Publication: From the north to the south : lived musical experiences of new settlers from North Korea
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the lived musical experiences of new settlers from North Korea who have made South Korea their new home, tracing in particular, across the times they lived in North Korea till their arrival to the South. The specific research questions were: (1) What were the lived musical experiences of the new settlers while they lived in North Korea, during their journeys to the South, and when they finally arrived in South Korea? (2) How did their lived musical experiences shape their identities? (3) How might findings from this understudied population inform music education theory and practice? Informants were eight new settlers from North Korea who were prompted to articulate their lived musical experiences through in-depth interviews. Data were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed for emergent themes. Three interrelated themes emerged from the data: faith, feelings, and freedom. This rare study gave voice to an understudied population in music education research—a voice that is unique, insightful, and musical. It also contributed to music education—construed in the broad sense of the term to include myriad lived musical experiences (Jorgensen, 1997)—by examining the confluences of music, politics, society, migration, identity, and education as they played out in the dramatic life stories of the new settlers.