ABSTRACT

It is almostacentury since Western music was first introduced into our country as a result of the introduction of Western civilization during the civilized age of Korea, the late 19th century. This study aims at the historical background and introductory process of Western music education into Korea. Christianity first came into Korea when she was in her desperation of the National Ruin by Japan, in the confused and devastated political situation, and in the corruption of other existing religions. Therefore the history of Christianity is not a mere religious one, but has a close relationship with the modern Korean history. In the early 1885, three years after the Korea-U.S Friendship Treaty (1882), the Protestant missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Appenzeller (Henry G. Appenzeller) and Horace G. Underwood first introduced the hymn into the schools founded for the purpose of spreading the Christian doctrines and ceremonies. To teach the hymn in those religous schools marked both the starting point and the stepping-stone of the Western music education. The first modern schools for the general education founded by American missionaries are Bae Jae (1885), Ewha Woman`s School (1886), and the Public School for Gifted Children (1886 育英公院) by inviting teachers from America. Those schools were set up in the cause of planting Western culture in our land, and the hymn and the National Anthem were chanted there. As a new method of music expression, Chang-Ga (Koreanized song) came into existence, which represented the currency and national feeling of that age. Chang-Ga took charge of developing the vocal music in Korea. In the other hand the first Western military band (1900) organized by a German, Franz Eckert, formed the basis of our instrumental music. With the compulsory amendment of the school system (1906) in this musical background, music was adopted as a subject in each school and the music textbook was published for the first time. In addition the imperative necessity for music produced Jo-Yang Guragbu , a professional organization for music in 1910, which ushered in a new epoch in the history of Korean music education.