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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Daak Breathes New Life into Korea’s Traditional MusicKorean

The Korean Creative Music Society, the creator of Daak, is headed by Kim Jung-soo, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, Chugye University for the Arts. Since its founding in 1982, the group has sought to re- Sujecheon (ancient Korean music composition) on the basis of jeongak, graceful traditional music played at the court and homes of aristocrats. Following its inaugural concert at the National Theater of Korea, on December 1, 1982, the society has produced about 100 creative musical pieces, published seven collections of musical scores, and released 12 recordings.



Korea’s Traditional Music
Daak (tea ceremony music) is a creative form of performing arts that expresses future-oriented values of a variety of Korea’s traditional music. In particular, it focuses on the significance and leisurely relaxation realized from a cup of tea, through various performances of Tea and Music, Zen Tea, Tea Dance, Zen Dance, and Tea Calligraphy, as well as installation art. In essence, Daak seeks to have traditional music become a part of the everyday life of people.
Since its first performance at Yeakdang, of the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, in November 1998, Daak has made its name known to the world through regular performances and participation in various festivals worldwide. A Daak performance was staged overseas for the first time in 2000, at the Art Gallery of Queensland, Australia, in conjunction with the Sydney Olympic Games.
When Daak was introduced at PAMS (Performing Arts Market in Seoul) Choice, in October 2005, Latitude 45 Arts Promotion Inc. of Canada, led by Barbara Scales, concluded an agreement to publicize Daak performances abroad. This marked a successful case of overseas advancement by a Korean performing arts group through the efforts of a professional marketing agency. As a result, Daak performances have been well-received at the International Congress of the ISPA (International Society for Performing Arts), held in Hong Kong in June 2006, and the CINARS (International Exchange of Performing Arts), in Canada in November 2006.
About 20 representative composers and performers, including Hwang Byung-ki, have contributed to the artistic creations of Daak thus far. From 1998 to 2008, the society has staged numerous performances of Daak, along with releasing ten Daak recordings. The recordings feature 45 creative works by Korean contributors, which enable the people of contemporary society to appreciate the ‘aesthetics of slowness,’ if only briefly. Daak is now popular among people from a wide variety of social sectors, including those who practice yoga.
Related to Daak’s celebration of its 10th anniversary in 2008, Korean Creative Music Society President Kim Jung-soo wondered whether a performance of tea ceremony and Korean dance, based on creative music, could remain competitive on the world stage. Accordingly, he called for Daak to be reborn as a form of music drama, with a story. This transformation was ultimately realized on October 9, 2008, when ‘Daak - Yearning for an Old Friend’ premiered at the Hanok Village, in Namsan, Seoul. This original work was written and directed by Professor Kim Seok-man, of the School of Drama, Korean National University of Arts, while the stage setting was designed by Professor Lee Tae-seop, of the Department of Theater, Yongin University.
The performance was attended by 2008 PAMS participants in the fields of theater and festival, including Kennedy Center Program Manager David Kim, who all highly acclaimed the artistic beauty of Daak, which dramatically expressed Korea’s traditional culture.



Spirit of Challenge
An invitation for the Korean Creative Music Society to perform in North America in 2008 was made possible thanks to its spirit of challenge. This was the fruitful result of concluding an exclusive marketing agreement for overseas performances with Latitude 45 Arts Promotion in 2005. In contrast to the experiences of other Korean groups who sought to perform overseas, Daak was recognized for its value by its marketing agent, which directly arranged Daak performances at theaters and festivals around the world.
After a 15-hour journey, we made our way to an antiquated chamber hall of the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, on the campus of Bucknell University, in Louisburg, Pennsylvania. The 19th-century architectural style, in keeping with the university’s
history of being founded in 1846, d a kind of stately campus atmosphere. The performance ‘Daak - Yearning for an Old Friend,’ featuring the traditional music of Korea and the scene of a sarangbang (outer room of a traditional-style Korean home), got underway in the heart of the United States, which is home to a variety of peoples. The audience, exposed to this aspect of Korean culture for the first time, seemed to hold their breath for 60 minutes so as to not miss a single beat of Korea’s traditional music.
Jeopbin Darye (tea ceremony for serving guests) expresses the uniqueness of a Daak presentation. For this, two guests are invited onto the stage for a cup of tea and friendly conversation. For this, two members of the family that had donated the Weis Center for the Performing Arts to Bucknell University were the invited guests. Although rather awkward to sit cross-legged on the floor, the two later mentioned that they were so fascinated by the tea server’s artistry and the care paid to preparing the tea that they simply lost track of the time. Although the girl did not understand Korean, she was fully immersed in every detail of the presentation. Moreover, I came to realize the value of holding this kind of performance at a somewhat modest venue, like this university center, where Korean culture could be appreciated by a receptive audience, rather than staging such a presentation at a grand theater.
The Korean Creative Music Society is now preparing to embark on a performance tour of Europe in 2009, for additional presentations of ‘Daak - Yearning for an Old Friend.’ This performance tour, as well, has been made possible by Latitude 45 Arts Promotion’s diligent marketing efforts. In addition to staging the performances, we also plan to organize a workshop and outreach program to make Korean culture better known to local residents. Just imagining the sounds of Korea’s creative music reverberating at venues in Europe, following our successful tour of North America, leaves me giddy with anticipation.

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