KOREA S MUSIC ON THE MOVE: FROM ARIRANG TO K-POP Mini-Course Curriculum
Korea s Music on the Move: From Arirang to K-pop GRADE LEVEL: 9-12 SUBJECT: Global History, Music TIME REQUIRED: One or two class sessions COURSE OVERVIEW This course explores traditional Korean music and its notable musical instruments as well as the wildly popular contemporary K-pop genre and helps students develop an understanding of the evolution of music as an important aspect of Korean culture. The course consists of two lessons: Lesson #1: Korea s Traditional Sounds Lesson #2: Korea s Pop Culture in Music In lesson one, students will explore how Korea has cultivated an impressive collection of musical instruments in its history, each with a unique voice expressing the nation s personality. In addition, Arirang is Korea s most representative and popular folk song, having been sung in one version or another, and morphing based on region, for over 600 years. Students will research and present various traditional instruments, and they will listen to Arirang in several iterations, as well as discovering the song s themes through a lyrical analysis. Lesson two explores K-pop, an abbreviation for Korean pop music, a musical genre comprised of hip-hop, pop, dance, rock, and R&B. Korean popular culture today serves as a major driver of youth culture all across the Pacific Rim. Students will read and discuss articles about the rise of K-pop and watch music videos from popular K-pop sites in order to situate Korean music into their cultural understanding. OBJECTIVES 1. Develop a familiarity with the array of musical instruments of Korea: percussion, string, and wind. 2. Trace the cultural significance of Arirang into the contemporary times. 3. Explain the facets of K-pop, and understand its worldwide reach. 4. Analyze Korea as a top producer of contemporary music in the Asia-Pacific region.
Course Curriculum Overview DISCUSSION 1. How has Korea s traditional music shaped its cultural landscape? 2. Why do you think the Arirang song is so enduring to the Korean people? 3. What is the scope of the influence of K-pop on Korea? On the Pacific Rim? On the United States? Worldwide? 4. Why is K-pop such a sensation? 5. Can traditional music and popular culture exist together in the Korea of the twenty-first century? EXERCISES & ASSIGNMENTS Reading Comprehension Students should be assigned, at the teacher s discretion, selections from the recommended course readings listed below. Brief individual written responses to the readings should be incorporated into class discussion. Interpreting Visual Culture Students will watch and take notes on videos depicting traditional and contemporary Korean music with group discussion based on subject matter. Listening and Note-taking Students will listen to an NPR podcast, take notes, and discover the cultural significance of the K-pop craze. Writing Students will write a short (3-4 page) paper synthesizing their knowledge about Korean music, including any outside research, and making a clear, concise argument. For example, a student might choose to argue that traditional Korean music and K-pop can live in harmony in the modern world based on viewings, readings, and research. EVALUATION Students should be evaluated on an ongoing basis, with grading determined by students cooperation, attitude, and participation; by the mechanics and organization of the written assignments; and by their overall understanding of the complexity of the subject matter. An essay assignment might be designed as follows: 2
Course Curriculum Overview Write a well-organized, 3-4 page essay, on Korean music that includes an introduction with a thesis statement, several supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. You should quote and cite at least three (3) outside sources, only two of which may be resources outlined in class. Your essay should include the following: 1. Discuss Korea s musical history to give your essay a context. 2. Identify the affect of traditional music and instrumentation on the country s cultural landscape. 3. Analyze the K-pop boom and predict its trajectory. Your essay may make any claim, so long as you incorporate the above subjects and support your argument. RESOURCES & MATERIALS Articles & Websites: To Anyone: The Rise of Korean Wave, Pitchfork Magazine: http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8700-to-anyone-the-rise-of-korean-wave/ [includes video] A Dummy s Guide to Korean Pop, SSG Magazine: http://www.ssgmusic.com/a-dummys-guide-to-korean-pop/ [includes video] Traditional Korean Music Pages http://www.angelfire.com/alt/koreanmusic/instruments.html Link to simplified sheet music: http://cnx.org/content/m11632/latest/ Characteristics of Traditional Korean Music, ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/info_8572638_characteristics-traditional-korean-music.html Fusion Korean Traditional Music, Visit Seoul online: http://englishvisitseoul.blogspot.com/2011/02/fusion-korean-traditional-music.html Audio: K-Pop Blows Up: Korean Music Finds Fans Worldwide http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/12/24/143978344/k-pop-blows-up-korean-music-findsfans-worldwide 3
Course Curriculum Overview Video: Four videos of the traditional Korean song Arirang : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1mdbeccpx4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjfc5rmlxwi&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-out3iflzk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkm_lxucmea&feature=related 4
Lesson One Handout: Korea s Traditional Sounds Lesson Overview Korean music history can be split into three periods: ancient, medieval, and modern. Ancient music was developed as a form of worship and performed in religious rites and ceremonies. As Korean music developed, its reach grew to include the story telling of folk music and the refined classical music of the royal court. Evidence of written music can be dated back to the 1400s. Students will gain an overview of traditional Korean music in this lesson, including its traditional instruments and songs. History To understand the history of Korean music and its contemporary cultural contexts, students will read and discuss the following articles: Characteristics of Traditional Korean Music, ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/info_8572638_characteristics-traditional-korean-music.html Fusion Korean Traditional Music, Visit Seoul online: http://englishvisitseoul.blogspot.com/2011/02/fusion-korean-traditional-music.html Instruments Korea s instrumental heritage is both deep and wide; traditional instruments can be classified into three categories: strings, wind, and percussion. Students will be assigned three traditional instruments one each of string, wind, and percussion (using the website below as a jumping-off point) conduct additional research, and find videos/audio clips/photos of the instruments their group has been assigned. As a group, students will present each instrument creatively through posters, video clips, visuals, etc. Traditional Korean Music Pages http://www.angelfire.com/alt/koreanmusic/instruments.html Arirang Arirang, a Korean folk song so popular that it is sometimes considered the country s unofficial national anthem, deals with themes of arduous travel and lost love. The song exists in many iterations, depending on region, but always refers to Arirang, the name of a supposed mountain pass. Students will watch the below videos of
Lesson One Handout different renditions of Arirang and discuss, in small groups, the song s cultural reach. Link to simplified sheet music: http://cnx.org/content/m11632/latest/ Four videos of the traditional Korean song Arirang : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1mdbeccpx4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjfc5rmlxwi&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-out3iflzk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkm_lxucmea&feature=related In addition, students may analyze one version of Arirang s lyrics below: I. ARIRANG Refrain: Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo, Arirang over the Hill we go. 1st Verse: If you leave and forsake me, my own, Ere three miles you go, lame you'll have grown. 2nd Verse: Wondrous time, happy time let us delay; Till night is over, go not away. 3rd Verse: Arirang Mount is my Tear-Falling Hill, So seeking my love, I cannot stay still. 4th Verse: The brightest of stars stud the sky so blue; Deep in my bosom burns bitterest rue. 5th Verse: Man's heart is like water streaming downhill; 2
Lesson One Handout Woman's heart is well water so deep and still. 6th Verse: Young men's love is like pinecones seeming sound, But when the wind blows, they fall to the ground. 7th Verse: Birds in the morning sing simply to eat; Birds in the evening sing for love sweet. 8th Verse: When man has attained to the age of a score, The mind of a woman should be his love. 9th Verse: The trees and the flowers will bloom for aye, But the glories of youth will soon fade away. II. Miryang Arirang 1st Verse: Look on me! Look on me! Look on me! In midwinter, when you see a flower, please think of me! Chorus: Ari-arirang! Ssuri-Ssurirang! Arariga nanne! O'er Arirang Pass I long to cross today. 2nd Verse: Moonkyung Bird Pass has too many curves-- Winding up, winding down, in tears I go. 3rd Verse: Carry me, carry me, carry me and go! When flowers bloom in Hanyang, carry me and go. 3
Lesson Two Handout: Korea s Pop Culture in Music Lesson Overview This lesson explores K-pop, or Korean pop music, through videos, photos, and articles. K-pop is a genre of music birthed in the 1990s on the heels of another of Korea s popular genres, Trot. To date, K-pop is not only popular all over Asia, but it has made its way west. Its audience is worldwide and its artists have become superstars. Social media such as Facebook, itunes, Twitter and YouTube have catalyzed a major paradigm shift in the exposure and popularity of the genre. Students will read the articles and watch the videos below, and analyze the cultural significance, influences, and impact of K-pop on Korea and the rest of the world. Students will then conduct individual social media research to discover just how widespread the influence of K-pop is and write a short paper about K-pop, including a working definition of the term and K-pop s history and influences. Listen K-Pop Blows Up: Korean Music Finds Fans Worldwide http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/12/24/143978344/k-pop-blows-up-korean-music-findsfans-worldwide Read and Watch To Anyone: The Rise of Korean Wave, Pitchfork Magazine: http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8700-to-anyone-the-rise-of-korean-wave/ A Dummy s Guide to Korean Pop, SSG Magazine: http://www.ssgmusic.com/a-dummys-guide-to-korean-pop/