Vocalist, Composer, Multi-instrumentalist "Many were caught off guard seeing this tiny Asian girl belting out heavy rockin' originals to dreamy ballads - explaining intimately why she wrote this song or that to a packed house." (Indy Star) (Excerpts from Taxi & Oxygen interviews) MISSY has been challenging stereotypes since her arrival to the United States at the age of seven from South Korea. At the age of three (3), she began playing piano and studying martial arts as Korean culture mandates that children acquaint themselves with the arts. When she moved to America four years later, she continued with classical piano training while living with her adopted Midwest American grandparents. As a child, she had almost no exposure at all to radio or television. Adjusting to the new culture and language, and considered to have prodigy-like music abilities, she continued with classical piano -- practicing harder in the summers -- adding violin, flute, and voice training. Missy was being groomed to attend a prestigious School of Music. Before she reached her teens, she had many performances under her belt soloing with orchestras, theatrical productions, choirs, contests, and solo recitals. She received a full scholarship, but went for one semester and decided to give back the scholarship. Having spent the better part of 15 years studying and being saturated with classical music, Missy decided to make the only decision she could: She sold all of her belongings and went hitchhiking, traveling the country, eventually venturing into the murky waters of jazz, blues, pop and rock. "I never really thought about having a career in music", she says. "Playing music was like eating or brushing my teeth - it was just something that I did. So, I just left school and decided to travel. I walked into this club and I heard this music being played. This was the first time I ever saw electric instruments being played. I remember hearing songs by bands in my dad's car stereo but considered it not very musically challenging. I didn't put much thought into the sounds, but rather the song structures. I never put together that these instruments made this sound. I was coming from a total classical (acoustic) background. When I saw and heard this music - something clicked. I had discovered distortion and amplification. I didn't know if it was good music or bad - I just knew that I liked it. It inspired me to form my own electric band." This was all the incentive Missy needed to put together her very first and only band. The band quickly gathered both critical and popular accolades on local and national levels. She supported herself solely on her scheduled performances and cd sales. Missy handled the promotions & publicity, management, bookings, distribution, accounting, and much more for her band. She's performed in more than 250 club venues throughout the Midwest and has been a featured act in over some seventy concert special event settings. As a celebrity, she's performed in music videos, posed for CD covers and magazines. Missy has organized events & festivals. She's had a moderate DJ radio background. She was also the VJ for a syndicated TV program, and her writings have been published in local to national publications. Because all this came so easily for Missy, this inspired her to take her abilities to the next level. Having finally made a decision about having a career in music, Missy decided to make the only decision that she could: She sold most of her belongings, packed her car, and drove to Hollywood to try her hand with what would be her second band. Missy couldn't express herself in this language for a long time. Her life and music are about being heard, being understood, and understanding. "The main thing about me is that I really want to be understood," she says. "And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that when I came to America and I couldn't speak English, it was difficult. And constantly, I was misunderstood. It didn't matter what I said, I was misunderstood. I'm learning to get over that. What you're going to think of me, you're going to think. I can only focus on trying to understand." Although her background has very little pop-culture knowledge, it continues to expand and grow daily with her new found home in LA. Missy's classical influences still often invade her creative writing style, but doesn't identify it. She's continually defining her identity through music. Everything influences her, yet nothing has influenced her to the point that she has taken on a heavy impression from any artist. And now that she can express herself, she wants to make sure that she's heard. "It's hard to believe that such a powerful voice comes from such a small frame. She possesses the voice of a giant." (MTV.com / local features)