An Opportunity to Learn Traditional Music
By David Watermeyer
Contributing writer
Music is said to be a higher form of communication, something that can goes far beyond the reach or words in communicating deeper ideas. When listening to the music of another culture one can somehow intuit the deeper workings of the people sharing that culture. And if one lets oneself go so to speak, one can almost enter into the mind of that culture.
Arguably, with few if any exceptions, no culture is without music, and those who have visited one of the Korean festivals will have witnessed first hand the very vibrant and lively performances of Korean music that can literally ``spirit one away,'' to steal the words of a famous movie.
Despite the loud voices of modernization and globalization with their tendency to at times whitewash local cultural expressions, the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been very active in preserving and promoting cultural forms and has created a number of avenues though which this is being done.
For those foreigners who wish to have a taste of some traditional Korean music, not just as listener but as player, the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NPCKTPA) will host another series of classes for the fall semester. The classes have been going since 1993.
Lee Bae-won, who also goes by the name of Eric for the sake of foreigners who find Korean pronunciation difficult, has been running the course since 2003. An immediately likeable sort of fellow Lee emphasizes the fun part of the course rather than any idea of hard endless practice to get something right.
``I love my job,'' said Lee. ``Its like a dream for me to do this as I have always had a huge passion for music and this gives me a chance to spend my time involved with it.''
When asked whether he had studied music at university, Lee said no. ``After studying at university I got a job in a regular company, but when this job came up I jumped at the chance.''
Participants will have the chance to learn to play on three types of instrument: janggu, or hourglass shaped drum; gayageum, a 12-stringed zither; and danso, a vertical bamboo flute. Later, once some practice has been gained, students can move on to be part of a samulnori, or percussion quartet.
``Students really enjoy the chance to learn with others and play together on the instruments,'' said the self-effacing Lee.
``There are all kinds of students who come to the course, though a majority are part of cultural study courses and they comment that this course rounds off their other studies in a very nice way,'' Lee said.
Lee was asked whether some of the students have kept on attending courses after their initial one. He replied in the affirmative, ``One can obviously go on and on learning and some become very interested in further study like myself.''
Instruments for the course are leased out to students for the duration of the course, except for the danso, which is bought and retained by students when they leave.
This fall's course will run from Sep. 20-Dec. 6 (12 weeks) on every Saturday. For those interested, check out the Web site at https://ncktpa.go.kr or email Lee at