This page contains unsolicited endorsements, accolades, and some strong opinions about my work as a teacher, workshop facilitator, and person. Some of the endorsements take the form of complete letters which can be accessed via the appropriate links. Thank you for these endorsements. It is a huge honour to receive your words.
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“Many thanks go to Gerard Yun, who selflessly volunteered his time and talents in composing. . . In My Dreams is a song cycle for mezzo-soprano, narrator, and piano, based on the poetry of survivors of childhood sex trafficking. It was created to raise awareness of trafficking through music and poetry through the expression of individual dreams and voices. In My Dreams recounts the devastating loss of childhood and celebrates empowering words of survival. The poetry was collected in poetry workshops held in Calcutta and Delhi India in January 2009. After the poems were selected, translated, and edited, composer Dr. Gerard Yun set them to music.”
excerpted from Walker Glenn, M.(2010). In My Dreams: Creating a Song Cycle Based on the Poetry of Child Sex Trafficking Survivors, with music by Gerard Yun (Doctoral dissertation)
–Dr. Melissa Walker Glenn, Assistant Professor of Voice, Brigham Young University Hawaii
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“Gerard is an engaging teacher and a gifted musician, committed to strengthening the abilities of every student while also challenging them to push themselves beyond their comfort. As a sacred musician, he draws on a diversity of world traditions to enrich the experience of the individual within the cadre of the community. As sacred musician myself, Gerard inspires me to bring same focus and creativity to my work, undergirded by a careful blending of academic and practice skill.”
— Josh Zentner-Barrett, Graduate Student,Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
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“Thank you for your participation today! The entire team was just knocked over by your approach and by the experience you offer the students.”
— David Cunningham, Director Musicfest London, London, Ontario
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“This study is based on research undertaken for my Ph.D. dissertation at York University in Toronto, Canada.24 I would like to express my gratitude to . . . and to Gerard Yun, for sharing his knowledge of and enthusiasm for Japanese music and all things shakuhachi.”
— Dr. Amy Simon, University of Prince Edward Island
from acknowledgments in Simon, A.D. (2017). Shakuhachi Honkyoku: Motivic Analysis of Sokaku Reibo. Analytical Approaches to World Music. 5(2). Retrieved from http://www.aawmjournal.com/articles/2017a/Simon_AAWM_Vol_5_2.html
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“Dr. Yun both challenges me and instills in me the courage to take risks. His personal approach has made me feel unique in my potential and on my journey, while his proverbial “door open” approach has allowed for a fluid exchange of dialogue, feedback, and knowledge expansion. He has been an exceptional mentor and I greatly appreciate having had the opportunity to work with him. While studying at Laurier, Dr. Yun’s guidance, patience, and support were fundamental to my success.”
— Emily Burnett, WLU Music class of 2016
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“Dr. Yun always takes deep care to listen and offer any advice he can to students that might be struggling academically or mentally. Personally, Dr. Yun has been a great support with my own battles within this program. I have struggled greatly to stay in this program because of both academic and mental health challenges. Dr. Yun was incredibly supportive when I decided to take a semester off in the program, and in an approximation of his wording, “the school will still be here, no rush.”
— David Pile, WLU Music Class of 2017
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“[Dr. Yun has] provided me with some of the most valuable music lessons of my lifetime. Throughout the process he has supported me and challenged me to give him my best work, has taught me the value of leading through kindness, love, and a sense of community, and has faced every obstacle with a smile on his face and faith in his heart. He works tirelessly to bring the joy and community back to choir and music making – prioritizing that just as much as the music.”
–Greer Schatz, WLU Music Class of 2017
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“[Class] discussions were always made to feel like a safe space for students to share their feelings and research. Most remarkably, Dr. Yun’s exciting yet warm presence welcomed into group musical improvisations the classmates who were completely unfamiliar with the art of improvisation (or even any sort of musical performance practice).”
–Dave Klassen, Percussion Class of 2016
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Gerard Yun: A Teaching Portfolio 