National Music Day 2014

By Kim Ji-myung

Remembering the Sewol ferry and how the tragedy changed Korea will be a topic of discussion for years to come. Some will continue to criticize the government for not changing rapidly enough, while others will find signs of the improvements that have been made since the accident.

Although totally different in nature, the recent ferry incident has hit Koreans in much the same way the 9/11 terrorist attacks impacted Americans.

"Nothing will ever be the same" was the most common statement made by U.S. commentators after the attacks ― but now they are apt to say, 'But how different are we today, really?" So very hard it is to change the solidly rooted structural problems entangled with human negligence, public incompetence, individual avarice and prevailing corruption.

Experts say that the economic and psychological impacts of the ferry incident seem to have been much broader and deeper than expected. Small shops and restaurants have been seriously hurt. Korea's plentiful nightspots don't see as many customers. Many scheduled festivals, artistic performances and entertainment-related shows have been cancelled, postponed or reduced in scale. The sound of laughter has been rare to hear on TV and radio.

Local elections were just held, and people talk about "going back to our routines," even though some corpses are still missing after 49 days of searching. However, one thing is obvious to me: Koreans hope and are trying to believe that their country will not be the same after the Sewol tragedy as it was before.

To bring the nation back to normal activities and help those most seriously affected, the government has begun to take various reformist, reassuring and stimulating measures. We wait expectantly for their effects.

As a music lover, I am sorry to learn that our first "National Music Day Korea," also called "Yeollin Eumagui Nal" (Open Music Day), scheduled for June 21,was one of the hardest hit events, even though it might be one of the better ways to bring smiles back to our hearts.

Since late last year, a group of people has prepared for this "free music for all" program – as an officially affiliated event of the International Music Day of France, which began in 1982. But because of the national mourning, their preparations were delayed and the plans have had to be downsized.

Completely different from a typical music festival, the Music Day event (Fête de la Musique in France) is above all a free popular festivity, open to any participants ― amateur or professional musicians ― who want to perform in it.

"Because of the extraordinary situation of this year, the first Music Day Korea (2014) will start without loud fanfare," says co-chairman Lee Jin-bae of the Beautiful Korea Movement (BKM). "Even during a few hours on the day of summer solstice June 21, the experience of enjoying live music will change people," Lee said.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism commissioned this voluntary music-sharing event to the BKM, a non-governmental organization working to enhance the cultural quality of citizen's lives.

Korea will be the 109th country to join in this simultaneous global music event, and Seoul is the 727th city to organize this free talent-donation by musicians this year. The official website is www://musicdayinkorea.or.kr.

In fact, a friend of mine who studied in Paris many years ago remembers the Music Day as a "crazy day" when all sorts of musicians play all sorts of instruments anywhere and everywhere. If anyone can play for everyone free of charge, how will the whole program be controlled?

Well, staging such a nationwide event requires elaborate behind-the-scenes organizing work. The National Music Day coordinators will invite various local entities to take part in this event and connect people who can work together on the same projects. They will provide artistic and technical advice to the project directors and other participants, and gather, edit and distribute the programs and posters throughout the nation.

"Korea is a big country as far as music is concerned," says another co-chairman Shin Woo-jae. "We have great number of music students and teachers at schools. There are also so many amateur musicians – young and retired –playing sax, guitar, drums and accordions across the country. It would be great for them to have chances to play in public." Shin said.

He expects the annual Music Day programs will awaken ordinary people to the joy of music, and bring live music into the daily lives of the Koreans. It aims at a large audience, working to popularize musical practice for young and not-so-young people from all social backgrounds. It gives an opportunity to communicate and share very special moments through music.

On the website of the master coordinators (www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr), the independent Association pour le Développement de la Création, Etudes et Projets (ADCEP), detailed information is available. The International Declaration of Principles, practical advice for organizers, logo and official international poster can be downloaded.

American composer John Milton Cage said, "It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than to listen to one, better to listen to one than to misuse it as a means of distraction, entertainment or acquisition of culture."

There is an old saying that music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing.

I hope that music will bring us some solace, not only on this first National Music Day held on an unfortunately smaller scale, but forever.

The writer is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Her email address is Heritagekorea21@gmail.com .