Musician's notes echo homeland traditions

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Catholic Explorer) -- Dressed in a heavy robe of gold and navy blue, the musician tried to keep her balance as she slowly sank onto a matching golden floor mat emblazoned with Korean symbols meant to bring the player good luck and prosperity. Once her skirt was artfully arranged, she opened a wide black case and arranged it at her feet.

The wooden flute within was about 2 feet long and half an inch thick with a smooth sheen that attested to a lifetime of loving care from its owner. As she prepared to play, the young woman balanced the flute on her shoulder to offset the weight. Ever since she was 15 years old, the musician who now lives in Naperville, Sophia Kim, has been fascinated with the musical traditions of her homeland. It's a way to remind Korean Americans of their heritage. She sat down with the Catholic Explorer on Aug. 12 to talk about her life as a professional musician and how faith has contributes to her career. The young woman said her exposure to Korean music began in her homeland of Seoul, South Korea, after her father took her to a concert focused on court compositions. "I was fascinated by the instruments and how they blended together," she added. Traditional music was an important part of her family's household, Kim said. Starting from when she was very young, both her mother and father tried to impress upon her the importance of knowing her heritage and its roots. Both her parents, Kim said, used music to help their daughter connect with the culture. Traditional Korean music was a family favorite. Only 15 at the time of the concert, Kim said she was particularly attracted to the bamboo-made flute, called the daegeum. The instrument is primarily played during slower court compositions. "It is meant to help the listener relax and also aids in meditation," she added. According to Kim, Korean classical music can be broken into two distinct categories, folk music or sanjo and court music, also known as jeong-ak. Korean folk music, Kim added, is played for celebrations and festivals and is also used for traditional dancing. "It is very lively music," she said. However, court music is slower and more evenly paced than its' folk counterpart, said Kim. The repetitive notes and soothing rhythm, Kim added, allow listeners to easily focus on the inward experience inspired by the music itself. Kim's daegeum is a handcarved transverse flute, which demands more expertise and measured breaths than most other styles of the instruments. Kim said the daegeum is often difficult to play for extended periods due to its weight. "Korean music can often go on for an hour or more," she said with a gentle laugh. Unlike the Western concert flute, which a musician plays by pressing keys to control the airflow into the instrument, Kim said the daegeum has eight finger holes. Two of them, she added, are used to control pitch and both the mouthpiece and finger holes are covered with a thin membrane, which gives the instrument its gentle buzzing timbre. Even the sheet music for Korean pieces differs greatly from its American counterpart, said Kim. The musical notes are integrated with various symbols within the Korean alphabet, which helps to denote the appropriate qualities required for the piece. In addition to playing the daegeum, Kim said she also plays several smaller instruments, including a bamboo version of the piccolo and a hand carved recorder for folk pieces. "I also have classical training in piano, but I prefer the flute," she added. Although she has been studying Korean music since she was a teen, 32-year-old Kim said she continues to practice at least an hour a day. "I don't think I will ever stop learning about my craft," she added. In addition, Kim presents eight major performances a year, plus several side performances at local colleges, such as Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill. As a committed flautist, she said, each performance serves to refine her skills. Since 2001, Kim said she has acted as music director for the Chicago Korean Music Ensemble, a group of musicians from the Chicagoland area who play Korean music around the country. Kim said she hoped the groups' events would stir enthusiasm for Korean music and cultural traditions among Korean Americans. The city of Chicago recently began a year-long celebration of Asian culture called Silk Road Chicago. According to Dorothy Coyle, director of the Chicago Office for Cultural Affairs, the celebration of art and music is designed to foster cross-cultural understanding and serve as an example to other cities wishing to follow Chicago's lead. Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, Coyle said, the Silk Road project is an attempt to remember the real "silk road," a network of trade routes that connected East Asia to other parts of the world. At the same time, the title of the program serves to join people together. "(Yo-Yo Ma) likes to say that good things happen when strangers meet," Coyle said. Silk Road Chicago is only one of the many Asian-inspired festivals held in the city throughout the year, several of which featured Kim. Yo-Yo Ma's desire to share Asian culture with the world, Kim added, has made him one of her major musical influences. "What he is trying to do is very important," she said. In addition to running a Web site as an informational outlet for Korean music, Kim instructs a number of students in performance art on the daegeum. Another way in which Kim attempts to reach out musically is by combining her artistic talents with her faith. She regularly plays solemn selections during Mass at Our Lady of the Korean Martyrs Parish in Darien. "Many people have come up to me and thanked me for playing," she added. According to Amy Eunju Kim, music director at St. Andrew Kim Parish in Itasca, Sophia Kim's dedication and professionalism comes across in every note she plays. "I have tried to play the daegeum, so I know how hard it is to do," she added. Last year, when her parish planned to host a special Christmas Mass with Korean music, the music director said she asked Kim to take part in the celebration. In addition to performing, Amy Eunju Kim said the flautist went out of her way to reach out to the youth of the parish. "She spent time with the kids, teaching them about her instrument and Korean music." Born into the Buddhist faith, Kim said she converted to Catholicism four years ago. When she got married, she wanted to practice in the same faith as her husband, Sun-Ho. Now her faith is an important part of her life, the young woman added. "I am so thankful to God for the gift of playing music," she added. The idea of recording a CD, Kim said, remains a future goal. In the meantime, the mother of two children, 7-year-old Julie and Brandon, 3, is tuned into the rhythm of family life, which taps most of her time and attention. "I would like to wait a year and then try recording one," she added.

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This story was made available to Catholic Online by permission of the Catholic Explorer(www.catholicexplorer.com), official newspaper of the Diocese of Joliet, Ill.