ISSUE FOURTEEN
Spring 2003
Contents:
• From the President
• Minutes of the 2002 AKMR Meeting
• Publications
• Annual APSE International Conference
• Korean Music Workshop for Overseas Musicologists
• Buddhist Ritual at Japan Society
• Edinburgh International Festival
• SEM 2002 Paper Abstract
• News from AKMR Members
• AKMR Information
YouYoung Kang, Editor
Music Department
Scripps College
1030 Columbia Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711 USA
From the President
Warm greetings to all! In this first letter to you as your new president, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on the past year and make note of a number of related and auspicious events that bode well for both our Association and the appreciation of Korean music by the larger musicological community as a whole.
2002 was most likely a record year for the number of panels and papers presented on Korean music topics. Significant showings in the United States included the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies in Washington, D.C. and also the Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology in Estes Park, Colorado. In Europe we continued to have a presence at the Annual Meeting of the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research (CHIME), held this past year in Sheffield, England. South Korea also played host to a number of major conferences that featured traditional and popular music. These included the Annual Meeting of the Korean Musicological Society in Namwon, North Cholla Province, the 6th Pacific and Asia Conference on Korean Studies (PACKS) at Seoul National University, the 5th Asian Music Conference, also at SNU, and the very ambitious First World Congress of Korean Studies at the Academy of Korean Studies in Seungnam. The above events were impressive not only for the depth of the topics and presentations, but also for the spectrum represented by the presenters themselves, ranging from graduate students to full professors, and South Koreans to those from the U.S., Europe, and other East Asian countries.
The year also witnessed a number of landmark publications (despite some of the printed copyright dates), the significance of which will be felt for years to come. Perhaps the most noteworthy was the long-awaited volume 7 of the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, which contained 24 articles on nearly all aspects of Korean music and related genres. A special volume on Korean folk music by the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California, titled Contemporary Directions: Korean Folk Music Engaging the Twentieth Century and Beyond, featured eight chapters on modern developments and trends and was dedicated to a past and founding member of AKMR, Marnie Dilling. The School of Korean Traditional Performing Arts published the full-length English manuscript (with Korean supplemental text) Introduction to Korean Traditional Performing Arts, the first such document developed specifically for the use of Korean students to further advance their ability to articulate important ideas and concepts on the topic in the English language. 2002 also marked the 60th birthday of one of our most esteemed musicologists, Professor Song Bang-song. Volume 29 of the journal Hanguk umaksa hakpo was designated as a festschrift in his honor and contained 33 articles featuring historical, analytical, and sociological approaches.
And, lest I forget, it was a great year for Korean football! More in line with the goals (pun intended) and interests of our organization, however, the Korean government and city of Seoul invested the energy and finances to showcase the traditional arts for those who were privileged enough to attend the games and their related events. It was a fantastic time to be in Seoul in particular, as almost every night for more than a month one could attend a concert or festival highlighting Korean traditional music. Those who viewed the festivities via television or internet were exposed to Kim Duk Soo (most matches) and samul nori performers leading the fans from the front of the stadium seats.
In short, Korean music enjoyed a level of exposure on both domestic and foreign stages seldom experienced in the past. As members of a small (but growing) yet significant group, we can be proud to have taken a part in these successes.
Best wishes,
Nathan Hesselink
Normal and Chicago, Illinois
April 2003
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AKMR Meeting 2002 Minutes
October 26, 2002
12:12-12:45 PM
Nathan Hesselink, the new AKMR President called the meeting to order. There was a good showing of papers on Korean music this year: six in total.
2 forms were passed around: Current information (mailing address) & Application for the AKMR Prize.
An announcement was made about membership dues ($10 US), which covers your subscription to the 2 newsletters/year, and participation in AKMR elections.
New AKMR Officers
New student-at-large: Paul Yoon
New member-at-large: Hilary Finchum-Sung
New President: Nathan Hesselink
Continuing Officers: Heather Willoughby, Okon Hwang, YouYoung Kang
Financial Report (from Okon Hwang)
Income
Membership dues: $220
Dividends: $34.35
Total: $254.35
Expenses
Newsletter: $125.66
2001 AKMR Prize: $50 (not yet deducted)
Total: $125.66
Balance as of September 24, 2002: $1464.18
2001 AKMR Prize Report
Recipient: Paul Yoon
Committee members: Joshua Pilzer (chair), Andrew Killick, H.K. Chae
Volunteer for the new chair of the committee for the AKMR Prize: Hilary Finchum-Sung
Newsletter Report (by YouYoung Kang): The last one was sent out 1one week ago. Apologies to Sun Hee Koo who was left out from the list of papers presented at SEM this year. Please send your new information and announcements to the editor at her new email address: ykang@scrippscollege.edu. A call was issued for new editors for the AKMR Newsletter.
A call was made for a Korea-related panel chair, sponsored by AKMR. Keith Howard suggested a Korean pop music panel. A tentative show of interest for this panel: Andy Sutton, Nathan Hesselink, and Donna Kwon.
General announcements:
Oh-Sung Kwon: 1) Clarification on the AKMR Prize which was formerly called the Marnie Dilling Prize. 2) The Yi Hye-Ku Prize, which began in 1998, is awarded every 2 years. Age requirement is under the age of 45. Prize is 3 million won! See Oh-Sung Kwon for further details. 3) Publication of the Monthly Kugakí: 150,000 won/year for a monthly subscription. 4) The Korean Musicological Society has a national conference every year. This year, there were 2 conferences. Next year’s conference will be held in May 2003 in Seoul or at Chonnam University in Kwangju.
Bell Yung: Korean music and Chinese music share the same issues and have direct links. As sister associations, he hopes for more collaboration and association between the two. ACMR has had meetings at SEM for the last 16 years, since its beginning, where students and scholars are invited in a less formal setting to present their research in progress. Bell Yung suggested a joint AKMR and ACMR panel in the future and an exchange of the mailing list. Keith Howard also pointed out the appearance of Korean papers at CHIME conferences.
Donna Kwon’s update on Marnie Dillingís book: The book is at a standstill. The publisher wants someone with fluency both in Korean music and English in Seoul for 3-4 months for consultation.
Larry Witzleben: 1) ICTM will be in China. Deadline for abstract submission is 11/15. A call for a cross-cultural panel. 2) Larry Witzleben was on the program committee for SEM this year. He would like to see more scholars from Korea. Next year’s theme is “Cultural Crossroads.” The sub-themes are: Historical methods in ethnomusicology and ethnomusicological methods in historical musicology; Music, memory, and nostalgia; Authenticity and politics of representation; Teaching music theory from cross-cultural perspectives; Relationship of teaching and researching; Larry Witzleben will become the chair of the committee next year. He offered advice on abstract submission based on his past experience on the program committee.
Discussion followed on how to get funding to come to SEM even if your abstract does not get accepted. Bell Yung suggested that one way to get funding is to get your abstract accepted by AKMR. However, Larry Wizleben pointed out that any presentation at SEM must go through SEM. This process needs to be investigated further.
Robert Provine sends his best.
Self introductions: Nathan Hesselink, Eun-young Jung, Eunkang Koh, Bell Yung, YouYoung Kang, Susie Lim, Donna Kwon, Keith Howard, Sun Hee Koo, Larry Witzleben, Andy Sutton, Mi Sun Lim, Oh-Sung Kwon, Paul Yoon, Hilary Finchum-Sung, Cheryl Amette Tobler.
Submitted by Susie Lim
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Publications
Chun, InPyong. “Man Zhong Kuai Musical Form of Chinese and Korean Music.” Asian Musicology 2 (2002): 5-26.
Finchum-Sung, Hilary. Review of Hwang Byung-ki wa ui taehwa/Conversations with Kayageum master Byung-ki Hwang. Asian Musicology 2 (2002): 185-189.
Jang, Yeonak. “Audience Response to P’ansori and Its Impact on Contemporary P’ansori Performance.” Asian Musicology 2 (2002): 131-153.
Willoughby, Heather. "Retake: A Decade of Learning from the Movie Sôp'yônje." Music and Culture 8 (Korea) (2003).
Yoon, Paul Jong-Chul. "'She's Really Become Japanese Now!': Taiko Drumming and Asian American Identifications. " American Music 19(4) (2001): 417-438.
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Invitation to the APSE Conference
Dear all the friends of Asia Pacific Society for Ethnomusicology:
I hope everything is going well with you, all your family, and all of your works! It is my great pleasure to invite all of you to the 8th APSE International Conference in Jeonju, about 250 kilometers to the southwest from Seoul, Korea this fall! Jeonju is very well known city for Korean Pansori and its unique traditional cultural milieu.
Jeonju has hosted the annual world-wide Sori (musical sound or song) Festival since 2001. This year the 8th APSE International Conference will be held with the third Sori Festival, 2003 Jeonju World Sori Festival. Many musicians from all over the world will participate in the Festival and their beautiful music will be staged in competition. Exchanging useful musical knowledge, information, and our friendships, we can enjoy all the Sori or music together during the Conference.
I think, therefore, the 8th APSE International Conference will present us some special musical meaning and value. I hope that more invaluable papers would be presented and more lively discussions would be conducted by all of you for the prosperous future or the development of APSE than ever before as well.
Following is the notification of the Conference. I cordially ask all of you, please read the following carefully, participate in the venue, and exchange our useful musical knowledge, information, and friendships.
See you at the Conference meeting in Jeonju of Korea this fall!
Very sincerely yours,
Kwon Oh-Sung
President, APSE
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The 8th APSE International Conference
A. Conference Title: The 8th APSE International Conference and 2003 Jeonju World Sori Festival
B. Theme: The Music and Culture of the Silk Road (including maritime Silk Road)
1. Vocal and Instrumental Music of the Silk Road
2. Dance and Dance Music of the Silk Road
3. Musical Instruments of the Silk Road
C. When and Where: From Monday, September 29 to Thursday, October 2, 2003. International Conference Hall of Korean Sori Culture in Jeonju, Korea.
D. Host: The Asia Pacific Society for Ethnomusicology
The Organizing Committee of Jeonju World Sori Festival
E. Supervision: The Korean Musicological Society
F. Sponsor: Jeollabukdo Provincial Government & The Korea Culture and Arts Foundation
G. Proposals: Members who wish to make a presentation are asked to send their proposals as soon as possible as follows, but before the deadline of Saturday, May 31, 2003.
1. Less than 250 words for English abstracts.
2. Send to Secretary General Sheen Dae-Cheol: sheenone@kangnung.ac.kr; sheenone@chol.com (or net).
3. If e-mail is impossible, send by fax: [82] 33-640-2517.
4. The abstract format is as follows.
First line: Type the title of your paper and leave two spaces.
Fourth line: Type your name, affiliation, and country name as follows.
Sheen Dae-Cheol (Kangnung National University, Korea)
Leave two spaces.
From seventh line: Type 250 words in English abstract.
Leave two spaces from the last line of your abstract and type your equipments for your presentation of paper like video (only VHS), cassette player, CD player, OHP, and etc.
5. Each presentation will be 40 minutes including 10 minutes for discussion.
6. The deadline for the full version of paper: August 15, 2003 (in MS Word file by e-mail, fax, or air mail to the Secretary General Sheen Dae-Cheol). If a participant cannot send her/his full version of paper by August 15th, please make 80 copies of your paper and bring those copies to Korea. Address to: Sheen Dae-Cheol, Department of Music, Kangnung National University, Chibyondong 123, Kangnung Kangwondo, 210-702 Korea OR at home: Hyeondae Apartment 302, Poidong 242-2, Gangnamgu Seoul, 135-965 Korea.
H. Official languages: Korean and English with a few exceptions.
I. Registration fee: US $60 for presenters, US $80 for general participants, US $40 for students. Only in cash.
J. Transportation: The round trip air tickets, economy class, to Korea for all the Board Members will be provided by the host. Other participants should provide their own round trip ticket to Korea. All transportation within Korea will be provided by the host for all participants.
K. Visas: Some participants will need visas to visit Korea. Please consult the nearest Korean embassy or consulate for further information. We are prepared to issue formal invitations to attend the Conference to APSE members in good standing, in order to assist in obtaining visas to Korea for the APSE Conference.
L. Accomodations: Jeonju Tourist Hotel. Rate per person per day (including three meals): US $45 or Korean Won 55,000 for single room; US $30 or Korean Won 38,000 for shared room. When you reserve, please let us know your name, country, and sex (only for shared rooms). Reservations will be accepted until May 31, 2003. E-mail Sheen Dae Cheol at sheenone@kangnung.ac.kr or sheenone@chol.com (or net); or fax at [82] 33-640-2517
Please pay in cash when you register for the Conference.
See all of you at the Conference venue!
Cordially yours, Sheen Dae-Cheol
We would like to know how many APSE members of your country can participate in the Conference. Please notify us at the above address, and persuade your scholars and musicians to participate.
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Korean Traditional Music Workshop for Overseas Musicologists
Following its big success in 2001, the Korea Foundation will hold the second Korean Traditional Music Workshop for Overseas Musicologists from June 15 - July 12, 2003, in cooperation with the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA). All costs within Korea, including accommodations and inland transportation related to the workshop, will be borne by the organizers, but participants are responsible for their own airfares. If you are interested in or know of anyone who would like to take part in this workshop, please contact the Foundation directly by the end of January 2003: Cultural Exchange Team, Korea Foundation, Diplomatic Center, 1376-1 Seocho 2-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-072 Korea; [82] 2-3463-5615; fax [82] 2-3463-6075.
Program officer: Ms. Soo Hyun Kim (shkim@kf.or.kr)
Director: Ms. Keum-jin Yoon (kjyoon@kf.or.kr)
Period: June 15 - July 12, 2003
Venue: National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (audio-visual classroom, practice room)
Organizers: Korea Foundation & NCKTPA
Participants: Overseas scholars and doctoral candidates in the field of musicology & ethnomusicology who are interested in Korean music
Workshop Activities: lectures (in English) on Korean music; classes on performing Korean musical instruments; field trips to local festivals and performances; in-depth discussions with Korean music specialists
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Yeongsanjae Buddhist ritual at Japan Society
By Byong Won Lee
Eighteen Korean Buddhist priests came to New York to perform the Yeongsanjae Buddhist ritual at the Japan Society in New York. Originally, the event was scheduled to include a Japanese Buddhist ritual as well, but they opted not to come because of the war in Iraq. Thus, only a Korean ritual was performed for three days (April 24-26), which was preceded by a pre-performance lecture delivered by myself. According to the Director of the Performing Arts Program of the Japan Society, it was a great success with some irony in the fact that the Japan Society sponsoring the Korean Buddhist ritual.
In conjunction with the Buddhist ritual performance, the Japan Society in New York has published an informative 23-page booklet entitled "Buddhist Ritual Chant from Korea and Japan," contributed by Byong Won Lee and Steve Nelson. To get a copy, contact Ms. Paula Lawrence, Director of Performing Arts Program, Japan Society (plawrence@japansociety.org).
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Edinburgh International Festival
By Keith Howard
AKMR members may be interested in this year's Edinburgh International Festival, the program of which was recently announced (www.eif.co.uk). The festival will feature p'ansori, and to my knowledge, the scope of what is planned is a first: the five extant repertories will run over five successive nights, each sung in Korean with English supertitles. The schedule:
Thursday, August 14: The Saga of Heungbo, sung by Kim Soo-yeon.
Friday, August 15: The Saga of the Red Cliff, sung by Kim Il-goo.
Saturday, August 16: The Song of Simcheong, sung by Kim Young-ja.
Sunday, August 17: The Song of Chunhyang, sung by Ahn Suk-son.
Monday, August 18: The Saga of the Underwater Palace, sung by Cho Tong-dal.
Two drummers will be featured: Jung Hwa-young and Lee Tae-baek.
I've been asked to present a study day on August 14th, before the first p'ansori performance, and the musicians will join together for a late evening performance of selected sanjo pieces on August 13th. For those interested in other East Asian musics, there is Chinese music on the 11th and 12th of August, Japanese music on the 17th and 18th, and a concert of recent compositions (after Heungboga) by Isang Yun and Unsuk Chin on August 14th. A further study day on East Asian music will co-ordinated by my colleague David Hughes on August 10th.
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Abstract from SEM 2002 in Estes Park, Colorado
“Individual Tradition and National Tradition: Production and Consumption of Sonic Nationalism in the Republic of Korea”
Eunkang Koh (University of Oxford)
Nationalism and ethnicity in music are not newly emerging subjects in Ethnomusicology. In South Korea, nationalism maintains social consensus across various social classes and political orientations of individuals. As the most powerful national symbol, Korean traditional music has played a leading role in promoting this nationalism. This function gives Korean traditional music a firm ground in society although it is not a popular good in the music market. Jongmyojeryeak, the ritual music for the royal ancestors of the Chosun Dynasty (CE 1392-1910) is one of the research fields where different groups of individuals produce and consume sonic nationalism. This music has been designated as the “Intangible Cultural Asset Number 1” since 1964.
Three main organizations are involved in the production of this ritual music today: the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, Lee Incorporation of Jeonjoo (a lineage which shares the family name, Yi, with the royal family of the Chosun Dynasty) and Cultural Properties Administration under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts plays, educates and studies the music. It takes a full responsibility for the music itself as an organization of the government. Lee Incorporation of Jeonjoo is the organizer and the major sponsor of the Jongmyojerye ritual once a year and takes charge in the ritual performance, which has been designated as “Intangible Cultural Asset Number” 56 since1975. The Cultural Properties Administration supervises the music and the ritual in general.
These three organizations compete and negotiate with each other during the production of music for their own purposes of consumption. This is the dynamo and the source of energy that provides vital power for this living tradition. This competition provides motivation to different social agents who are inheriting this tradition. The meaning and the form of the music are negotiated and manipulated continuously under the shield of the belief that tradition is unchanging and that it belongs equally to everyone in South Korea.
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News from AKMR Members
Nathan Hesselink spent part of his time this spring semester at the University of Chicago as Visiting Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, teaching a course on South Korean folk music.
Keith Howard announces his upcoming activities at the Edinburgh International Festival (see above).
Heather Willoughby writes: I have recently accepted a one year post-doc position at Wittenberg
University in Springfield, Ohio. I will be teaching two courses of my own design throughout the 2003-04 school year. The first will be a general East Asian music survey course and the second will be a more in-depth course on narrative and theater traditions of Korea, Japan and China.
This year I have been teaching four courses as an adjunct professor (at Columbia, Hunter and Brooklyn colleges), including a world music survey class, a Korean civilization class, and two Western music humanities courses. Earlier this year I published a paper on Sôp'yônje (see Publications above). And finally, I am currently completing another article, "Destined for Greatness One Song at a Time: Coming of Age as a Korean P'ansori Prodigy," that will be included in a volume entitled Different Childhoods: Music and the Cultures of Youth, edited by Susan Boynton and Roe-Min Kok (hopefully to be published in 2004.)
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AKMR Information
Officers
President: Nathan Hesselink ndhessse@ilstu.edu
Secretary/Treasurer: Okon Hwang hwango@easternct.edu
Newsletter Editor: YouYoung Kang ykang@scrippscollege.edu
Website Manager: Robert Provine provine@wam.umd.edu
Members-at-Large: Heather Willoughby haw10@columbia.edu
Hilary Finchum-Sung hfinchum@uclink.berkeley.edu
Paul Yoon py19@columbia.edu