TRANSFORMATION OF SCHOOL SONGS

[Anchor Lead]

This is a story about students who sing and dance to their school songs instead of K-pop singles. School songs used to be solemn or tinged with Japanese imperial influence. But now they are written to appeal to the younger generation. The new school songs are performed in various renditions and even in music videos.

[Pkg]

​This elementary school is holding in-class shows instead of a large-scale autumn festival.

[Soundbite] "Energetically follow your dreams."

Students sing and dance to the children’s song created by this school. They ring the handbells with different pitches to complete the song or perform the song with musical instruments, including the gayageum, violin and drums.

[Soundbite] Shin Su-bin(Student, Jikji Elem. School, Cheongju) : "It’s a song you can hum to and enjoy."

Drawings inspired by the lyrics are edited with the music to create the class' very own music video. This school incorporated the opinions of the students and parents to come up with a school song more enjoyable than the previous solemn one.

[Soundbite] Choi Eun-gyeong(Teacher, Jikji Elem. School, Cheongju) : "We made a music video comprised of the students’ drawings inspired by the lyric. We also looked for the musical dynamics suitable for the song."

These students dancing at various spots around the campus are filming a promotional video for their school. The cheerful music they are dancing to is their school song. Some 70 years after the school was opened, the existing song, written by a pro-Japanese composer, was replaced by a new one composed to better engage students. The students feel pride in correcting history and creating unique visual contents.

[Soundbite] Jang Yu-hui(Student, Korea Bio Meister High School) : "We were able to advertise this song to other students by dancing and memorizing the lyrics."

School songs renewed to the changing times are being used in various ways and bringing new energy to students.