Idol Trainees Expose The Reality Of Training At A Large Vs. Small K-Pop Company
K-Pop trainees give their all to trying to achieve their dream of debuting, trusting their companies to provide them with the skills they need to make it in the competitive industry.
But, as everyone would likely expect, there are different advantages to where you decide to train. For instance, passing an audition for one of the top entertainment agencies is incredibly difficult. And the competition to debut in one of their groups would be even more challenging. But while the agencies might be more difficult to get into, there are definite benefits to being a trainee at a larger company.
Two current idol trainees opened up about the major benefits of joining a company like YG Entertainment from what they saw through iKON‘s tour of the company building and the currently airing BABYMONSTER survival show.
Trainees Kang Ga Eun and Choi Seo Yeong both attend an academy to improve their singing and dancing skills while they audition to join a K-Pop entertainment company as a trainee.
Kang Ga Eun goes to the gym to stay in shape but admits it would be much nicer to be a trainee at YG Entertainment, where she could have pilates lessons.
I’m hitting the gym with other trainees. I’ve always known that agencies offer their idols the best care system, but I didn’t know that they offered pilates classes and offer different services to trainees too. The trainee would be so thankful [to the company] for giving them personal instructors and more.
— Kang Ga Eun
Aside from personal trainers in the gym, the trainees also admire the resources a major company can offer their trainees for vocal and dance lessons.
A personal lesson from Lee Jung?
— Kang Ga Eun
Similarly, trainees for major companies get to practice recording in studios with the help of professional mentors, which isn’t something many companies could offer.
Recording in a professional studio and being evaluated by a professional isn’t so common.
— Choi Seo Yeong
The trainees also agree that there’s an inherent benefit to even the name of the company you’re a trainee for.
I think every major agency has its logos in the training room. If you look at JYP’s training room, there’s a big logo, “JYP,” on the ceiling. Practicing there would boost confidence.
— Kang Ga Eun
And, of course, larger companies would also have larger spaces which would make it easier for their trainees to have room to practice.
Smaller companies have their headquarters in basements too. They only have a single training room. So they have to wait for others to finish. You’re practicing, and the next thing you know, other trainees come inside without consent. I think YG has a lot of practice rooms. A convenience store in the building tells us everything.
— Ga Eun Kang
There are also better resources like rooms to wash your hair, which smaller companies don’t have.
If you practice until dawn, you sweat a lot which doesn’t feel so good. I wish we would have those in our company, but it’s just a regular academy, so… We wash our hair in the sink.
— Kang Ga Eun
Even though there would be difficulties in training somewhere like YG Entertainment, as the two trainees live in Busan, they feel the trip would be worth the experience.
Even big agencies offer dorms to only trainees that are in the debut group. Even if it’s a five-hour round trip to the agency from my house, I would go to YG without any hesitation.
— Kang Ga Eun
While the two trainees admit that it’s not necessary to enter a major agency, there are definitely perks to give you a better chance of achieving your dream of debut.
Although it’s not the finish line, even if you go there, being a part just once gives you the title of being a trainee of a “major agency.”
— Kang Ga Eun
You can read more here.
These Are The Things Every Idol Under The “Big 3” Agencies Have To Go Through
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