Chunhyang
Influenced by the Pansori style of storytelling through singing style in Korea, inspired by the popular, legendary tale of "Chunhyang," the music connects Eastern and Western cultures: Korean, Celtic and Blues. Our goal is to use this work to raise awareness about violence against women and to help in post-traumatic healing. We will specifically aim to partner with women's rights organizations and provide melodies for women recovering from violence and abuse to use with music therapists and community leaders as a part of their process of healing.
Students at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change (Photo Courtesy Katherine Dennis)
Katherine Dennis, a performer and educator at the Thurgood Marshall Academy in New York, has recently used the music from Chunhyang with her students, saying: “Music serves as an ideal entry point for students to engage in cultural conversations as it relates to their own experiences. In the wake of the #metoo movement, women are empowering themselves, speaking out, and the world is finally listening. Through working on Chunhyang, these young women have gained much more than musical skills alone. They have built confidence, developed a deeper level of compassion and understanding, heightened their sense of self awareness, and reinforced the idea that they can change the world through music.”
Students at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change (Photo Courtesy Katherine Dennis)
See our latest article for Room Magazine, Chunhyang: #Metoo in the Pentatonic Scale, by Ittai Shapira and Laureen Park.
For more, you can also view our video about how this composition addresses domestic violence and women's recovery, in response to the work of philosopher Laureen Park, also featuring Dr. Joseph LeDoux.