Music

 Korea
Culture

Crafts

There is a unique set of handicrafts produced in Korea. Most of the handicrafts

are created for a particular everyday use, often giving priority to the practical use
rather than aesthetics. Traditionally, metal, wood, fabric, lacquerware, and
earthenware were the main materials used, but later glass, leather or paper have
sporadically been used.

Music

Korean folk music is varied and complex, but all forms maintain a set of rhythms
(called 장단; Jangdan) and a loosely defined set of melodic modes. Korean folk
musics are Pansori (판소리) performed by one singer and one drummer.
Occasionally, there might be dancers and narraters.

Use of music and arts in their religion

Aak
Since Confucius used this term to distinguish elegant and beneficial music from
the melodies without harmony, it enjoyed favorable status during Joseon. Aak is
considered a special type of court music in specific ritual ceremonies at very rare
concerts, such as the Sacrifice to Confucius in Seoul.

Dang-a
During the 12th century, Korea received musical instruments as gifts from the
Chinese ruler, which were used by the orchestra at Confucian rituals.
Hyang-ak
Hyangak literally means The local music or Music native to Korea of which
example is Sujecheon, a piece of instrumental music as old as 1,300 years. Korea
was fast becoming a Confucian state and kings had begun to observe Confucian
rites to heaven, to agriculture, land and grain, and to royal ancestors.

Music was an important part of traditional Buddhist ceremonies, normally

including vocal chants sung solo or in unison with rhythmic accompaniment of
woodblocks or bells. Melodic instruments were not played by monks during
ceremonies but sometimes small troupes of local musicians would play
accompaniment to Buddhist dances.

For centuries Korean people have cultivated shamanism, developing a large

collection of lively mystical performance rituals. The musical elements include
vocal songs, instrumental accompaniment, and purely instrumental pieces, such
as sinawi.

Festivities

Significan
Festival Events Date Food
ce

Sebae(New Year's
Tteokguk(Traditional
greetings), Charye(Ances
New 1st day of first soup made of rice
Seollal tral
Year's Day month cake), Yakwa(Honey
ceremony), Yunnori(Tradi
cakes)
tional game)

Ogokbap(Rice made of
Geuybulnori(Rice field
five
burning), Daljip
Daeboreu First full 15th day of first grains), Yaksik (Glutinou
Taeugi(Bonfire),
m moon month s rice), Bureom(nuts),
Aengmagi
Gwibalgisul (alcoholic
Taeugi(Talisman burning)
beverage)

Songpyeon(Traditional
Meoseumn Festival for Singing, Dancing, 1st day of
rice cake made with the
al servants Coming-of-age ceremony second month
grains)

Celebratin
Yongdongj Jesa(Traditional ritual to
g the god Second month Regular food for Jesa
e appease the god of wind)
of wind
 Celebratin
Hwajeon(Rice
g the Archery, Cockfighting, 3rd day of third
Samjinnal pancakes),
coming of Fortune telling month
Dugyeonju(Azalea wine)
spring

Cold food only:

Ssuktteok(Mugwort
Visit to ancestral grave
Start of 105 days cake),
for offering rite, and
Hansik farming after Dongji(Wi Ssukdanja(Mugwort
cleaning and
season nter solstice) dumplings),
maintenance.
Ssuktang(Mugwort
soup)

Different types of Tteok,

Buddha's 8th day of
Chopail Lantern festival Dumplings, Special
Birthday fourth month
dishes made of fish

Washing hair with

Celebratio
Changpo,
n of spring 5th day of fifth Variety of Tteok, Herb
Dano Ssireum(Korean wrestling
and month rice cakes
match), swing, giving
farming
fans as gifts

Bathing and washing hair

Water 15th day of
Yudu to get rid of bad luck (if Noodles
greeting sixth month
any)

Hot dishes are made on

Hottest Between sixth
this day. Cold baths are Samgyetang(Chicken
Sambok day of the and seventh
believed to make people soup)
summer month
weak.

Meeting
day of
Miljeonbyeon(Wheat
Gyeonwoo
7th day of pancake),
Chilseok and Fabric weaving
seventh month Milguksu(Wheat
Jiknyeo in
noodles)
Korean
folk tale
 Time with
Food made of potato,
hundred of
Resting, Performing 15th day of flour, and wheat along
Baekjung fruits' and
rituals seventh month with a variety of wild
vegetables
vegetables
' seeds

Charye(Ancestral Songpyeon(Pine
ceremony), Ssireum(Kore flavoured rice cake
Harvest 15th day of
Chuseok an wrestling match), stuffed with chestnuts,
festival eighth month
Visiting ancestral grave sesame or beans),
sites. Torantang(Taro soup)

Gukhwajeon(Chrysanthe
Double Danpung-nori(Viewing mum pancake),
9th day of ninth
Jungu Ninth the changing color of Eran(Roe),
month
Festival maples during autumn) Yujacheong(Honey
citron tea)

Ritual Performing a ritual to the

performed house gods, Coiling a
Sangdalgo
to the golden rope around the Tenth month Different types of Tteok
sa
House House, Spreading a layer
gods of red clay on the floor

Ritual
performed Usually boatmen and
Sondolpoo 20th day of
to fishermen Regular food for Jesa
ng tenth month
appease perform Jesa for Sondol
the wind

Winter
Dongji Rites to dispel bad spirits 11th month Patjuk(red bean soup)
Solstice

Seotdal New Cleaning up the house, Last day of the Food for the next day,
Geumeum Year's Eve Preparing for Seollal year Seollal

 Japan

Culture (and some uses of music and arts in their religion - underlined)
Music
Traditional Japanese music is quite different from Western Music and is based on
the intervals of human breathing rather than mathematical timing.
Religion
Buddhism and Shintoism are the primary religions of Japan.

Use of music and arts in their religion

Shinto music is the ceremonial and festive music of Shinto (神道), the native
religion of Japan. Visual arts such as stones and potteries have had extremely
important roles in the plebeian beliefs.
Traditionally, religious music in Japan consisted of songs and dances that were
performed as offerings to various gods. Songs and dances also served to work
performers into trances in kamiasobi (singing songs and dancing for gods) in
order to call a god or gods into attendance

Different Festivities

Name Matsuri Note Place

Atsuta held at Atsuta Shrine in June Nagoya

held at Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine in

Aoi Kyoto
May

Gion held in July Kyoto

Hadaka held in February Okayama

Hakata Gion Yamakasa held at Kushida-jinja in July Fukuoka

Hōnen held at Tagata Shrine in March Komaki

Jidai held on October 22 Kyoto

 Name Matsuri Note Place

Kanamara held at Kanayama shrine in April Kawasaki

Kanda held at Kanda Myojin shrine in May Tokyo

Kanto held on August 3–7 Akita

Kishiwada Danjiri held on September Kishiwada

Miki Autumn Harvest

held at Ōmiya Hachiman Shrine in October Miki
Festival

Nada no Kenka held at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in October 14–15 Himeji

Nagoya held in Hisaya Ōdori Park in Sakae, Nagoya Nagoya

Sanja held at Asakusa Shrine in May Tokyo

Sannō held at Hie Shrine in June Tokyo

Tenjin held at Ōsaka Tenman-gū in July Osaka

Wakakusa Yamayaki held at Nara in fourth Saturday of January Nara

Yotaka held at Tonami, Toyama in June Toyama

 China

Culture
Music and Dancing Styles
Music and dance were closely associated in the very early periods of China. The
music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and
artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the
Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE - 256 BCE).
Arts
Different forms of art have swayed under the influence of great philosophers,
teachers, religious figures and even political figures. Chinese art encompasses all
facets of fine art, folk art and performance art. Porcelain pottery was one of the
first forms of art in the Palaeolithic period

Use of music and arts in their religion

Popular religion in China has for centuries drawn from Confucianist, Daoist,
Buddhist, and animist elements. Extremely diverse in their local practices, the
various forms of popular religion serve as vehicles for intense spiritual expression.
Music is an integral part of this local structure. Festivals of popular religion
almost always include processions accompanied by outdoor bands, and lion or
dragon dances.

Different Festivities
Chinese New Year 2017 — Traditions, Activities, Day-By-Day Guide Jan. 27 to Feb.
11
Chinese New Year (within 15 days of February 5) is also called Spring Festival. It is
the most important festival to Chinese people. Many activities are held to
celebrate the festival, such as dragon dances, setting off firecrackers, making
dumplings, etc.
Dragon Boat Festival 2017/2018
The most popular and representative activity of Dragon Boat Festival is dragon
boat racing. Dragon Boat Festival falls on month 5 day 5 of the Chinese lunar
calendar (around mid-June). During this traditional festival in China, people
customarily eat rice dumplings.
China's Lantern Festival — Traditions, Activities Mar. 5
The Lantern Festival is traditionally the last day of the Chinese New Year period
(within 15 days of February 20). It became a festival about 2,000 years ago. During
the Lantern Festival, thousands of millions of festive lanterns strengthen the
enchanting atmosphere of the festival in China.
Qingming Festival Apr. 3 to Apr. 5
Qingming Festival (around April 4) is Chinese people’s day for visiting graves and
burial grounds to pray their respects to their ancestors. It’s known as Tomb
Sweeping Festival in English. Many Chinese also go for a picnic during Qingming
Festival to enjoy the picturesque scenery of spring.
Double Seventh Day — How to Celebrate China's Valentine’s Day Aug. 9
Double Seventh Day falls on the 7th day of the 7th month of China’s lunar
calendar (around mid-August); that’s why it is called Double Seventh Day. Known
as China’s Valentine’s Day, it is a festival that has legendary links with romance
and love in China.
The 24 solar terms
The 24 solar terms were first named by farmers in ancient China to help to guide
agricultural affairs and farming activities. It is a system that marks the changes in
seasons, weather, and nature by splitting a year into 24 equal periods of time.
Winter Solstice Dec. 22
Chinese celebrate the Winter Solstice on the 23rd day of the 11th month of the
Chinese lunar calendar. On the Gregorian calendar that’s within about two weeks
of December 21st. In northern China, it is a custom for local people to eat
dumplings with their family at the Winter Solstice.
The Double Ninth Festival Oct. 9
The Double Ninth Festival is also named Chongyang Festival. It is held on the 9th
day of the 9th month of the Chinese lunar calendar (around mid-October). During
the festival, enjoying chrysanthemums and climbing mountains are both popular
activities in China.
Hungry Ghost Festival Aug. 17
In China, special customs for memorizing the dead are held on Qingming Festival
and Hungry Ghost Festival. Hungry Ghost Festival is the most important festival in
month seven of the lunar calendar for Chinese people. The date, lunar month 7
day 15, is around late August.
Arts
Define the following:
1. Kabuki
2. Noh
3. Ta'l Masks
4. Peking Opera

Answers:
1. Kabuki - a form of traditional Japanese drama with highly stylized song, mime,
and dance, now performed only by male actors, using exaggerated gestures and
body movements to express emotions, and including historical plays, domestic
dramas, and dance pieces.
2. Noh - traditional Japanese masked drama with dance and song, evolved from
Shinto rites.
3. Ta'l Masks - masks in Korea; enabled performers in theatrical plays to
anonymously express their criticisms of powerful and corrupt members of the
aristocracy or the Buddhist monastic hierarchy. These are use by Shamans in
cleansing rituals to drive away evil spirits of illness or bad luck out of an individual
or a village.