Perspectives on Contemporary Korea Conference 2023 | The Creative and Transformative Spirit of Korean Music
Eolssigu, Jota! Sinmyeong Nanda! The Creative and Transformative Spirit of Korean Music
November 9-10, 2023 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI
Organizers
Hilary Finchum-Sung (Nam Center for Korean Studies, University of Michigan/Association for Asian Studies)
Youngju Ryu (Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan)
Attend in person or attend virtually via Zoom.
The concept of ‘Korean Music’ conjures many things: Kpop, pungmulnori ensembles on university campuses, stately court orchestras and dance, the lullabies and wails of the folk experience… there is so much, and its routes and evolutions are countless and astounding. The title of the 2-day conference, part of the Nam Center’s Perspectives on Contemporary Korea conference series, references the visceral, emotional experiences embedded in and conjured by Korean music performance across many eras, genres, and locations. In the 21st century, Korean music defies geopolitical boundaries and the confines of genre as artists draw on their own experiences and communities to express the lived realities of the contemporary Korean experience. The music we explore in this symposium is inclusive of long-standing traditions and new creations on the Korean peninsula, music performance in the Diaspora, and collaborations drawing and expanding upon Korean musical aesthetics. The participants in this two-day event will explore the many notions of Korean music on and beyond the Korean peninsula, through space and time, and reimagined via multiple encounters and experiences.
This event will be a combination of traditional paper presentation, roundtables, and workshops. There will also be at least two performances during the two-day event. The event will be free & open to the public. Attendance will be available both in-person and virtual.
This event is a program feature of the U-M Fall 2023 Festival of Asian Music.
Thursday, November 9 (Weiser 1010)
8:45-9:00am //Welcome
Youngju Ryu (Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan) Hilary Finchum-Sung (Nam Center for Korean Studies, University of Michigan/Association for Asian Studies)
9:00-11:00am //Panel 1: Changing Contexts, Changing Times
Chair: Hilary Finchum-Sung
Cedarbough Saeji (Pusan National University Department of Global and International Studies)
“Hip Hop Meets Minyo: An Analysis of the 2021 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' Advertisements”
Matthew Thompson (University of Michigan)
“Traditional Korean Music, Gugak (국악), in Video Games”
Iljung Kim (The University of British Columbia)
“Beyond Ritual: The Popularization of Buddhist Music in Korea”
Yoon Joo Hwang (University of Central Florida)
“Broken and Divided Voices: Musical Narratives of the Cold War Korea”
11:00-11:50am // Artist Performance & Talk
Hyunchae Kim,
1:00-1:50pm // Artist Performance & Talk
DoYeon Kim, “True Collaborative Music” - Collaboration between Korean music and contemporary composition / improvisation
2:00-2:50pm // Artist Performance & Talk
Jen Shyu, "Projecting Tradition into the Future & the Creative Voice Within: Focus on Korea"
3:00-3:50pm // Artist Performance & Talk
Jeff Chan & Suwan Choi, "Coalescence - Contemporary and Traditional Sonic Elements in Asian American Music”
4:00-4:50pm // Artist Performance & Talk
Chan Park, “Korean Pansori As Voice Theatre”
Friday, November 10 (LSA Building, 1040 Multipurpose Room)
9:00-11:00am // Panel 2: Building and Reinforcing Identity through Performance
Chair: Katherine Lee
Sunhong Kim (University of Michigan)
“The visceral sound of piri: gender essentialism in Korean national music competitions”
Jan Creutzenberg (Ewha Womans University)
“Singing and Sharing Time Together: Performative Perspectives on Noraebang-Culture”
Stephanie Choi (State University of New York at Buffalo)
“Queerbaiting or Empowerment? K-pop RPS and Bigepeo” (in person)
Mike Walker (Savannah College of Art and Design)
“A Choreography of Worlds: Virtual Places, Fantastic Spaces, and Movement in K-pop Music Videos”
11:00-11:50am // Artist Performance & Talk
Yoona Kim,
12:00-1:00pm // Roundtable: Pungmulnori/Samulnori’s Role in Building and Giving Voice to Communities
With a performance featuring: Sinaboro (University of Michigan Samulnori Troupe), Gina Choi, Byoung Sug Kim, Donna Kwon, Sebastian Wang
7:00-8:30pm // Performance (Britton Recital Hall, Earl V. Moore Building, 1100 Baits Dr.)
A Kaleidoscope of Sound: Korean Traditions and Collaborations
Guidelines for Submission
Short Abstract: A short abstract for each paper/presentation (no more than 250 words) should be included.
Participant format: In-person or Virtual
Submission Deadline: Monday, August 1, 2023 11:59 EST.
Questions: Questions may be directed to koreanmusic@umich.edu Note that submissions will not be accepted at this address.
Please note: We will only accept a limited number of in-person presenters.
