Photos from Korea

I've not had a lot of luck adding photos I took to previous posts. They just don't end up where I'm trying to put them. Until I figure it out, please go to the Shutterfly site I set up for the Sejong group photos. Several participants from the trip posted photos, so there is plenty to view. My album is the last one at the bottom!

http://sejongkoreatrip2009.shutterfly.com/

Lotte World!!!

Thursday, White Plains

I'm home again after a very long day yesterday, that included the last sightseeing and the flight home.

Wednesday morning we checked out of the hotel. We drove past the 1988 Olympic Village, and I had a chance to see (at least in passing) the stadiums that were used for those games. We drove to the Lotte complex, a huge set of connected buildings, including a convention hotel, shopping mall, theater, and indoor/outdoor amusement park. I met two of my Wind Symphony students, Julie Kyung and Jong-Seo Youn, at the park and we had a great time there for the day.

Lotte World's indoor section is like a huge arena with several floors with rides, games, restaurants, and an icerink. A bridge over the street connects the indoor section with an island in an adjacent lake, with more outdoor rides built around a central castle, which looked suspiciously like Cinderella's castle at Magic Kingdom/Disneyworld. In fact, a lot of Lotte World reflected the Disney influcence: shows, mascot (a raccoon -- lots of children wear raccoon ears in the park; the connection is obvious), uniforms, "Cast Only" signs on doors, even the monorail that connects the indoor and outdoor sections of the park looks like Disney.

After the morning and afternoon at Lotte World, we said goodbyes to half the group, who were staying on with friends and relatives in Seoul, and made our way to Incheon Airport for the 14 hour ride home. I reset my watch for Eastern Daylight time before boarding and that helped a great deal with the time change on the way back.

This trip has had a major impact on my life. It wasn't just a sightseeing trip. It wasn't even simply a cultural exchange. In many ways, it was a diplomacy trip, to bring America and Korea closer together by making connections on a very personal level. It was very exciting and emotional for me, especially in Buson at the orphanage where I rehearsed and performed with their orchestra. I saw beautiful mountains, waterfalls, and coastlines. It was exciting for all of us to see the adoptees who traveled with us as they explored the country of their heritage. Three adoptees had life-changing experiences: one saw her mother for the first time in many, many years, and two met their birth mothers for the first time. We were all moved by these events.

As I unpack and settle back in, I'll download photos and add them to the previous postings.

My thanks go to Hyae Kyung Jo for leading this trip, to Julia Park for inviting me, and to Grace Park and Karen Mok for making me feel so welcome all along the way.

Sokcho, Temple stay, Nanta

Tuesday, Seoul
The last two days have been very different in many ways: exciting &
disappointing being the extremes.
On Monday, before we checked out of the beautiful Hotel Kensington, we
took a cablecar to the top of Seolak Mountain - incredible views of
the area.
Next we drove to NakSan Sah Temple, where we were scheduled for an
overnight temple stay. Dinner was eaten with a monk and the rigors of
the decorum of the meal were very intense. We got up at 3:30 am and
attended the Buddhist prayer service before breakfast. It was a very
disappointing experience however because our monk guide preferred to
talk about himself more than the temple. Our group leaders were not
happy.
Now I am back in Seoul at the Palace Hotel. We went shopping, had a
wonderful Western dinner, and saw the musical, Nanta.
Tomorrow I go to Lotte World before flying home.

Mountains, churches and temples

Monday morning, Sakcho
Yesterday we drove from early morning at 6:00 am all the way to Sakcho to attend a church service at Galilee Church, where we were welcomed warmly, and lunch was served after the service. In the afternoon we toured a museum dedicated to Korean history, in particular the lives of the north Korean refugees who found themselves displaced and unable to return home after the divison of the 38th parallel was made. It was a sobering experience as Karen Mok explained to me how some members of her family were divided at the time. During the reunionification push several years ago, she was able to visit with that part of the family, but now that door is closed and she does not know if she will ever see or hear from them again. The visit concluded with a drum/dance troup performance. The performers wore costumes which included headdresses with long wires with streamers attached. As the music developed, the performers moved their heads to swing the streamers, resulting in some beautiful patterns.
Last night we stayed in the beautiful Kensington Stars Hotel in Sakcho (I think I minamed the town earlier), at the foot of beautiful cloud-capped mountains. We had some free time last evening and it was great to relax a bit in the midst of this aggressive touring schedule. This morning we will take a cable car to the top of one of the mountains -- I am very excited to see this panaoramic view.
Tonight we go to a Buddhist temple/youth hostel, where we will stay the night. Sleeping on the floor, up at 3:30 am for a prayer service -- this should be interesting.
No photos yet as I am still searching for a computer which will accept my camera downloads!

Buson Orchestra Concert and more

Saturday evening
We flew back to the mainland from Jeju Island yesterday, arriving in Buson. We drove to the Catholic Boys and Girls Orphanage there, where I was scheduled to rehearse and perform with their boys' orchestra. I had no idea what I was to conduct (sight-reading a score is every conductor's nightmare) and didn't have high hopes for the experience because the orchestra does not have a director or music teacher of any kind -- the boys practice on their own. Apparently they had no high hopes for this American who was coming to spend less than an hour in rehearsal with them, then attempt to conduct one work on their concert that evening. We were both dead wrong.
What I experienced in Buson is what every musician hopes for: an exciting and heartfelt experience, where the musical communication transcends language barriers. From their folder, I chose the von Suppe, Light Cavalry Overture, for which I had a pedestrian knowledge. We rehearsed for about 50 minutes, and in that time I was completely impressed with their musicianship, technique, and intonation, and they gave me their full attention and superior effort. The resulting performance brought the audience to their feet, and afterwards Mother Superior invited me to return to work with the orchestra again at some time in the future. The group played on the level of an all-state orchestra -- it was simply amazing. And I was so happy to hear that the nuns in charge remarked about a clear difference in their performance after our rehearsal. The boys crowded around for photos and handshakes afterwards, and it was very difficult to leave these orphans, who clearly have a healthy balance of academics and co-curricular activities in their lives, as well as an extraordinary and positive self-image. The remainder of the program included traditional Korean dances performed by the girls' and children's dance ensembles, and a performance by the girls' drum ensemble. It was a phenomenal performance, on any standard.
We have photos and video, but the computer in the hotel is accepting neither from our cameras. Those will have to wait til I return. It was a pivotal musical and emotional experience I will remember the rest of my life.
Today (Saturday) was busy and exhausting. We were up and out of the hotel by 8:00 am. We had an early morning walk around an island park in Buson with beautiful views of the harbor (and you can see Japan in the distance!), and had a quick visit at the Shinsaegae Department Store, recently named the largest department store in the world by the Guinness World Record team. From there we traveled to Gyeongju, the capital of the Shilla Dynasty for about 1000 years. There we toured the Cheomseongdae Observatory (7th century stone structure), the Gyeongju National Museum, the Seokguram Grotto (6th century Buddhist temple) and Bulguksa Temple (6th century temple and surrounding buildings; although most of the wooden buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries, the stone bridges, stairways and pagodas are original).
We then drove to Daegu, where we checked in for the night. Tomorrow we must be up and out of the hotel at 6:00 am to drive to Sokcho in time for a church service at 11:00 am!

Treasures of Jeju

Thursday evening
Today was our last full day to spend here on Jeju Island. I took 200+ photos, but uploading them will have to wait until I have PC access.
Wednesday update:

• Gyulimsung Cliffs - We saw these Wednesday when we arrived. These beautiful lava cliffs seem to rise out of the sea, and are truly beautiful.
• Mystery Backward Road - This odd little section of road has an optical illusion. Although the road seems to appear to go downward, when the bus driver put the bus in neutral, we drifted backward and up the hill. Completely random, completely odd.
• The island is referred to as the Special Independent Province of Korea, and seems to have an autonomy in various areas, one of them being education. We met with the Education Superintendent yesterday, and saw a presentation on Jeju Island's plan to become a truly International City. Because it is centrally located in northeast Asia, the plan calls for the development of English as the official language, learning centers sponsored by an international circle of universities, and a growing economic community, brining conventions and festivals to the island. It seemed that this is a very ambitious program, but one which they are apparently purusing with great fervor.
• Hongik Children's Home - This orphanage greeted us with their yodeling choir of about 18 singers, ages 5-10. Their costumes were adorable, and their sound was amazing (two parts, incredible intonation, astounding yodeling). I had to say I got a lump in my throat hearing these children. They have a very aggressive and successful adoption program, and they have been moving forward to re-direct adoptions here in Korea, rather than abroad.

Thursday:

• Hallim Park - This beautiful park highlighted the tropical nature of this island, and had several sections including a series of caves, a water garden, a bonsai garden, and a bird zoo. I saw cockatoos and other tropical birds, plus several other species, including white peacocks and ostriches. I must say that the ostriches were quite intimidating; I didn't get too close!
• Mt. Sanbangsan rises straight up adjacent to the sea on the Youmeori coast. We climbed one-third of the way up (442 steps, yes I counted!) to a natural grotto, where a Buddha watches over a small shrine. The natural spring there is said to extend the lives of all who drink the water.
• The Hyatt here is beautiful. The grounds include an outdoor pool adjacent to the sea, a wedding chapel, and beautiful gardens which connect the various sections of the complex. It is one of several hotels along the southern coast of the island, making up a substantial resort area.

Tomorrow: Flight back to Buson, clinic rehearsal with Buson Boys' Home Orchestra

To Jeju Island

Thursday morning
I have just a few minutes before we depart for the day -- I got locked out of internet access since leaving Seoul, so I'm in the Hyatt business center for just a few minutes.
We flew to Jeju Island yesterday and were received by the Provincial Government Education Superintendent. We toured the famed Dragon Rock and beautiful lava cliffs along the sea -- I got great photos. Today is more touring throughout this Hawaii-like island before returning to the Hyatt this evening.
The Korean people are so inviting, so hospitable. They are eager for everyone to see their country and appreciate their culture. It's been a truly eye-opening experience.
More later when there's time (and hopefully a WiFi connection!)

Did I mention that it's monsoon season?

Weather.com predicted 100% chance of rain today and they were
(unfortunately) correct. Crocs were definitely the best choice for
this trip. The rain was steady and heavy, and forced the cancellation
of several activities, including the tour of the royal palace and
sufficient time to explore the Korea House, a replica of a 14th
century estate house and gardens.
So, instead we moved forward with as much of the itinerary as we
could. We met this morning with the principal of the host school,
Seoul Foreign Language School, then toured the facility. The culture
here fuels academic competition to a fierce degree. All students
declare a primary foreign language (English, French, German, Chinese,
and Japanese), and also elect a second language to study. A third
language is randomly selected as well. Students in this private school
attend classes from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Students eat dinner for an
hour and then study from 6:00-10:00 pm in assigned areas of the
school. To further encourage preparation and study, students are
assigned to study areas in three groups by academic standing. The
majority of students study in classrooms. Students ranked 26-50 are
seated by standing at study carrels with upgraded seats and lighting
in a special room of the library. Students ranked 1-25 are seated in a
premium section of the library, with special ergonomic chairs, larger
carrels, and lockable storage at each seat. All seats are numbered,
and so all students are keenly aware of their standing at all times.
Classes are held Monday through Friday, plus Monday through Saturday
every other week for a total of 220 school days per year. Maybe
"fierce academic competition" is does not adequately describe the
atmosphere! The extra-curricular activities are reserved for the week
following exams, when student rehearse and practice to present a
Festival. The schedule during that week is different - practice
replaces study in the evenings, but end at 11:00 pm. The pace and
demands put on students is (by my standards) beyond imagination, but
the students seem to take it in stride.
We spent the latter part of the morning at a Korean Culinary
Institute, where we learned to make scallion pancakes and a marinated
beef dish. The afternoon was spent at the Korea House, where we dodged
the rain and learned to make Korean rice paper wedding boxes.
Lastly, On last evening's activities: our hosts took us to see the
World Cup soccer stadium and gardens, a Korean produce market, and an
area best described as a Greenwich Village-type neighborhood, with
narrow winding streets, cafes karaoke lounges, and restaurants.
Tomorrow: Jeju Island, the Hawaii of Korea.

Kim Chi, Showers, and Shoes

This is a photo taken at dinner this evening. From left to right, clockwise: Mrs. Kim (my home-stay host), her mother, James, Michael, and me. This is my third meal here, and I'm getting used to the kim chee (well, a little bit!).
So I am definitely learning a lot here. First, you always remove your shoes when you enter a Korean home. Since we're living in the fourth floor apartment above Mrs. Kim's pre-school, I leave my shoes at the front door, then wear "welcome" slippers to climb the steps, then leaves those slippers outside the apartment door when I enter. And of course, you reverse the process as you exit.
Korean showers are also very different. The bathroom has a shower drain in the middle of the floor. The bathtub has a removable hand-held shower heard, but the shower curtain does not extend into the tub -- the water goes everywhere, including the floor, where it drains away. You just have to be careful when you exit the tub, because the floor is wet!
Today's expedition took us to Korea University, where we had a meeting with the president of the school, and I had the pleasure of exchanging business cards with him. After lunch in the university cafeteria, we visited an elementary school that is connected to the National School of Education, where new teachers are trained. It was a very progressive and beautiful school.
The flood waters of the Han Gang River receded today, revealing parks, bicycle/running paths, basketball courts, and more in parks along the banks. May residents were enjoying the respite from the rains.
Tomorrow we will tour our host school, the Seoul Foreign Language School.

First day in Seoul

After a brief orientation at the airport we were bused to the Korean
Cultural Center for a traditional Korean brunch and a Welcome Concert.
The program featured traditional Korean music and instruments,
including a two-string violin. I also met my home-stay host family at
this time. Following the concert we traveled into Seoul proper, to the
Seoul Foreign Language. School, which coordinated the home stay family
contacts. I am staying with the Kim Family.
Mr. Kim is a banker and Mrs. Kim owns and runs a day care/Kindergarten
school. The school takes up the first three floors of their residence
and they live with their son on the fourth floor.
The Kims took us to a traditional Korean restaurant for lunch, then
took us shopping in on of the large shopping malls in the market
district. From there they took us to the tallest building in Seoul,
where we toured the aquarium, saw an Imax feature, and went up to the
63rd story observatory and art gallery. This is the monsoon season and
the downpours today accounted for 10% of Seoul's annual rainfall. And
so, because of the rain and fog, we could see nothing from the 63rd
floor!
We had dinner at a traditional Korean barbeque restaurant and then
drove to the Kim's home. My housemates, Michael and James, and I
presented Mr. and Mrs. Kim with hostess gifts and said good night!
Sound like a long day? It was!!!

The passage to Seoul

I met my group at Terminal 4 at JFK - a huge an apparently recent
addition - and we departed on time. I had never heard of Asiana
Airlines before, but they are presumably partners with United. The
service and food has been excellent.
I am currently directly over Sarah Palin (a distinction I am not apt
to claim happily, or often) as our flight path has taken us north over
the Hudson Bay and northern Canada, and across Alaska. We will soon be
over the Aleutians & northeastern Russia, I believe.
We are due to arrive at 4:00 am. I reset my watch to Seoul time before
departing, so it's now midnite again for me. I've learned - though I
haven't traveled through many time zones or often - that I do best to
start thinking in the new time zone way before I leave. Maybe I'm odd
that way!
I'm typing this at 35,000 ft but won't be able to send it until we
land. Our group leader, Hyaekyung, tells me it will be easy to find Wi-
fi connections.

Sent from my iPod. Have a great day!

The bags are packed!

Packing for 2 weeks in one suitcase is a challenge. It's especially so when you're not expecting laundry facilities and the weather outlook is hot, rainy, and humid! 

In any case, I think I'm all set. This will be a great adventure, especially because I'm going to be documenting it here -- at least I hope to, as long as I can find Wi-Fi hotspots along the way!

I have my Canon 20D ready to go, with enough memory cards to take about 1600 photos. That should be enough for the photos of the rides at Lotte World, but what about the rest of the trip?!?!

Thank you again to all the families who helped to underwrite this trip. It's going to be an amazing experience, and I will be eager to share the trip with all of you when I return.

Getting ready for the Korea trip

As many of you know, Sejong Korean American Cultural Empowerment, Inc. has invited me to travel with them to Korea this summer. I am grateful to the Bergen County Korean Parents Association and the forty-seven Northern Valley-Old Tappan families who donated funds to underwrite my trip. It will be an exciting and important expedition, that is for sure.
Our itinerary includes an opportunity for me to conduct a boys' school orchestra, in addition to many sight-seeing adventures. I will use this blog to update my trip during my travels, July 10-22, 2009. I will send more specific itinerary details to my students who are expecting to be studying in Korea this summer, in the hopes that we might be able to meet while I am there.
In the meantime, thank you again for this opportunity, and I look forward to using this blog to document my journey.

In like a Lion, out like a Freight Train

March was an incredibly busy month: the NVOT production of Man of La Mancha, the Serenade Concert with Westchester Symphonic Winds (my idea to help make this crunch period easier, mind you!), the Prism Concert at NVOT, and the Disney Music Festival trip with 136 participants.
I'm not complaining, mind you -- I'm grateful! I'm happy for the opportunity to have so many great experiences, and work with so many talented and dedicated people. Sometimes, it just all funnels into a narrow time period.
I learned several things in the past month:

• It is good to innovate. The Serenade Concert was a new idea. It was a challenge for the players involved. It was also a challenge for the players who did not play, as patience was required on their part until we met again as a full ensemble. We experimented with a different audience base and a different venue. From what we learned we will be able to make good decisions about next year. And the players involved had a vibrant musical experience.
  
• It is good to invite others to play in your sandbox. I reached out to some wonderful professionals who came to work in sectionals with my students in the String Ensemble and Wind Symphony. They really made a difference as we prepared for the Prism Concert and Disney Festival. Tom McCauley did a clinic rehearsal with the Wind Symphony and Paul Hostetter came to NVOT to work with the String Ensemble. Both had tremendously positive effects on these groups.
• We learn more from our failures than our successes. The Wind Symphony missed a Superior rating at Disney by 2 points. It was clearly disappointing to everyone. But missing this mark provided an opportunity to really analyze what we are doing well and what our shortcomings are. In class the following weeks, I listed several of the caption headings mentioned in the adjudication review. For each one (Tone, Intonation, Phrasing, etc.), we listed characteristics that truly supported our Excellent rating, and suggestions for what we must do to be judged as a Superior ensemble. I sent the resulting list to all the members, and asked them to download, print, and keep the list in their folder. It was enlightening and thought-provoking.

Who knows what the April showers will bring!

I'm a link in the chain

I've just had the best rehearsal I can remember in a long time. It was a rehearsal with my NVOT Wind Symphony, coming at a point in the year when I am just about as over-booked, over-tired, and over-used as one can be. Our production of Man of La Mancha opens with a preview matinee tomorrow, I'm in the middle of a rehearsal cycle with the Westchester Symphonic Winds, marching season and registration looms, I'm aching from going to the gym for the first time in weeks, and it's tax season. How much can one take?!?!
But the truth of this is that I owe a great deal of my excitement and rehearsal productivity to two fine conductors at Montclair State University -- Dr. Tom McCauley and Paul Hostetter. Tom rehearsed the Wind Symphony in a clinic on February 12 during the MSU Band Festival, and Paul rehearsed my String Ensemble yesterday, on the first day after our winter break. Both rehearsals pushed my stduents' creative and musical capabilities, as well as my own. I came away with new ideas and new inspirations to work new angles in pursuit of better intonation, more creative excitement, and higher personal goals. I know these ideas will also lend themselves to my Concert Band and Westchester Symphonic Winds rehearsals -- in the end so many people benefit from just a small amount of time spent in these inspiring clinics.
This has come about only because I willingly put myself on the line. It is not a comfortable moment when you invite a respected conductor to stand before your group. It leaves me feeling open and vulnerable. But I've learned over the years -- first from attending and running conducting symposia, and later from taking my NVOT ensembles to adjudication festivals/clinics -- that "nothing ventured, nothing gained" is a fundamental to moving yourself forward.
The best part is not knowing what good I have done to inspire that one student in the ensemble who is now juiced because of this. Even if this happens with just one student each day, the possible effect is magnificent.

What makes a good rehearsal?

I had an excellent rehearsal on Monday night, with the Mozart ensemble from Westchester Symphonic Winds. I think it's worth considering why it was so good.

1. The players came eager to play and well prepared. The eight members of this group are obviously enjoying this timeless music, the Serenade in C minor. There is a great personal rapport among them, and a great deal of personal and musical respect as well. The pride in their efforts extends to their personal preparation since the last rehearsal two weeks ago.
2. We are fortunate to have a beautiful and acoustically sound venue in which to rehearse and perform. If you've never been to Tarrytown Music Hall, you really need to go to www.tarrytownmusichall.org, pick a concert, and go. This beautiful hall will celebrate it's 125th anniversary next year, with good reason. The acoustics are marvelous. The hall was saved from the wrecker's ball in 1980 and is lovingly cared for by Karina Ringeisen and Björn Olsson, and the Friends of the Mozartina Conservatory. So I think the players are rightly excited to play there.
3. The rehearsal was a collaborative affair. Yes, as conductor, I have my critical opinions about the direction we are taking with the work, but I also let the players contribute. I added several crescendi where there were none in the parts, and after asking the players to add them, and playing the section, I asked, "What do you think of that? I want you to agree with me, or it's not worth doing." I remember a lot of rehearsals growing up in the 70's and 80's with "tyrant" conductors, and the thing that the experiences taught me was that the methodology only works to a point. If the players don't believe in the musical ideas, they won't work in performance.
4. At one point in rehearsal, my principal bassoonist asked about the tempo of the Trio in the Minuet movement: "Don't you think it's dragging?" She was right - although I'd made the decision that I wanted the Trio to be slightly slower and more relaxed than the Minuet, I had not communicated that well. Whether non-verbally or spoken, I had not defined this section as having that slightly relaxed tempo, and the section suffered for it. I was happy that she brought this up, pleased that redoing the section yielded the results I wanted, but most of all, I felt relieved to admit my omission. Although I try to prepare my scores to the best of my ability, I had missed the detail of showing this finesse of tempo, and I was grateful that it was not lost on my players.
5. I had goals for the rehearsal, and I accomplished almost all of them. No rehearsal is perfect, but a rehearsal without goals is bound to be a waste of time. The players were motivated at the end of rehearsal, and several have emailed me in the time since to ask about sectionals before the next rehearsal, to make it even better. Their enthusiasm makes me more excited, and that in turn sends the energy back to the group. We're all a part of this "chain of inspiration," and I think this is critical to making all ensembles work at capacity.

I am so happy to be working with the WSW, and at this point in my life it's a critical link between my past and my future. More on that later.

In the meantime - Have a great rehearsal!

Starting out

Of course we all know that "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step," but writing the first blog entry seems to be a challenge. At this point in my career, there is so much I'd like to say and share. It's difficult to narrow it down to what I feel is most important as a starting point.
So I'll reflect for a moment on the past week.
I was very fortunate to take my NVOT Wind Symphony to Montclair State University on Friday to perform for Dr. Tom McCauley's band festival. Like 2008, the day served as a benchmark for my students' progress on our current repertoire. With only 5 weeks into the rehearsal cycle, bringing three works to performance level was a challenge. We performed John Philip Sousa's Gallant Seventh March, Travis Cross's arrangement of Be Thou My Vision, and Alfred Reed's The Hounds of Spring. Tom's clinic was excellent -- he touched on many topics of intonation, tone, and musicianship that the players needed to hear, and about which I needed to be reminded. His schedule for the day also included an opportunity for us to hear one other band (New Paltz High School Wind Ensemble), attend master classes with MSU faculty and students, and hear both the MSU Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony. We arrived back at NVOT with enought time to reflect on the day for a few moments before the Winter Break began.
Even after 27 years of teaching, I have to say I am excited by opportunities like this. For a long time, I've thought that it's a wonderful thing to be able to share ideas with other professionals, and cull ideas from the best teachers and colleagues to incorporate in my own work. I've been so fortuante to work with some of our country's best teachers. Hopefully I will be able to continue this ideology as long as I conduct, teach, and play.
After the festival, on the way home, I thought about the ideas shared, and how fortunate I am to be one link in an artistic chain of inspiration. The many human connections that brought me to the day, the experiences that I gained from the day, and the inspired growth that will be outcome of the day are all points of the connection in this chain of inpiration. I know that I will want to comment on and discuss this concept more in the future.