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Korea's 'Casual Classics' Continues to Nurture the Future By ANDREW THOMAS
It might seem to be "carrying coals to Newcastle" for members of the Juilliard faculty to go to a music festival of mostly Korean teenagers. After all, Juilliard's Pre-College Division is made up of 60 percent U.S. citizens and 40 percent foreign nationals—and 75 percent of the latter are Korean. Why travel halfway around the globe to foster what is already a "musical establishment?" On the surface, it might simply appear to be a way to develop teaching studios by searching out the best students—but it is a far more ambitious endeavor.Derek Mithaug, director of career development, reported in The Juilliard Journal in March 2002 about the creation of a music camp staffed by renowned Korean musical professionals and some of Juilliard's own faculty members—Stephen Clapp, Martin Canin, André Emelianoff, and Daniel Ferro. The "Casual Classics" music camp and festival was the brainchild of Jeehyun Kim of Myunggi College, who wanted to create an opportunity for some of Korea's most talented young musicians to connect with Juilliard faculty members. Together, she and Derek made the necessary bi-continental arrangements. In that first session, as well as this more recent one, Derek led the U.S. contingent.
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| "Casual Classics" director Jeehyun Kim (fourth from left) posed with participating Juilliard faculty members Oxana Yablonskaya, André Emelianoff, Catherine Cho, Andrew Thomas, Martin Canin, Robert McDonald, and Derek Mithaug. (Photo by Howard Kessler) |
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The first festival/camp was held on the first week of January 2002 at Myunggi College, with simple guest housing and facilities. This year, the second festival/camp was held from August 10 through 15 in a more lavish locale: in Muju, North Cholla Province, a ski resort that hosted the Universiade 97 winter games and now has a bid for the Winter Olympics in 2014. Muju is in the Togyu-san National Park, about three hours from Seoul, but three-quarters away around the world in appearance. The resort's architects designed the buildings to look like the Tyrolean Alps, typified by our world-class accommodations at the Hotel Tirol. It was a bit unnerving to know that we were all facing the exotic East while looking exotically German.This time, the Juilliard teaching faculty included André Emelianoff (cello); Martin Canin, Robert McDonald, and Oxana Yablonskya (piano); and Catherine Cho (violin). I taught composition, theory, and piano, while Derek held seminars in career development. We were joined by Korean musician/teachers who included cellists Lee Sook Jung, Kim Sung Hyun, and Park Kyun Ok; pianists Kim Dae Jin (D.M.A. '91), Kim Ji Hyun, Kim One Jin, Kim Rae Da, Kim Seung Hee (M.M. '94), and Son Eun Soo (a former student of Oxana's); and violinists Lee Bo Yun and Lee Kyung Sun.Jeehyun Kim, our administrator, supplied a staff of facilitators and interpreters who kept the students and teachers interacting smoothly on a schedule of 40-minute classes and 10-minute breaks. The 100 students included three Pre-College students: pianist Sarah Ha, cellist Sung-Chan Chang, and violinist Chang Ho Lim. In addition, parents accompanied many of the students.The young musicians attended individual classes, seminars, master classes, and group recitals in addition to sharing meals. These East-West, student-teacher interactions produced small revelations about our differing cultures. The Western teachers had to deal with students who obediently did what they were told, without examining the reasons behind their instruction. These students were encouraged to understand things—and that, together with technique, the "reasons why" suggested a clearer path towards musical artistry.Teachers and students discovered that something in Western music appears to move people from most cultural backgrounds. The pursuit of excellence in performing this wonderful music brings disparate peoples together to teach, learn, and share. Accolades are due the Korean teachers who prepare their students with such marvelous technical foundations. Instruction in solfège, theory, and the special ensemble demands of chamber music will help these students achieve their artistic goals.So why travel so far to listen to these students? A few—a very few—grow from playing their instruments to please parents and teachers, to desiring and inhabiting the music for its own sake. These students, the ones who can truly be coached into understanding and performing the "drama" of the written score, are the rare and unique voices that the Juilliard faculty listens for.
My personal experience was exciting and moving: The four students under my instruction created and performed their first opus on a "First Time Composers Concert." These motivated students devoured their classes, overcoming their self-consciousness and fear of doing something so "public" for the first time. Miraculously, they each produced a unique and intensely personal, four- to five-minute composition. Their need to create and explore their own voices was stronger than their need to suit others, and they joyously surprised themselves and the audience at their debut composition concert. These young people grew musically a great deal within a short period of time.From the Hotel Tirol to our own front doors was just about 24 hours. There was no question that our visit and our contributions were worth the trip, and that we at Juilliard made a positive impact. Andrew Thomas is director of the Pre-College Division.
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