This week, Dahin participated in the summer camp program for kids at the National Center for Korean Traditional Arts. It lasted one week and class was two hours a day, so it wasn't really a camp, but more like a special summer class. Anyway, besides that little triviality, another is that the class was listed as a children's folk song and drumming class, but in the end it was more focused on drumming. Instead of learning basic drumming patterns, they memorized a set for the changgu (hourglass shaped drum) that is used in samulnori performance. I had signed Dahin up for the class (there were other instrument and drumming classes) because she likes to sing and she has a great little voice. So, the focus on drumming was a bit disappointing, but I think that Dahin enjoyed herself anyway. She made a friend and we ate lunch together with her mom once, also ran into each other on the city bus while on the way to class one morning. The girls exchanged emails and promise to keep in touch. We know that her mom plans to enroll her in the winter session during the winter break, so maybe Dahin will see her then if not earlier. I think, next time, I'll just let Dahin take the gayageum (12-string zither) class, which is what she really wanted to do in the first place. The classes ran from Monday to Friday, and the week culminated in a performance for the kids' families. In the video, Dahin is the second from the left. I thought she did a great job. When I went backstage after the performance, I said, "Great job!" And one of her teachers (the one on the right in the video--yes, I'm pointing fingers [really liked the other teacher, who had told me Dahin worked very hard]) said, "Yes, she did well, but I wish she had hit the drum with more energy." Whatever, Ms. Negative. I almost said, "Maybe she'd have more energy if the class were actually a folk song class like the title implied (and what Dahin was looking forward to)," but bit my tongue and said, "Well, it was her first time drumming," and reinforced to Dahin how well she did. I liked the other teacher better, anyway. She always greeted me and seemed very encouraging with the kids; not like Ms. Negative who had reminded Dahin this morning that she had forgotten her notation (we had gone back to get it 5 minutes after class ended yesterday, but some kid had taken it away in search of Dahin and another child who left their notation in the classroom-- made no sense; the teachers should have kept it or put it in the education office). We would have been able to retrieve it right away. Grrrr.
In the photo above, Dahin warms up before rehearsal. I didn't get any great stage shots because my Canon ran out of batteries, so had to use the little Olympus to shoot stills and it is just the worst camera at getting basic snap shots. I hate it, actually. But, it works for videos or when I don't want to carry the big semi-professional around.
The kids who learned the haegeum (two-string bowed lute, below) had the toughest task this week since, even after a year or two of learning the dang thing it's hard to make a decent sound. It takes years and years of work.
Dahin really wanted to do the gayageum, below, and they really had the easiest task (I think) since producing a sound on the instrument is not that hard for a beginner. They played two folk songs and sounded great.
After the performance, the kids lined up for cds of kid-style music that included folk songs and Korean-ish music--really sounds like a lot of the cds for kids I hear, but I can see that the Center is trying to appeal to that general populace through this version of traditional music.
Before heading home, Dahin took a few more bites of the bagel I got for her at the cafe (we didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning because both of us woke up late and had to be there by 9 am) and posed with her class buddy. It was raining, thundering, and lightening like crazy outside, so no one was in a hurry to get out in it. Luckily, Jack had parked in the underground garage, so we didn't get wet heading to the car.
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