Today we’d like to introduce you to KC Shore.
Hi KC, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, but don’t remember much of my time there, as my family moved to Jacksonville when I was three years old. Growing up in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville, I always loved being outside in nature and spending time with animals. A career aptitude test I took as a child told me I would make a good farmer, but for some reason, I wanted to be a rockstar—so I picked up a guitar and learned to play when I was a teenager, and my life was mostly consumed by music for many years.
In high school and beyond, I played guitar in numerous local bands, mostly in the metal and alternative scene, until I decided to quit my last metal band, Silence The Doubtful, and take my music in a different direction. Though my life has been a bit taken over by other endeavors for now—such as the Jacksonville Parques mobile app and SpotOn Stage Lighting—I still release music on a sporadic basis as KC Shore. I’m also currently sitting on a healthy pile of unreleased material I intend to revisit one day, and I have many songs that I wrote with my friend Ivy Crosby that are trickling out this year.
After high school, I worked odd jobs as I went to UNF and obtained degrees in both Information Systems and Psychology, with plans to pursue a career as a software developer. This path would eventually lead me to gain the skills and motivation to create Jacksonville Parques. My first “real” developer job was actually with the St. Johns County government, and though not necessarily consciously, this probably did play a role in sparking my interest in public works and local government—and in the eventual development of the Parques app.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As the son of a Filipino immigrant and being born in America, I will always consider my life easy and blessed compared to many around the world. I’ve had no shortage of luck, and for that I am eternally grateful. That being said, of course, it hasn’t all been easy. While Filipinos may not face as widespread discrimination as some other ethnic groups, I’ve experienced the occasional racism that all minorities in America seem to encounter eventually.
Most recently, this included a strange interaction with Walter Clough, lead singer of the Jacksonville-born band The Pinz—a group my band used to gig with when I was a teenager. They’ve been staging a comeback, and one of my favorite local publications, Folio Weekly, started running articles about it. In response to the fact that my mother sends money back to help our family in the Philippines, Clough made outlandish statements, including choice lines like: “Pilfering the economic opportunity my ancestors earned” (his ancestors are British), “Importing the third world is traitorous”, and “My wife is the daughter of an immigrant and I wouldn’t let her send money back to Turkey.”
These statements aren’t just misguided — they echo nativist, exclusionary rhetoric that ignores both the realities of immigrant life and the values of empathy, family, and global interconnectedness. Sending remittances is a common, honorable act of familial support across cultures. Framing it as economic theft is not only inaccurate but dehumanizing. His attitude reduces people to threats instead of recognizing their dignity and contributions. In short: his comments don’t deserve validation. They reflect fear, entitlement, and a refusal to engage with the world’s complexity — not strength, clarity, or moral high ground.
Outside of that, I was in a bad car accident about two years ago when I was T-boned by a drunk driver. I’m lucky to have survived mostly unscathed. When I awoke in Memorial Hospital after being knocked unconscious by the impact, they stitched me up and handed me a bill totaling around $100,000—because my health insurance had lapsed. You can probably imagine my panic, which lasted for months as I tried to get it resolved.
After emailing the state attorney’s office and discussing the possibility of pursuing restitution for the exorbitant bill, I eventually received a mysterious letter in the mail saying the balance had been written off for “charity.” I still keep that letter in my safe to this day.
We’ve been impressed with Jacksonville Parques, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Jacksonville Parques is a free, locally built mobile app dedicated to helping residents and visitors easily discover and explore the parks and natural spaces throughout Jacksonville, Florida. Our mission is to make outdoor experiences more accessible and enjoyable for everyone—whether you’re looking for a quiet trail, a family-friendly playground, a place to fish, or just somewhere new to enjoy the sunshine.
What sets us apart is our grassroots, community-focused approach. This app wasn’t built by a corporation—it was created by a Jacksonville local who loves parks and wanted to give back by creating something useful, intuitive, and genuinely helpful. Jacksonville Parques is easy to navigate, constantly updated, and built with care to highlight the natural beauty and diversity of our city’s public spaces.
We’re most proud of how many people have told us the app has encouraged them to get outside more and discover places they never knew existed. At its core, Jacksonville Parques is about connection—connecting people to nature, to their neighborhoods, and to each other.
Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a parent looking for your next weekend outing, we hope you’ll find something special in Jacksonville Parques. Though we’re just getting started, we’re not just an app—we’re a growing movement to help more people fall in love with the city’s green spaces.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I speak four languages (with varying proficiency) and have been practicing combat sports (boxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu) for most of my life.
Pricing:
- Our app is FREE
Contact Info:
- Website: https://parquesapp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kc.shore/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcshoremusic
- Twitter: https://x.com/kc_shore
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristoffershore
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kcshore
