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

Relationships and Peace

I was just walking the dog and saw a couple taking a walk together. They looked like they were together and then I heard her say “You have no logical reasoning. What did I say? I told you that twice” and then he said something. She stepped back and started to turn around. People yearn for connection. But once in a relationship, it is work, trying to understand each other. But then sometimes it is stressful or even distressful. Great if you are part of a couple in which distress is minimal or nonexistent. 

From a psychological point of view, why do we disturb our peace for "coupledom"? 

A broader question which I will explore in my next book! 

Why We Chose Virtual and Home Schooling in 2020

 

Sept 13, 2020.

I asked each of my three children (high school, junior high, elementary) how they were doing with our current times. How do you feel about all this and how do you feel about school? They all enjoy school, the learning, teachers, meeting friends. They have missed this environment since March now. They all said they would love to go back to school, but they also understood what that meant during covid times, wearing masks, physical distancing, not being in close project or lunch groups, not sharing papers or art projects supplies, They also know the statistics, as being the science Mom, I have shared that with them. And that Mom had a minor heart condition and studies have showed that patients with the same heart condition did not do well with covid.

So I homeschooled my third grader and the teens stayed on zoom. I did not want my 8 year old on a laptop 6 hrs a day. 

Homeschooling a third grader was an hour of her lesson in the morning, followed by imaginative play with games, cardboard boxes, paints, books, and trips to the park. I also squeezed in my work, teaching classes over zoom. We finished grade three by January 2021 so we then started grade 4 curriculum. When she got to grade four, she didn't learn anything new until half the year in.

Pivoting.

Such is the secret to life.