The mandolin is an unfamiliar instrument, hard to see or experience in South Korea. Originating from Italy, it resembles a lute or a classic guitar in appearance. It has a distinctive melody, however, very different from that of a violin or a guitar, which at once captivates the attention of the listeners. To date, this instrument seems unique, remote from people’s daily lives. Such is not the case for the Soongsilians, however, thanks to the Mandolin Orchestra, which Soongsilians have quite often seen and heard in the SSU Chapel. ST fell in love with the mandolin, an attractive instrument with an exotic melody, and beginners will find it very easy to learn how to play it. Let’s meet SSU’s dignified official orchestra, the Mandolin Orchestra.
The Mandolin Orchestra was first organized in 1977, from the thought “Let’s challenge ourselves with playing special instruments rather than playing the plain ones.” As the orchestra is an official organization of SSU, all its instruments are provided by the school, and the members don’t have to buy their own mandolins, which are very expensive. As there aren’t many opportunities to encounter this rare instrument before entering the orchestra, most students are bound to start at the same point, almost from scratch. The Mandolin Orchestra runs a special mentoring system in which the seniors teach the freshmen how to play the mandolin. It’s a wonderful system that helps the freshmen feel more comfortable with the seniors.
The Mandolin Orchestra practices twice a week in Darakbang, a practice room located at the 2nd floor of the Student Union. As it’s difficult for the almost 50 members to gather at the same time due to their different class schedules, the practices are usually scheduled in the late afternoon, after class hours. To experience the orchestra in the flesh, ST decided to join their practice. A lot of members gathered to practice, but they were laughing and chatting, just like other students, before their practice began. With a signal from the conductor, however, the members started playing their respective instruments and quickly became immersed in their practice. The practice was entirely led by the conductor. All the members were concentrating on his signals and words, holding their breath.
Before seeing the members of the Mandolin Orchestra in person, ST thought that they play only the mandolin. Different kinds of instruments, however, are being played by the orchestra: mandolin, mandola, mandocello, contrabass, classic guitar, and even flute, a wind instrument. Also, it’s interesting that each instrument is played in different parts. It seemed to ST that it’s so hard to create harmony as each member of the orchestra has to consider the orchestra’s harmony while focusing on his or her own part.
As the Mandolin Orche stra’s one-day member, ST tried to learn to play the mandolin and classic guitar. The mandolin consists of four pairs of strings. Thus, it uses the “tremolo technique,” which maximizes the effect of playing the same notes quickly. It’s also impressive that the player places a rug under the instrument to pre-vent it from slipping while playing it. ST especially liked the mandolin because it’s smaller than the guitar, making it easy for a person with small hands to hold it. Moreover, the mandolin’s exotic and unique sound is enticing. On the other hand, unlike the acoustic guitar, the classic guitar is adapted to the “Arpeggio technique,” creating a calm or rhythmic melody as only one or two strings at a time are flicked. While the acoustic guitar progresses the melody according to a code, the classic guitar creates a melody according to a scale. Though ST couldn’t complete a melody, having learned new instruments was so meaningful.
It’s easy to associate an orchestra with a solemn atmosphere and strict relationships, but the members of the Mandolin Orchestra, whom ST experienced interacting with firsthand, showed neither of those. True, the members engage in their practice in deep earnest, but they’re certainly not tense every minute. Outside their practice time, they get along well with one another, laughing and chatting among themselves. The manager of the Mandolin Orchestra, Kim Kyoung-soo (Electronic Engineering, 10) advised, “If you’re hesitating to join the orchestra because you’re afraid of its members or you’re feeling timid, don’t be afraid since your worries are unfounded. Even if you have no experience of playing a musical instrument, and even if you don’t know how to read music, the Mandolin Orchestra will always welcome you. I recommend that you knock on the door of the Mandolin Orchestra if you’re interested in joining us. The friendly members will greet you with a nice big smile.”
