jazz piano and composition at Musician's Playground, Boston Commons and gave a private concert with about 15 of my Boston friends at the end of my time there. I will post the video on my music youtube channel one day. Skated on Boston Common. Enjoyed the oldest subway system in USA. Stayed at 67 Joy St during my second half of my sabbatical which was the place the first African-American woman doctor lived. I was part of history as I am pretty certain I am the first Korean-Canadian GPD professor in Canada. I thought that was cool, but I do not think my name will get a plaque on the outside wall of the building.

I met a friend who took me to the famous Harvard carillons, visited the coastline with some previous students from U of Toronto, had many dinners with old and new friends and mentees, attended cultural events and just met so many cool, intelligent people who I still keep in touch with today. I ran the Cambridgeside Half Marathon  - even though I had sore throat and a few days later, tested positive for covid for the first time. I stayed home for a week and wore a mask for a few days after. I ran a half marathon and beat my previous time!

I missed my childern terribly, but I visited Toronto every three weekends and the semester flew by. I almost gave up and packed it up in the first week, but my women professor friends told me to embrace Nana time and reminded me how it took me years to plan this valuable experience. Thank-you to their Papa who hosted them in Toronto while I was away. I had thought of bringing them to the USA while I was on sabbatical but then they would have to be in three different schools in one year - so we decided to keep them home.

Harvard exceeded my expectations as a place of scholarly and personal growth. I miss it from time to time and hope to visit again very soon!

PLOS One GPD Publication!

The program I started in 2012 with Dr. Reithmeier - the graduate professional development (GPD) course, the one that was featured in Science Careers - has come a long way!

Our impact of the curricularly embedded GPD was recently published in PLOS One and in 2 weeks, it has 503 views!

So happy to have our work out there for all to read about and share discussions with. So thankful for all the students and mentees who have made this course possible - you are the superstars that made it happen!!

Children: A Chapter in Your Life and Your Solitude

Two of our children are 18 and older. One is in uni, another one is starting this Fall. The youngest is a teen. I love them all very much. During this adventure, I have realized something that I didn't see when they were younger. 

If I live to 80-100, my daily mothering of them is just a short chapter in my life - perhaps 1/5-1/4 of it. Yes, I will always be there for them for as long as I live, but the daily parenting, driving them to places, packing lunches and when they were younger - changing diapers and all the baby business - all of that flurry of activity, disappears when they leave "the nest." 

When I was in the middle of nursing and running after toddlers, I thought that this busy motherhood was my life from now on. 

But - it is not.

It is just a short moment.

Gone in a a short 18+ years.

So mothers, and fathers, remember that. 

They will leave the nest to fulfill their own dreams and find their own partners, which we want for them. 

And in the meantime, do not forget about yourself.

Moms, do not forget about the woman you are - your passions, your hobbies, how you danced and sang songs. Do not forget about her - under the piles of laundry, dirty dishes, jeans and t-shirts. If she liked to get all dolled up and enjoyed a night out - then make time to do that. If she liked to play piano or guitar  - make time for that. Even when the kids are young. 

Dads, do not forget about the man you are - your passions, hobbies - how you danced to your favorite tunes. Do not forget about him - under the taxes, the oil changes, the hockey practices. If he liked to play a sport or write stories - make time for that. 

Both of you, make solitude time for you. Make sure you keep you individual identity while maintaining the family identity. Do not forget about her. Do not forget about him. It is very important to do so.

Instagram Handle

Hello Everyone,

You will be able to find my reels at nanaleepianokeys. See you there, if you have IG!

Hope you are all enjoying the Spring sun!!

Nana