He sits on a piano in a dimly lit room. The world narrows down to the 88 keys on the grand piano. The only sounds entering his mind are his heartbeats, his fingers thundering on the keys, and the notes flowing out of the piano. His back is as straight as a ramrod, from years of discipline and teaching: from parents, teachers, and even God. His hands sway rhythmically, almost automatically, as he gets engulfed by the songs.
Will I reach you? I hope I can reach you.
The lyrics from Your Lie in April drift through his mind as he strains his fingers to softly jump from octave to octave in a controlled manner. The audience sees a confident, powerful persona, but inside, Jesse Song feels like a mess.
Music has always been a core feature of his identity. From a young age, he played the piano while his mom was his cello teacher. He’s played now for over 12 years, practicing through childhood and adolescence. Despite his journey and experience, he talks about his skill in a bashful manner
“I’ve played the piano for about twelve years, and it’s kinda embarrassing because I’m not really that good,” Jesse admits. “But I like it because you can add harmonies—that puts more personality into the music.”
He’s definitely not wrong about adding personality to his pieces. The dramatic crescendos and the shocking, tantalizing halts bring awe and emotions to the audience, myself included. Even during practices at home and at rehearsals, his posture is immaculate, and he prepares to do his best. Every twitch, shiver, and stretch looks deliberate, formed by years of repetition.
Similarly, Jesse never expected content creation to become a major part of his identity. What started as something casual and for close friends grew and expanded to include people from around the world. Seeing hundreds of thousands of strangers engage with his entertaining, occasionally cringey videos showed him how far something small could travel. Posting online was still a method of stress management, but it was also about self-expression to prevent burnout.
Growing up as the son of a pastor placed a burden on baby Jesse’s shoulders. He had to be smart and humble. He had to be a reflection of his father, a kind but stern man. However, the pressure from his position made him into a more careful and withdrawn being, burying his emotions and cautiously managing his public persona.
Due to this, faith became difficult. All his life, he was surrounded by worship songs and prayer. From birth, the gospel and story of Christ were repeated to him. He might know Scripture quite well, but he still wrestles with balancing school, expectations, and ultimately serving God.
“I want God to be the center of my life, but I’m human. I idolize things like school or obstacles like the SAT sometimes, and I forget. I try to trust God in everything I do, even when I mess up.” That tension exists, but recently his faith has been getting better. He is one of the leaders of Cresskill’s Harvesters Club, and that has helped him open up in prayer more.
A close friend, Jay Choi, describes Jesse in various ways, listing qualities like “being handsome, smart, and being an amazing friend.” Jesse laughs it all off, though. “Not every day is my proudest, but as long as I haven’t given up, there is always another day to look forward to. A day I can make better than the last.”
