ERSSU, Exciting! written by 10701 Kim Gaun

  

There are a lot of hobby clubs in SAWL, but there is the only one club that plays Korean traditional instruments such as buks (북), kkwaenggwari (꽹가리), janggu (장구), and jing (징). ERSSU has existed since SAWL was opened. The club usually performs at Sunlight concert and the school festival. When there are special oversea guests visiting the school, ERSSU performs.

 

Interview with ERSSU captain Bok Kun Woo, 2^nd grade French major:

 

Press: Introduce the instruments that ERSSU perform with.

Bok Kun Woo: We play buks which are traditional barrel drums. There are also people who play kkwaenggwari which are small hand gongs. Some members play the janggu which are hourglass-shaped drums. Finally, we play a large gong which most people know as jing.

 

Press: What was the most impressive or difficult part during the club activities?

Bok: There’s two things that I can remember. Last year we introduced to the students who attend Kaohsiung High School in Taiwan visiting our school how to play Korean traditional instruments and Korean traditional culture during our club time. It was a good experience. The next thing that remains in my memory was the collaboration performance. Korean traditional instruments have unique and strong sounds, so it was hard to harmonize the sounds with the instruments of other clubs. We practice a lot to make harmonious sound, and we overcame that hardship.

 

Press: What do you think the biggest attraction of ERSSU?

Bok: I think it is the most attractive thing to be exposed to samulnori, because there isn’t a lot of opportunities in high school for this exposure. We can experience Korean traditional culture through ERSSU activities. The next thing is the harmonious mood. We practice together for a long time, so we naturally get to know each other. There are many attractive things of ERSSU, but I think those are the biggest attractions.

 

Press: What are some tips for students who are applying to ERSSU?

Bok: The ability and experience of playing musical instruments are not that important. Most important thing is the faithfulness. Because we practice regularly, we prefer people who can participate and practice with sincerity. Next thing is sociability. We have a harmonious mood, so we prefer people who have no friction with other people and can get along well. But if they keep practicing, it won’t hurt. Our club does special activities, so I hope that students are going to apply for the club.