The Cardboard

The Cardboard

Hyunkyu Han

Abstract

The Cardboard is a multidisciplinary creative project that explores personal storytelling through original music, visual identity, and performance. Motivated by a desire to articulate my identity as a bicultural artist, I used cardboard as a metaphor for resilience and transformation—taking something humble and turning it into something expressive. The project includes five original songs combining jazz fusion, funk, hip-hop, and R&B, each built with distinctive rhythmic approaches such as metric modulation, swing grooves, and improvisation. To support the narrative and sonic identity, I crafted hand-built cardboard instruments for the album visuals and explored analog textures in the production. Deliverables include an EP, multitrack session files, music videos, and a strategic artist branding map. Throughout the process, I refined skills in mixing, songwriting, and visual storytelling while embracing unexpected challenges in aligning cohesive visuals with a genre-blending sound. This project serves as a model for integrating handmade aesthetics with digital production, offering a blueprint for emerging artists who aim to blend cultural roots with modern expression.

Publication Date

7-1-2025

Campus

New York City Campus

Specialization

Songwriting and Production

Keywords

Jazz Fusion; Live Music; Improvisation

The Cardboard

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