Korean Shamanism and Music (Korean Culture)

My earlier volume, Korean Shamanism: Shaman, Ritual and Culture, was conceived for general readers. This present book,Korean Shamanism and Music, reflects my background as a musicologist and was written to help readers understand the musical dimensions of Korean shamanism. For that reason, musical notation has been included throughout. If the earlier book was intended for a general audience, this volume is aimed more toward specialists. In addition to musical scores, it introduces a variety of rhythmic patterns (jangdan), allowing readers to sense the vibrant spirit—sinmyeong—that is one of the defining qualities of Korean shaman music.

In this book, I examine Korean shamanism through five regional spheres: the central region, the northwestern region, the eastern region, the southern region, and Jeju. In twenty-first-century Korea, however, improved transportation and the increasing mobility of people have gradually blurred many of these regional distinctions. As a result, such classifications have become less clear-cut than they once were.