Let's enjoy harmonious sounds in Samulnori
	[영어뉴스] 최종수정일 / 2009년 10월 08일

On September 11, there was a 'Seeing Light' samulnori performance sponsored by Knokdu (녹두), a samulnori club in College of Natural Resources and Life Science, at Democracy square in Seung-Hak campus.  'Seeing Light' is called in pure Korean the foundation day of samulnori.  Many campuses's samulnori clubs attended this reception to congratulate.  Actually, the samulnori club sponsoring 'Seeing Light' sent out invitation cards on their foundation day.  It was a day in which the clubs got together to be acquainted with each other and to form friendships as well as playing the instruments together.
During the performance, I also met Lee won-rong (Korean Literature, junior) who is a Chinese student.  Drawing him aside, I interviewed him about how a foreigner feels about our traditional samulnori.  Actually, it was his first time seeing Korean samulnori.  He said, "It's very delightful and joyful.  It is similar to traditional folk music in China, which is played on special days and the new years day."  He wondered whether it was a special day.  I informed him that it was a performance by our samulnori club.  He said, "I am impressed with the determination of students to preserve your traditional culture."

Lee Ji-won (Bio Technology, sophomore), a member of samulnori club, said the club has drawn the curiosity of foreigners several times.  "Once, a Chinese student visited our practice room to play instruments of samulnori.  I saw him playing the janggu and drum delightfully, and his playing skills were as good as our members.  I feel pride as a Korean since there are lots of foreigners interested in our traditional playing."

The Korean traditional percussion quartet is music played on four instruments, which are a drum, a janggu, a jing, a gong.  And folk music group and folk music playing make up Chi-bea (치배) and Jap-seak (잡색), Chi-bea called dancing people, playing folk music (instruments - a drum, a janggu, a jjing, a gong, a tabor)  Jap-seak is a person who has many roles in the performance from dancing and adding to the amusement on the ground.

There are 12 folk music clubs in Dong-A University.  △E-ummaeck (이음맥) of College of Business Adminstration △Ta-rae (타래) of College of Medicine △Hwi-mory (휘모리) of College of Law △Knock-du (녹두)·Cham-nory (　노리) ·Tho-sory (또소리) of College of Natural Resources and Life Science △Dea-jang-gan (대장간)·Chi-re-ba-chi (치레바치)·Han-ul-rim (한울림) of College of Engineering △Teo (터) of College of Natural Sciences △Tal-pae (탈패) of College of Humanities △U-bulim (어불림) of College of Social Sciences.

In general, foreigners answer in the affirmative about samulnori.  Conversely, there are the negative Korean views: "It does not seem to fit this generation", or "Since we do not have many chances to encounter it, it sounds boring and noisy."  

There are a lot of Korean students who have very little or no interest in traditional Korean music culture, and many of them do not even have a cultural concept.  Hwang Gyu-tae (English Literature, junior) complained, "Sometimes I feel that samulnori is noise.  Normally, they perform in an open space, forcing uninterested people to hear."  It is true to some degrees that this performance annoys students and professors in the school.  Because of these reactions, the students who belong to samulnori club move their club room to somewhere quiet or practice when people are not around so much.

In charge of Student Culture Association, Park Jun-su (Molecular Biotechnology, sophomore on leave of absence), who carries out planning, said "When performed in Haeundae, it cheered us up that some foreigners brought us water and said our folk music sounds new and exciting.  In contrast, I felt sorry for those Korean students who are bound to their grades and, struggling to survive in the competition, do not even care about traditional Korean culture.  Korean instruments like a gong and a janggu fit more our emotion.  They think samulnori is just loud and noisy, but to really feel and understand it, you must participate in it.  A samulnori club is open for everybody, so come on and try."  She hoped more people would get interested in samulnori.

  Although the four instruments each has a distinctive sound, in their rhythm and beat they work in harmony.  How about trying to listen to samulnori for enjoyment 

By reporter Park Yi-seul
Park Chan-young
동아대학보 제1073호 (2009. 10. 5)