This blog post examines how to write a career plan in a Pansori major academic plan to convincingly demonstrate both suitability for the major and potential for growth, focusing on practical skills and performance experience.

Writing About Academic Experience and Reflections

“Spreading My Wings in Pansori at the National Traditional Music High School”
I encountered pansori even before entering high school. My parents and grandparents were all involved in traditional Korean music for generations, and this influence allowed me to decide on my career path early. My parents tried to teach me various traditional Korean instruments, but I always felt closest to pansori music and loved singing. My affection for pansori was immense, and I always enjoyed learning the melodies through self-practice.
By middle school, I had honed my practical skills, and I was overjoyed to be admitted to the Korean Traditional Music High School. Even though I had studied pansori for a long time, I knew I would be surrounded by exceptionally talented peers from across the country, so I practiced relentlessly. That’s why, after admission, I was determined to dedicate myself even more to my major studies and make my school years truly rewarding. In our department, we focused on studying two of the five major pansori pieces: Kim Sejong’s Chunhyangga and Park Yujeon’s Simcheongga. I didn’t just learn pansori techniques; these two pieces also helped cultivate my character. Pansori, embodying the sincere emotions of filial piety, loyalty, and love, was always a teacher that taught me human sentiment.
During my freshman year, I analyzed these passages meticulously, focusing on theoretical study. Learning both music history and Korean traditional music history simultaneously while trying to understand the passages left me short on both time and stamina. However, seeing my friends—instrumentalists practicing until their fingers bled—while pansori majors devoted themselves to vocal practice gave me the strength to push harder. During choir and ensemble rehearsals, I also practiced entire pansori pieces in sync with percussion majors. Keeping the beat was much easier than when practicing alone, and the drummer’s rhythmic interjections made it truly exhilarating. Starting in my second year, I learned Korean traditional music composition and conducting, gaining experience not just as a solo performer but also as an ensemble player. Thus, the advantage of studying pansori at our school was the opportunity to grow by interacting and influencing each other with students from diverse majors.

Writing about major school activities and reflections

“Promoting pansori by participating in various events inside and outside the school”
Our traditional Korean music high school aimed to broaden students’ experiences by hosting its own arts festivals on campus and frequently participating in external events. I actively participated in these events as much as possible to broaden my pansori performance experience. While attending classes and analyzing musical pieces within the school was important, actually performing pansori in front of an audience was a whole other level of learning.
First, I focused on thoroughly preparing for the school’s arts festival. Our school’s arts festival was a grand celebration where all students from the traditional Korean music departments participated. I formed a team with fellow pansori majors to prepare a piece. While pansori is typically performed solo, given the festival context, we planned a structure where multiple performers took the stage within the allotted time. We selected a section from the Chunhyangga, a piece we frequently practiced, choosing material familiar even to those unfamiliar with pansori. We restructured it like a round song, where multiple performers took turns singing.
To enhance the performance’s completeness, we recruited students majoring in acting and directing to stage a play that complemented the content. When designing the stage, we planned a performance where singers start in the center and spread out to the sides when actors appear, due to the stage’s narrow vertical and long horizontal shape. For the climactic section, we also recruited a dance major student to incorporate Chunhyang’s solo dance. We requested a slow-tempo dance to express Chunhyang’s heartbreaking love, and we were grateful the dancer prepared it perfectly.
In this way, we sometimes received help from students majoring in other departments, and conversely, we participated as singers in the performances of percussion majors.
I practiced the pansori that served as the background music and backbone for the stage where the jwago was played. It was a section from the “Red Cliff” pansori, but since it wasn’t a piece we practiced in class, I needed to practice it separately. The janggo players sat in a straight line, with one vocalist assisting from each end of the stage. The challenge was to project a voice loud enough to be heard over the drums without the tone being too prominent. I practiced the Red Cliff Song multiple times, synchronizing my breathing with the drumming. Helping with another department’s stage performance was just as nerve-wracking and deeply rewarding as preparing for my own.
Beyond campus events, I participated in national ceremonies like the Jongmyo Jerye in May and the Sajikdaeje in September. These events offered broader opportunities to meet external traditional music groups, expanding my network. Seeing seniors majoring in traditional music at university and performers from the National Music Ensemble gave me a chance to reflect on my own future and career path. Furthermore, through regional touring performances, I encountered entirely new audiences distinct from those at school or national events. Witnessing pure lovers of pansori and elderly patrons moved by the music, I truly felt the charm of our traditional art.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and Reflections

“Captivating the Elderly with Pansori at a Senior Citizens’ Banquet”
Our class toured regional areas once a month, performing on stages across the country. Personally, I had performed pansori at school arts festivals and national events, but the regional performances were the most enjoyable. This was because the elderly who came to see us welcomed us warmly. So, we planned diverse performance programs to further enliven the atmosphere of their senior citizens’ banquets.
When I went to perform for a senior citizens’ banquet in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, I planned a new stage with friends from the same department. Before that, we often simply performed the same stages we had prepared for national events or art festivals. For national events, we prepared somewhat solemn atmospheres and weighty pieces, but these stages didn’t quite fit the atmosphere of local performances. At art festivals, since we were all major students gathering to watch each other’s performances, we often used pieces with difficult content. Rather than simply bringing that stage format, I decided to consult with my friends and create a new stage.
First, we searched for songs to select pieces the elders would likely enjoy. We selected the latest trot songs, famous popular tunes that almost everyone knows, and renowned pansori pieces. We then mixed or spliced these together to create a single music file. Reinterpreting trot as pansori and performing popular songs in a traditional Korean music format required the tedious work of rearranging everything, but it was also a highly enjoyable activity.
With multiple friends preparing together, incorporating each other’s ideas led to creating more accessible music. We also added comedic choreography during our joint preparations to craft a stage more fitting for a festival. The result was a huge success. Breaking away from the solemn stages that previously weighed down the festival atmosphere, our bold and exciting stage drew everyone—adults and children alike—onto the stage, generating a tremendous response.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans

“A traditional Korean musician specializing in traditional Korean music theory, conducting, and pansori skills”
Our school was a specialized high school in traditional Korean music, and the students were planning various career paths. While most aimed to become performers, some dreamed of becoming conductors or composers, while others aspired to be music teachers or professors in instrumental music. Among them, I always stated my goal was to be a traditional Korean musician. I was an ambitious student who wanted to achieve all the dreams my friends talked about. So, even while attending school, I strove to become a well-rounded student with no deficiencies in traditional Korean music theory, conducting, or pansori.
My career plan is to first thoroughly prepare in theory and practice to enter a traditional Korean music department. I will become a professional traditional Korean musician at ○○ University, which specializes in traditional Korean music theory, pansori singing, and percussion instrument performance classes. While in university, I will continue singing as part of a local traditional music ensemble. Recognizing my current limitations, I will make relentless efforts to join a national traditional music ensemble. After graduation, I will fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a pansori singer in a national ensemble, gaining at least three years of practical experience. While accumulating this experience, I will prepare to conduct deeper research into pansori and traditional music theory.
Once I have accumulated ensemble experience, I plan to personally prepare for graduate school. I intend to major in Pansori singing and Korean traditional music theory at ○○ University’s graduate school, earning both a master’s and doctoral degree. I believe that in the field of Korean traditional music, it is not just one major that is important, but rather knowledge and skills across various fields. Therefore, while majoring in Korean traditional music theory and research, I will also pursue Pansori singing as a minor and acquire specialized knowledge in Korean traditional music conducting. I also intend to separately study percussion performance, which is indispensable when studying pansori singing. I will master practical skills, performance techniques, and accompaniment methods through on-campus practical classes, and consistently participate in regular concerts and solo recitals to ensure I am fully competent as a percussionist. While my ambitions span multiple areas, my ultimate goal is to become a versatile professional in the Korean traditional music field capable of mastering all these aspects.