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Choi, Ho Jin (Gina)

University of British Columbia

There is a dearth of information regarding the history and current activity of Korean drumming (pungmul) groups in the United States and Canada. Because Korean drumming groups are scattered across the continent and operate independently from each other without much interaction or a central organizing entity, it is difficult to retrieve accurate, up-to-date information about active groups, especially as many disband only a few years after they formed due to a shortage in funding or interest. This lack of options and of information can make it difficult for those who are interested to learn and play in North America. In this thesis, I investigate six groups and organizations that are actively practicing and promoting Korean drumming in a sustained and organized manner beyond its original context in Korea, specifically in the U.S. and Canada. I profile a student-run university group, university courses offered for credit, a professional performance troupe, an artist booking agency, and a nonprofit arts organization. By interviewing individuals who have created their own opportunities to play and promote Korean music, referring to the existing literature on the history and activity of pungmul groups in the U.S., and reflecting on my own experiences with some of these groups, I hope to provide some insight into how some Korean drumming groups are started and run, what challenges they tend to face, and how we might begin to address such challenges. While the advantages and disadvantages of each type of group may differ, they are all important because they each play a different role. Ultimately, access to information may be a key factor in sustaining and growing the diasporic Korean drumming community.

Text

2024-03-27

Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/87642

Music - Ethnomusicology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/