The Ritz Herald
YoungMin You is on set filming an upcoming music video, Mackinac Island, MI. © Brian Drenth

Learn Piano the YOUNGMIN YOU Way


Use your unique circumstances to make a difference

Published on August 24, 2021

In January 2021, YoungMin You’s Signature Beginner Piano Course (SBPC) made its debut in the music industry. With only 8 months on the market, it now serves 4000 students from 50 different countries, many of whom had never touched a piano before taking the course and whose lives have been forever changed.

What prompted YoungMin to launch this course despite the proliferation of piano lessons online? What drew thousands of students to this course over others, despite its novelty?

Learn about YoungMin You and how he used his unique background to learn the piano and become an accomplished pianist and composer in order to make an impact, change people’s lives, and influence others, causing a ripple effect not only in playing the piano but also in how you can use it to change other people’s lives.

The Mentor
I was where you were before…

Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, psychologists say, is the most authentic way to understand them. YoungMin didn’t just put himself in other people’s shoes; he walked in them. He can relate not only to the gifted and privileged, but also to those who think their dreams are unlikely to come true given their current circumstances.

YoungMin You grew up in Seoul, South Korea. Despite the fact that it was common for Korean parents to send their children to various academies after school, he never had the opportunity to attend one. He did not let his difficulties prevent him from doing what he enjoyed. Instead, at the age of seven, he began playing on a toy piano at home, and over the years spent hours watching YouTube videos and learned how to play the piano on his own.

When YoungMin was 15, his parents gathered all the funds they could to send him to the United States as an international student. Far from his loved ones and the environment in which he grew up, he had only God and music. He found comfort in playing the piano of his host families to cope with homesickness.

Despite the fact that he had no formal lessons, his passion and hard work earned him admission to the Wheaton College Conservatory (IL), his dream college. He only applied to this school, and if he was not accepted, he planned to return to South Korea to serve in the military. With his hard work and dedication, YoungMin rose to the top of his class and graduated with honors.

YoungMin You is now a well-known pianist, composer, and a Billboard Charting artist, with over 100,000 followers on his YouTube channel and social media platforms.

YoungMin is not your typical piano teacher, as exemplified by his Signature Beginner Piano Course. He teaches you in a fun way that will make you want to keep playing, and be able to play over 100 songs by the end of the course. He is a teacher who listens to his students’ needs, and creates content that will help them progress, have fun, and stay motivated to practice and make a difference.

The Method
Play Now, Read Later.

YoungMin’s beginner piano course is not your typical piano lesson. Whereas the majority of piano lessons will ask you to start with what is traditional sight reading— the YoungMin You method helps students learn and master one song at a time without relying on sheet music. This boosts their confidence as a pianist right away and starts a cycle that keeps students learning and growing. Within a short period of time, the students will have a collection of songs that they can confidently perform.

What makes this piano course unique?

  • Bite-sized lessons are simple to understand and concentrate on key points.
  • You don’t learn by playing nursery rhymes.
  • You play right away, with no need for music theory, scales, or sight-reading sheet music.
  • Video lessons focus solely on chord patterns and improvisation.
  • helps you in identifying your piano goals at the start of the course, preventing aimless practice.
  • You’ll be playing along with an orchestra halfway through this course.
  • You learn to read chord charts and use this to play all of your favorite songs.
  • It gives you more freedom by not limiting you to a specific list of approved songs.
  • You can add your own dynamics while developing muscle memory.
  • You’ll sound like a pro in no time thanks to the simple techniques demonstrated in this course.
  • You’ll get access to 5 bonus lessons, two of which are: Piano for Every Budget and Sight Reading Basics.

This piano course is great for beginners who want to learn how to play the piano quickly and in a structured manner. Intermediate and advanced players may also find it useful in gaining confidence and learning how to improvise. It’s a fantastic program that’s appropriate for children aged 9 and up.

The Mission
After all the accomplishments, I realized there are three important things in my life: God, music, and people.”

After graduating from college, YoungMin was able to compose music for orchestras and large music companies, and was even interviewed by Google, but he realized his heart is for people. He began small, and with his course, he hopes to inspire more people around the world because it reminds him of his roots.

He is passionate about teaching people how to play the piano without the use of costly lessons or private tutoring, so his piano course is reasonably priced. At the end of the day, his primary goal is to help more people live the life God intended for them.
YoungMin’s goal is to share everything he has learned and all the resources he has to offer so that everyone can play with freedom and confidence. He wants his students to have fun on the piano right from the start, not weighed down with the headaches and frustrations he felt when he was teaching himself to play almost 20 years ago.

YoungMin intends to launch his intermediate course in the near future. He also hopes to turn his students into professionals and entrepreneurs by having them create their own music at home and be able to distribute it on Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms, as well as make their own music videos and make money doing what they love.

The Membership
The more you share, the more you grow.”

In addition to the beginner piano course, students can join an exclusive Facebook community where they can encourage one another, share their own practice and videos, and learn from feedback. The goal of the group is to connect with other beginner pianists around the world and interact with YoungMin.

YoungMin believes that music has tremendous power, especially when shared with others. People began to enjoy his music after he began sharing it on YouTube. Now, millions of people listen to and are moved by his music. He grew exponentially after he began sharing on the internet, and knows that his students can experience that same kind of growth.

To connect with YoungMin, please visit youngminyou.com.

Lifestyle Editor