Korean traditional Music Concert, part 1

Starting this hot season, we are to explore korea with some chilly details and cool out our hotness.
We are going to go on a second adventure to Explore Korea with BBB!!

■ The National Center for Korean Tradi tional Performing Arts
In June, Exploring Korea visited the National Center for Korean Traditional Performi ng Arts.
We had a great time listening to a Geomungo recital and also visting places nearby.

We went with Akina from Japan, who is an exchange student at Dongguk University.
She is majoring in International Culture in Japan. She came to Korea this march
and currently stays in a dormitory for foreign student in Chungmuro. She is planning to stay here until next month.
Even though Akina has only been here for 3 months, her Korean was very good.
She has been studying Korean before she arrived here. Also one of our BBB members followed along for translation.

The National Center for Korean Traditional Performi ng Arts is an organization which began more than 1400 years ago.
Its forerunners can be traced back to the institute called Eumseongseo during the reign of Queen Jindeok of the kingdom of Silla.
The succeeding kingdom of Goryeo had two national music instit utes which were combined
in the early part of the Joseon Dynasty into Jangagwon or "Musi c Affairs Institute", which continued to be responsible for all music, song,
and dance performed at major national celebrations, and for the training of musicians and the composition of new music.
This institute managed to survive the order of the Japanese occupation.
Now, the National Center for Korean Traditional Performi ng Arts works toward preserving, researching,
and transmitting traditional music and dance.

■ Geomungo Performance



The NCKTPA holds a lot of performances and exhibitions relating to our traditional music ''''Gugak''''.
Especially on every Friday they hold regular recitals for free. All you have to do is arrive at the National Center 30 minutes
prior to the performance in order to receive your ticket. We went to one of these performances which was a Geomungo recital
by performer Kang, Hee-jin. A Geomungo has six strings rested on a wooden board which is made of Odong-namu (Paulownia).
The posture of playing is sitting cross-legged, and scrape with Sul-dae in the right-hand, putting a Geomungo in tune
with the left hand simultaneously. It is used to accompany lyric songs as well as in chamber music and sanjo
(solo music with drum accompaniment).
Before entering the theater we were able to see the Geomungo and also other traditional instruments on display.

The Geomungo performance was a musical piece accompanied with a Daegum(a large transverse flute) and a Janggu(a hourglass shaped drum). Compare d to the music we hear these days it''''s considered a less melodic but the rhythms are very beautiful.
Akina thought it was very different from other music she had heard but was very fascinated by the beautiful hanbok(traditional Korean clothes) and interesting instruments.