How I traded in my Mercedes for a Hyundai: a guest post by Kristina Lee
For pianists, the piano is more than a collection of keys, hammers, and strings. For us, this beloved instrument gives voice to our dreams, shape to our grief, and sparkle to our most joyous moments. It isn’t surprising that most of us form lasting connections to the pianos we love the most. They are our friends, and like all good friendships, we each have a story about how we met our pianos.
Guest author Kristina Lee’s story spans cultures, continents, and life paths. Yet with all the change and uncertainty she experienced, Lee’s desire for a grand piano became a guiding light through dark chapters, and when it looked as if she’d lost everything, she gambled on the part of herself that knew she needed music in her life. Today, Kristina Lee has built a career as a pianist, composer, teacher, content creator, entrepreneur, and certified life coach. In 2024, she established Live Love Piano, where she launched her online courses Simple & Beautiful Piano for Adult Beginners and the Sightreading Jumpstart Kit. And yes, she found her dream grand piano. I’m honored to share her story on No Dead Guys.
HOW I TRADED IN MY MERCEDES FOR A HYUNDAI - A PIANO STORY
A guest post by Kristina Lee
When my family immigrated to the US, I was twelve and a half years old. I had taken piano lessons for a few years by then, but alas, we couldn’t bring the piano—or any other furniture—with us. We arrived in the US with only large bags packed with all of our family’s belongings. Oh, how brave my parents were, moving to a whole new country with no concrete plan for how they’d make a living, with three little kids and suitcases in tow. But that story is for another time.
In 7th grade, my first full year of school in the US, I would stay after school, head to the choir room, and play the piano for an hour or so. A year later, my parents were able to buy me a piano.
We went to a piano store, where I tried out their console pianos—ones that fit our budget. I played my usual repertoire: Beethoven’s Pathétique and Moonlight Sonatas, a Chopin Waltz, a Schubert Impromptu... The salesman helping us looked at me and said, “You need a grand piano.”
You. Need. A. Grand. Piano.
Those words stuck with me.
Somehow, I came up with a silly idea: that someday, someone who loved me very much would give me a grand piano deserving of me.
Fast forward 26 years. I found myself shopping for a piano again, this time for myself. I’d been in piano stores many times over the years, but this was the first time I was choosing my own piano since that childhood visit.
In those 26 years, many lives had come and gone for me. I earned an undergraduate degree in Piano Performance, then went on to study theology and cultures at seminary. I traveled the world in search of meaning, connection, and my place in the world. That journey led me to live and work overseas, where I became part of incredible communities across the globe.
And then, overnight, it was all gone—a devastating and painful end to a marriage.
In the depths of my grief, a single, clear thought emerged: I need to do music.
So, I returned to the US, found a one-bedroom apartment with a living room big enough to teach piano, in a city where I knew no one and no one knew me. Bad idea. And starting a business like that? Terrible idea.
But sometimes, when your whole life falls apart, and you’re exhausted from crying every day, there’s still something in your spirit that says, this is what you must do. A strange clarity takes hold, defying all reason. When that happens, you must follow it—even if it feels like it might kill you.
I had a little money saved to survive a few months. On top of that, I had $3,000 from selling the 1993 Mercedes I drove in Beirut. I decided to buy a grand piano with that money. No more waiting for someone else. It was always supposed to be me buying a grand piano for myself.
The 5’3” baby grand was a beauty—probably the best grand piano I could find within my budget—made by Hyundai. Wait, WHAT? The car company? Even as a Korean, I’d never seen a piano made by Hyundai.
When the piano arrived at my apartment, it looked beautiful. And it was terrifying. What was I thinking? I should’ve kept that money to pay bills. I didn’t even have a single student. Every time I looked at the piano, I felt another wave of trauma. It was a symbol of the uncertain future I was stepping into, armed only with conviction and no guarantees.
Fast forward eight years. The piano movers came to my commercial studio in Bellevue, Washington, to pick up the Hyundai, my baby grand.
In those eight years, my studio grew, though it started slowly—just a couple of students at first. But within a few years, my enrollment was full, and I’ve maintained it through over a decade of teaching. Most importantly, I fell in love with teaching piano, which I now call the most creative work of my life.
And after all, someone who loved me very much did give me a piano.
A friend I met during the darkest time of my life—someone with no connection to music or piano—happened to own a beautiful Bechstein grand piano.
When she asked me to become the indefinite steward of the Bechstein, I accepted. And it was time to let go of my Hyundai.
I choked up a little on the day the Hyundai was picked up. I thanked it for being true and faithful to me from the beginning. By the time it left, that piano had brought me more than a hundredfold in return.
As it was taken away, I felt the bittersweet weight of closing a painful but bright chapter of my life… until the appraiser for the Bechstein called and said, “Well, congratulations on babysitting a quarter-of-a-million-dollar piano!”
!!!
Kristina Lee is a pianist, composer, teacher, content creator, entrepreneur, and certified life coach. Born in Korea and raised in the United States, Kristina earned her Bachelor’s in Piano Performance from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Graduate Schools. Her diverse professional journey has included working with humanitarian organizations and underserved communities, where she used music as a tool for connection and empowerment.
In 2012, Kristina returned to the US and founded Kristina Lee Music, feeling a clear calling to dedicate her life to sharing her music. This marked the beginning of her mission to make music education accessible and inspiring. In 2024, she established Live Love Piano, where she launched her online courses Simple & Beautiful Piano for Adult Beginners and the Sightreading Jumpstart Kit, designed to empower students around the world.
Kristina is an active leader in the music community, having served as a speaker at the Washington State Music Teachers’ Association State Conference, as a board member of the Eastside Music Teachers’ Association, and on the Creative Track Committee for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. She has also led workshops on improvisation, curated live music for Capitol Cider, and collaborated with climate scientist Judy Twedt for TEDx Seattle 2018.
As a teacher, Kristina values the relational aspect of piano teaching, guiding students to not only develop their skills but also nurture creativity, resilience, and self-expression, while inspiring them to see music as a transformative and healing force.
Connect with Kristina
YouTube: Live Love Piano by Kristina
Instagram: @kristinaleemusic
Contact: livelovepiano.com/contact