When composer JooWan Kim first started the project, his strategy was simple but radical: use only classical techniques and instruments to recreate hip-hop beats. What emerged was something entirely new—neither classical nor hip-hop, but an accidental discovery of uncharted musical territory. Kim compares it to Columbus thinking he had reached India, only to realize it was a new world altogether. From this process came a groundbreaking principle JooWan calls Method Sampling. By sampling methods from one system and applying them to another, new forms and possibilities emerge. This is more than a musical technique—it’s a universal approach to innovation that can be applied across every field of human knowledge. In music, it became the foundation of a new genre, a powerful collision of classical rigor and hip-hop energy.
We believe that the future must be built with people of diverse backgrounds—including those with perspectives that may seem incompatible with our own. By sampling and reframing differences, we can transform division into possibility. This is how we create new music, and this is how we imagine building greater connection and understanding. Your contribution directly supports:
New Works — Commissioning and producing pieces based on Method Sampling
Touring — Bringing our music to new audiences
Education & Film — Sharing our process with the public and inspiring the next generation of boundary-pushers
Help us continue our work by donating today.
Ensemble Mik Nawooj is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization. All donations are tax deductible.
Previous and current sponsors for Ensemble Mik Nawooj include: National Endowment for the Arts, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Clorox Artist Grant, Sarlo Foundation, Google Ad Grant, Akonadi Foundation, The Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, The City of Oakland, East Bay Fund for Artists, Macpherson East Bay Performing Arts Fund, East Bay Community Foundation, Lyft, Oaklandish, East Bay Express, Hard Knock Radio, KALX 90.7 FM, KCSM 91.1 FM, and KPFA 94.1 FM.