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YSU singers made friends, memories on S. Korea trip
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
The Dana Chorale of Youngstown State University made memories that will last a lifetime during its recent trip to South Korea.
Four faculty members and 25 students visited the nation May 8-19. They gave several performances, took in as much of the country as they could, and acted as ambassadors for YSU.
Prof. Hae-Jong Lee, director of the chorale and a native-born Korean, was the leader of the tour, which marked the first time a YSU music ensemble performed in Asia. He described the trip as “fantastic.”
“We knew there would be a tremendous response [from the hosts],” he said. “As we sang our repertoire, half of which were Korean songs, our students could see people in the audience weeping. They were amazed that a college choir from the United States could come to their country and sing their music in their language. In the three major concerts we did, we had the same reaction.”
The chorale performed at Sejong University, Seoul; Chungbuk National University, Cheongju; and Changwon National University, Changwon. It also gave informal concerts at churches and schools in Busan, Changwon and Incheon and did plenty of sightseeing.
Lee said his group got to spend time with Korean students, and shared their culture. “[The Korean students] were eager to speak English to us,” he said.
Members of the YSU delegation brought gifts that they gave to their hosts in each city as a cultural exchange. These included YSU pins, YSU T-shirts and a special South Korea concert tour T-shirt that Lee had made.
Crowds numbered in the hundreds at the university concerts, said Lee, adding that the South Koreans showed his group the finest hospitality.
While the Youngstowners were in South Korea, headlines were made daily about North Korea’s missile development and militant posturing. But despite the increased tension on the always-strained Korean peninsula, the YSU students never felt anything but appreciation.
“You don’t realize it unless you pick up a newspaper, but our kids can’t read Korean,” said Lee, who noted that the situation has been on edge in South Korea for almost 70 years, and the natives are used to it.
The YSU delegation also got to witness an unexpected historical moment. During the visit, the president of South Korea was impeached and a new one was installed. A presidential motorcade and parade with the new leader came down a main thoroughfare in Seoul while the YSU students were walking along it.
Christina Russo of Hermitage, Pa., a member of the Dana Chorale, said that despite her preparation, the trip was surprising.
“From the moment we landed in South Korea, life moved at a different pace,” she said. “People there live life differently. They take pride in everything they do. From the smallest of jobs to the largest, they are prideful people. Dr. Lee and [Dana professor] Dr. Misook Yun, both having been born and raised in South Korea, worked to create an itinerary that would be jam-packed with opportunities to completely indulge in the Korean culture, and that is what we did.”
Lee and Yun were not only tour guides, but also smoothed the interaction between chorale members and their hosts.
Still, Russo said it was the music that truly brought both cultures together, and in a way that was beyond words.
“The emotions that would run through us during the joint performances could simply be described as transcendent,” said Russo. “There was a sense of electricity running through our veins when we would join together in song as one human race and not as separate cultures with individual beliefs and standards. It was in those moments that gave me the greatest pride and joy – that I will look back on in years to come and think how blessed I was to have been given this opportunity of a lifetime.”
Russo said she enjoyed seeing the pride on the faces of Lee and Yun when their students took part in their native culture.
Jason Volovar of Poland also made the trip as a member of the Dana Chorale. He echoed many of the sentiments expressed by Lee and Russo.
“The tour exceeded our expectations,” said Volovar. “We knew it would be memorable [before we left]. Dr. Lee put so much time into this trip to assure we experienced every aspect of what South Korea had to offer, including cuisine, architecture and night life.”
In addition to the scheduled concerts, the Dana Chorale, at Lee’s urging, gave a few unexpected performances.
“There were many times when Dr. Lee would have us spontaneously break out in song, at a cafe, or on a bridge, during a presentation, in a palace or an outdoor theater,” said Volovar. “The South Koreans enjoyed every minute of it and it reminded us of why we were on this trip – to sing!”