By Bae Ki-eun
As more and more multi-media devices and computer programs have been developed recently, the demand for technological knowledge related to music is also soaring.
For this reason, the Graduate School of Music in Modern Media (GSMM) was founded in Ewha in 1999 for the purpose of educating students how to create and record music using cutting edge equipment. A Department of Musical Theater will be established in the near future.
The GSMM trains music recording engineers, composers, and music educators, and is composed of two departments: Music Engineering and Piano Pedagogy. Music Engineering students study three different fields of music related to mass media: recording, compositional techniques using the computer, and music used by the mass media like movies, animation, and games. Piano Pedagogy students learn about the piano? history, famous pianists, and teaching methods for piano. The GSMM faculty consists of professors who majored in these subjects and have experiences as professional engineers. Thus, students feel that education in the GSMM is like tasting reality.
Music Engineering is related to the mass media and offers students the widest variety of classes. For example, there are classes in film music, advertisement music, and music recording. Students in the film class watch movies and analyze the music they use in class. Students also produce film music for a film making group at Hong-ik University. In order to provide students with numerous practical experiences, Music Engineering major also offers an internship class to students.
To be a Piano Pedagogy major, the first reqirement is to play piano well. Classes then focus on further piano performance skills, music history, literature and piano pedagogy. Entrance exams are held once a year around November, and are open to students with any undergraduate major. However, musical knowledge is a must to enter the department.
After completing two years of education, many graduates of GSMM have branched out as professors or as freelancers in the broadcasting system. ? want to be a piano teacher who nurtures student? unique characteristics. I hope I can learn both musical performance skill and education methods,?said Yoon Hyo-jin (Piano Pedagogy, 4th semester). Yoon says she read many books about education and endeavored to develop her performance ability in order to enter GSMM.