The janggo (an hourglass-shaped drum) group of the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace is one of the extracurricular groups visited by many schoolchildren in Pyongyang.
After school, the group room is filled with students who have come to learn the national instrument.
However, they have to train hard before they become excellent players.
It is not an easy job for anyone to produce three-dimensional and cheerful sounds and echoing tunes with janggo , a percussion instrument without having notes.
It is also a difficult task for learners to fully acquire the proper execution posture in conformity with the characteristics of the national tones.
The students are learning all this under the guidance of Merited Teacher Ri Ryon Hwa who has trained a large number of reserve players for scores of years and created dozens of works including the janggo solo Beat the Drum for Battle and the janggo ensemble My Country Is the Best in the World.
Ri’s teaching plans are made to suit the preparedness of the students so that the members of the group can learn the techniques of playing the percussion instrument in a short span of time.
They have demonstrated their excellent rendition skills in many national performances.
In the past they have played well also in performances held abroad, winning standing ovations.
Kim Son Gyong
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