Many would argue that music is often perceived as having a high entry barrier, as its appreciation can be initially challenging for many. However, some people believe that music can light up the world, and accordingly make consistent efforts to prove that art is easily approachable for anyone who has passion. True to this testament, Minji Shin, one of the directors of MERRY Corporation, revealed her story of creating art related contents with amateur artists.
MERRY Corporation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 to support young amateur musicians and provide opportunities to perform and flaunt their talents. Profits earned are mostly donated to charity, including funds for those with mental or physical disabilities as well as abandoned teenagers, encouraging the younger generation to actively participate in volunteerism as well.
Minji Shin graduated from Kyung Hee University’s Department of Media, with a dream of producing films and television shows that can express her creativity. The reality was unfortunately different due to theory-driven classes that lacked opportunities for students to create their own media content. At the very moment Shin was disappointed with her college life, one senior who created a group of amateur musicians suggested to her to create a documentary film of themselves performing.
“As a student who was majoring in media, I was entirely unfamiliar with classical music and instruments,” said Shin. “It was a completely new experience for me.”
Shin and her fellow amateur musicians decided to name their organization MERRY, as in giving music as a gift to our society. At the beginning, it was difficult to rent a concert hall and invite an audience to watch their shows. Therefore, they started with performing in public areas such as subway stations. They wanted to prove that music was not something that could only be enjoyed at luxurious concert halls.
MERRY was inspired by “Infinite Challenge,” a South Korean variety show that was largely unscripted and featured six television stars completing challenges that were often deemed absurd and impossible to achieve. Shin is still working to learn such challenge spirit and prove that amateurs can create music that might seem impossible in the lens of professional musicians.
In August 2023, MERRY has successfully performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at LOTTE Concert Hall. It is not common for a group of amateur artists to perform at this hall, which corresponds with Shin’s belief that nothing is impossible when people full of passion gather and create a single piece of music together.
Despite the daunting challenge of performing at a professional concert hall as an amateur organization, and enduring continuous rejections, Shin did not give up and pursued her own dreams as the director of MERRY.
Regarding the most memorable experience as a member of the organization, Shin mentioned receiving a message after their performance in a small stage near Chongshin University Station.
“The message was from a woman diagnosed with cancer, who mentioned how MERRY’s music helped her cope with severe depression,” Shin said. “I realized that our performances could actually help others.”
Shin also mentioned that it can be difficult for people from various cultural backgrounds and generations to communicate within the present South Korean community . After her years of working for MERRY, Shin understood the importance of creating a platform for anyone with common musical interest to join and realized how art can be a medium for communication across completely different individuals.
“Volunteerism and music create an opportunity for individuals to reflect on themselves and foster great selfesteem by realizing how valuable you can be,” Shin expressed. “Remember that MERRY is always open to anyone with musical interest and passion towards contributing to society.”