ECNV Interviews Big Ocean (K-Pop Band)
ECNV is excited to share our interview with the talented K-Pop group Big Ocean, conducted by Cali Willcockson.
Big Ocean is the world’s first Deaf and Hard of Hearing K-Pop group and has become an incredible source of inspiration to the disability and Deaf communities in the United States and around the globe.
This interview is part of ECNV’s Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP), a career-focused program designed to empower students and young adults with disabilities. RAMP helps participants explore career interests while building their confidence and skills needed to pursue higher education or meaningful employment. Big Ocean’s journey highlights unique challenges that disabled artist face that are also part of the daily experience for many disabled youth—making their great success particularly meaningful for our RAMP students.
With the support of ECNV, the RAMP Team was also able to bring several students to experience their first concert featuring Big Ocean. This event offered an inspiring opportunity for students to witness firsthand how individuals with disabilities overcome barriers, receive accommodations, and thrive in the entertainment industry.
This collaboration was deeply empowering for our students, who saw people like themselves achieve global success. Big Ocean has overcome challenges and are now breaking barriers in the music industry through their passion, talent, and authenticity. Their music, story, and message provide powerful encouragement to the disability community, demonstrating that nothing is impossible. We hope this interview inspires a new generation of disabled creatives to pursue their dreams boldly.
We also want to recognize Big Ocean’s management company, Parastar, the only talent agency in South Korea dedicated solely to representing people with disabilities—from musicians to Paralympians. Their commitment to inclusion and empowerment sent a strong message to our RAMP students.
Special thanks to Dan Kolansky, a volunteer photographer who beautifully captured moments from the concert, interview and the RAMP students’ experiences. Finally, this program would not have been possible without the dedication of the RAMP team, Kevina and Cali.
Thank you to Big Ocean (PJ, Jiseok, and Chanyeon) for taking the time to participate in this interview during their busy U.S. tour schedule. ECNV, our RAMP students, and the wider disability community are honored and excited to learn more about your inspiring journey. To read more about Big Ocean’s experience as global disabled artists breaking barriers in music and entertainment, please see their full interview questions and answers below!
