about alexandria
alexandria (aly) han she/they
alexandria (aly) han is korean-american musician and scholar, currently based in boston, massachusetts. with mixed roots in seattle and busan, she is a multicultural and versatile artist with a dual perspective on life and music. she hopes her voice and other works can express the innate and complex parts of her that words cannot.
aly is a singer-songwriter and performer, specialising in pop and musical theatre styles. she also has extensive experience as a solo performer, background vocalist, and studio musician, featuring in studio recordings as both a singer and violinist.
upon entering berklee college of music, aly has found herself more and more interested in music scholarship, particularly in ethnomusicology. never one to be tied down to a singular subject, she loves how interdisciplinary the field is and how she can draw from so many sources to explore topics within her research.
aly is currently completing her practicum for her degree in music education. she is student teaching with sarah gardner at the john d. runkle school in brookline. she will graduate in december and complete commencement in the spring of 2024.
artist statement
lovingly dubbed ‘ecclectic pop’, aly describes her music as such:
“snippets of my experiences, organised into a sonic experience. what is my music if not an intentional exploration of my life? my music is an introspective dive into who i am, and all the parts of my past that brought me to my present. i believe that music, regardless of who made it, or what the intentions behind it are, is a deeply personal experience, and exists to serve no function other than what an individual may ascribe to it. when i write music, i never write it with the enjoyment of others in mind, but am always grateful when others do find enjoyment in it. every melody is an expression, and every lyric is a manifestation of a thought. my sound is my life, and doesn't hold to a specific style or genre. like me, i hope for it to be constantly evolving, flowing, and developing.”
as previously mentioned, she is an experienced live singer, background vocalist, studio vocalist, and studio violinist.
see more of her music and other featured works here
educator statement of purpose
what is the difference between a job and a duty?
job [/jäb/] (n)
1. a paid position of regular employment.
2. a task or piece of work, especially one that is paid.
du·ty [/ˈd(y)o͞odē/] (n)
1. a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility.
2. a task or action that someone is required to perform.
what is the difference between a teaching and educating?
teach [/tēCH/] (v)
1. show or explain to (someone) how to do something.
2. to impart knowledge or skill to; give instruction to.
ed·u·cate [/ˈejəˌkāt/] (v)
1. give intellectual, moral, and social instruction to (someone, especially a child), typically at a school or university.
when i was in high school, a college recruiter asked me what i wanted to pursue in the future. i told him i was interested in the arts, specifically music. he responded to my aspirations by saying that if i wanted an “actual career”, i should look into other fields of study. this frustrated me, and made me wonder: what is the role of an educator if not to inspire ambitions, and encourage aspirations? why was this man telling me that my dreams weren’t worth pursuing?
hopeful young musicians are constantly intimidated and turned away from pursuing a career in the music industry, be it performance, composition, or scholarship. those who do decide to give it their all are often not given the necessary support from those around them to truly succeed, thus perpetuating the notion of the “starving artist”. i can show or explain what the notes in a scale are, or how to write a song, but that is miles apart from aiding students to internalise teachings and apply their education to their lives.
as an educator, i hope to inspire and support individuals in such a way that their commitment to music and determination to succeed inspire those around them as well. i strive to foster an environment in which students feel comfortable taking agency over their education, showing them that with enough conviction, and confidence in their senes of self, they can free themselves from societal constraints. i hope to help people step boldly into the world, goals in hand, optimism in hearts.
this is why i believe it is my job to teach, but my duty to educate.