Be-Being is a music group that was put together in 2007 to develop gukak (traditional music) into contemporary art. They choose different elements of gukak to expand on and develop, and by mixing gukak with other music genres they create a whole new type of music. Through these methods they depart from the standardized performing practices used for dances, movies and theater pieces in order to visualize gukak.

Be-Being is comprised of the musical director Yeonggyu JANG, with Wonil NA on the pipe, Suna PARK on gayageum (Korean zither with twelve strings), Junil CHOI on percussion, Jiyun CHEON on haegeum (a Korean seven-stringed harp), singer Seunghui LEE, and acoustic director Yeonghun OH. We met with the Be-Being members at their Yeonnam-dong studio, in the midst of their preparations for their exclusive concert at the Bukchon Changwoo Theater before their PAMS showcase. First to join the interview was Be-Being’s leader and musical director, Yeonggyu JANG.

Q: How did you start Be-Being?

A Yeonggyu JANG (“JANG”) : It wasn’t that I had planned for something like this. Rather, Be-Being is more like a group of gukak musicians who have known each other for a long time. I kept in touch with all of the gukak musicians whom I had met when directing dance pieces or movies, and I brought up the idea to get together and do something. It’s great to get together and have fun, so why not get together, have fun and play music? That’s how it all started. (laugh)

Q: The first piece you did as Be-Being was a Buddhist music project called “Yi(理) and Sa(事).” What was the reason behind selecting Buddhist music as your first project?

A JANG : I didn’t major in gukak, and being a gukak major doesn’t necessarily mean you know all about traditional music. So we got together and talked about making music while studying the areas that were unfamiliar to us. We agreed on finding areas of music that people no longer pay attention to, which are being forgotten or otherwise neglected, so we thought of the Buddhist music project. There were some personal issues involved as well. When I was a young boy, I had a Britannica collection of Korean music at home, and I used to pore over them whenever I had the chance. I listened to most of them just once, but I loved Beompae (a Buddhist chant) so much I must have listened to it a thousand times over. I don’t remember exactly why I liked it so much, but I think it was just easy for me to listen to. With that fond memory I brought Buddhist music up to our members, and they all agreed.

Q: After your Buddhist music project, next up was the mask play “Yimyeongongjack (behind-the-scene maneuvers)” and royal court song project “Cheop Cheop (in layers).” How did these projects start?

A JANG : After“Yi(理) and Sa(事),” we were thinking about what to do next, and we talked about gut (traditional exorcism) music. But after the Buddhist project, everyone was feeling a little bit down because of the weight of the music. So we thought we needed something lighter than gut music, and that is why we chose to do a mask play because it was easily approachable, with lighter music, dancing and a lot of excitement. After the mask play we came back to the discussion whether or not to do gut music, but once again we decided to postpone it and chose court music. Gut music was relatively more common than court music, so under our group motto of introducing music that has lost the public’s attention; we chose to do a project about court music.

Q: The mix of music instruments used in Be-Being is quite uncommon. Are you satisfied with the current formation?

A JANG : At first, we didn’t plan to include certain instruments, they just happened to be the instruments that each musician used. I do think that the current formation may not be perfect acoustically. When we were performing the mask play and the court music, I thought it would be nice to have a daegeum (Korean wind instrument) in our lineup. But we all try to do the best we can with what we have now.

Q: You incorporate a lot of dance and video images when performing. What does it mean for you to make use of other media?

A JANG : I don’t think of dance and video as different media. They are a part of the performance, and I don’t think that we’re special just because we’re a group who uses dance and video along with our music. I don’t think I ever thought about performing with only music. I just put things in along the way if I feel the need for them.

Q: You work with traditional music, and is there a specific point you try to focus on when reinterpreting gukak?

A JANG : Every song is largely different. The Be-Being members are gukak majors so they have a lot of data. When I look at the background information of each song, some parts of it pop out as if they are the essence of the song. Then I use those points. Of course it is my own subjective perspective whether that is the essence. Sometimes it’s the rhythm, other times it is the lyrics, and at other times, a melody might catch my attention. I start making songs by starting with those points, and in the end those aspects may or may not show up in the final version.

Q: I was told that you are doing a lot of different work all at once. What is the difference between Be-Being, Uh-Uh-Boo Project, and working on movie scores?

A JANG : The difference is the people I work with. Working on Uh-Uh-Boo means working with Hyunjin BAEK, Be-Being means working with Be-Being members. The music that comes out of our work is not planned to be that way because it’s Be-Being music, but rather because the music comes from the specific members. Even for movie scores, sometimes I make good music by working with directors that I create synergy with, and other times I make not-so-strong music because the director and I can’t strike a chord.

Q: Is that why you have an Yeonghun OH who is an engineer, not a musician on the team?

A JANG : Yes. I have known Yeonghun OH for a very long time. We first met in the early 90s and practically saw each other every day for the next ten years. I knew I wanted to work with him some day, and when I was starting Be-Being, he was right there. Because our group started with close acquaintances, I felt it would be work out well even though he is not a musician. As an acoustic director, Yeonghun OH plays a significant role in the group, but he also is in charge of making instruments and props. (laugh)

Q: You have been performing as a group for quite some time, but you haven’t released an album yet. Do you have any plans for an album in the near future?

A JANG : Always. We had multiple times when we wanted to work on an album, but it got postponed. There are only a limited number of people we can reach out to with performances, and because Be-Being does not perform that often I think we have to make an album to get ourselves out there. But it’s never as easy as it seems.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A JANG : Three years ago, I went on a business trip to Yanbian. It’s close to North Korea, so I could find a lot of research material on traditional music being practiced in North Korea. I found a lot of gukak remnants that are not being performed in South Korea, or the older versions of what have evolved into different styles. Be-Being is contemplating on using traditional folk songs from North Korea for our next project. I expect it will be a different experience, so it will be fun. I’m sure the music in the South and North both changed over time, but I still suspect that there are some well-preserved forms in the North. So we will be working on that. We recently welcomed a new member in our group, Suna PARK on gayageum, who has been performing in Japan. We’re very lucky to have her because she knows this type of music very well, so she will be a great asset to our next project.

We wrapped up our interview with music director Yeonggyu JANG and sat down with Be-Being members who arrived for a rehearsal.

Q: What is Yeonggyu JANG like when he is working?

A Wonil NA : When working together, he involves us into the process and thinks of the work as a collaboration. He comes up with the basic framework for the songs, but he really listens to each member and takes our opinions into account. He’s always open to our ideas, and another upside is that he has a gentle personality.

Jiyun CHEON (“CHEON”) : He is always asking questions on parts that he does not know well, and creates an atmosphere where we can all learn. He is not prejudiced against acoustics. As for haegeum, there are some specific sounds that only a haegeum makes. He does not care about such things, and he is open to all kinds of sounds. He’s very receptive of any kind of music each member makes.

Q: I’m aware that each member has a lot of activities going on besides Be-Being. What is the difference between your other work and Be-Being?

A Junil CHOI (“CHOI”) : Personally, Be-Being is the only place where I get to participate in the music making process. There were a few times when I worked with a composer for theater pieces and dances. The difference is that here at Be-Being, we base our collaboration on gukak, but we’re very open to other kinds of music. Director Yeonggyu JANG throws various things at us, telling us to experiment with new things. He asks us to try musical instruments other than the janggu (double-headed drum with a narrow waist in the middle) or buk (traditional drum), to freely express our music. Then I think about what kind of instrument would best suit me, and I try it out. In Be-Being, there is a lot of enjoyment in collaborating as a group.

Q: When we see your performances, one gets the feeling that it is well planned out. Are there any improvisations in your performances?

A Seunghui LEE (“LEE”) : Be-Being’s music is not impromptu. The tempo and order of music is pre-arranged and we perform as we have rehearsed, but there are some parts here and there where we improvise.

CHEON : Be-Being’s music puts much emphasis on overall harmony. There are some parts where we use some variations, but the overall music does not change according to specific members’ performances.

Q: When making music together, I’m sure there are times where you become greedy and want your voice to be heard. Who is the greediest?

A CHOI : Everyone has their moments, but I don’t think there is one person who is the greediest.

Q: You perform with a table on the stage. Will you keep performing in this format?

A CHEON : The first project, “Yi(理) and Sa(事)” was based on Yeongsanjae (a ritual for the dead). As we were studying Buddhist music, we saw that Buddhist monks put their instruments on a table for Yeongsanjae and we got our idea from there. It’s actually convenient, so we naturally started using the tables as a stage prop even after the “Yi(理) and Sa(事)” performance.

Q: Apart from the mask play, all other performances are quite serious. Do you have to try to keep a straight face?

A CHEON : Before Be-Being, I played for a fusion band. We played lighter music compared to Be-Being, so it was a little bit difficult at first. It’s awkward if you smile during the performance.

LEE : At first I smiled, but the more we perform, the less I smile. It’s because there is a certain mood to the music, but I try not to get too serious.

Q: Be-Being has been on many overseas tours. Which was the most memorable?

A CHOI : There were certain countries where we were exceptionally well received. The crowd was so passionate about our performance, even we were surprised.

CHEON : At the Denmark Roskilde Festival, the audience started headbanging to Yimyeongongjack.

Lee : So did I.

Jimyeong KIM (manager) : Normally, the audience doesn’t applaud between songs, but at the rock festival people were wildly enthusiastic even during the songs. We didn’t hesitate one second, and reacted to their passionate responses. After each song, there were short intervals for the musicians to tune up, and those minutes seemed like seconds.

There are many artists who are very charismatic on stage, but are very easygoing when they are not performing. When Be-Being members are deeply involved in their performance, they emit an aura that is slightly overwhelming, but thankfully when I met them behind the scenes, they were very laidback. Talking to them I rediscovered the gukak that I had forgotten about, and uncovered the neglected parts of gukak. After the gukak journey I took with them, I became a fan of their work, cheering them on in their quest to reinvent traditional music in their own way.