“Superband” is a reality survival show broadcasted in 2019, where 121 indie musicians, from street performers to classical musicians were invited. Such musicians were required to perform in teams and compete with each other, leading some groups to be eliminated. After the elimination process, the winning groups gained the chance to debut.
During every mission, participants formed a group and practiced for their performance that would be assessed by the judges. They usually performed covers of existing songs without any limits in genre.
The show was a new paradigm in the field of band music because it proved that a variety of genres, including classical music and ballad, were able tobe arranged as band music. Moreover, the fresh combination of classical and band instruments triggered the interests of individuals who were thirsty of quality music.
To give an example, Hong Jin- ho, a member of the winning team Hoppipolla, previously worked as a professional cellist who was famous for his delicate expression and sufficient sensibility, as well as his high educational background in classical music.
He signed up for “Superband” with the simple desire to promote cello to a wider public and introduce the beauty of the instrument that can create harmony with the ability to produce a sound that captures the advantages of contrabass and violin.
Shin Yechan, currently a member of band LUCY, was a university student who was majoring in violin but decided to withdraw due to personal issuesregarding lack of interest in classical music and some mental difficulties in enduring the restrictions towards musicians in his field. Then, he decided to join his friends who regularly performed as a street busking team,naturally gaining interest towards band music.
He now creates performances that introduces classical music to the public in a friendly manner through the collaboration with band instruments; in August, he performed Vivaldi The Four Seasons “Summer” third movement as an introduction to LUCY’s concert along with his team members who play the bass, guitar, and drum. He continues his efforts towards breaking down the prejudices towards violin and show how the sound of the violin can make music much diverse.
As shown through the examples of Hong Jin Ho and Shin Yechan, “Superband” created a path for musicians to freely express their musical ideas.
Some well-known performances from the survival show include, Viva La Vida by Coldplay, performed by Ha Hyun Sang, Hong Jin-ho, and ShinYechan. The audience were shocked when the performance was broadcasted since it was somewhat unusual for classical instruments to collaboratewith a guitar and play a well-known pop song.
Other than the collaboration between classical music and contemporary music, the utilization of ambience sounds was another way “superband” appealed to the audience’s emotions.
Another performance that the audience remembered the most is “Snooze,” by band LUCY. “Snooze” is a song that the team members created by themselves, which made use of a wide range of ambience sounds of the Seoul City, such as noises of complicated roads, alarms, and the sound of the bus. The song portrays the mental state of modern people who are afraid to grow up and are overwhelmed with the tasks in front of them. Through the music, LUCY tries to sympathize with the audience by sending a message that they hope people could be comfortable at least when they are sleeping.
With the popularity of “Superband,” South Korea’s music industry now consists of diverse fandoms and musicians interested in breaking the borders of each genre of music and creating fresh new genre of its own.