From September 20th, 2009, to October 31, 2011, I lived in Korea to study Korean traditional drumming, and to teach English. This blog is meant to share the experiences and insights I gained during my time abroad. In addition, I hope to impart small bits of knowledge about Korean culture that I think may interest those who are unfamiliar with Korea and/or it’s people.

In the winter of 2009, I was enrolled in Carlos Abril’s Multicultural Issues in Music Education course. For my final project, I studied ReFresH; a hip hop dance crew, largely comprised of Asians and Asian-Americans, at Northwestern University. As the study progressed, ReFresH members revealed their organizational aims and views of hip hop to be uncannily relevant to many of the issues that are raised when multiculturalism is implemented in a music education setting. Implications for practice are described based on these findings.

I envision my future program offering classes where students learn how to perform an instrument, write their own music, and interpret the music of others. In taking on these various musical roles, my recital was the beginning of the process to gain experience that will help me guide students in whatever ways they wish to make music.

Click the picture above to visit Senior Recital.

During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a photographer for Pick-Staiger Concert Hall and the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. This page features some of photography from Northwestern, and also included photographs of performances in Korea. The purpose of my photography is to promote support for music education programs and the arts.