1. Can you introduce Chungnam National University orchestra club to the readers?
The CNU Orchestra was founded in 1973 and boasts a very long history within Chungnam National University. We are recruiting members now. In the meantime, we are opening small concerts. There are about a hundred new students and we're doing activities with the senior members. The number of active workers is estimated around one hundred. We operate the club with membership fees and funds, and with the additional help of various sponsors. We are working as an amateur band without burden.
2. Tell us the specific activities this club is doing
Usually, practicing for the concert is what we do. There are about five small concerts every year with the alumni and seniors of our club. Our biggest event, the regular annual concert, is held in mid-September which we have been practicing since early July. The small concert is held at Hyangeumdongmunhoe Hall in Gung-dong and the regular concert is held at Jeongsimhwa Hall inside our school. We usually release eight-hundred tickets for our regular concert, and we enjoy the tickets being sold out. We continue to strive for personal and communal development regardless of the limited time.
3. What is the purpose of the club?
Normally students do not have much opportunities to experience classical music, so the purpose of our club is to increase exposure to it. It also helps students who have never played an instrument by providing them with opportunities to practically experience. Also, to those who used to play instruments, we offer practice spaces. Our seniors say that musical instruments are lifelong hobbies. I agree with them and try to make it lifelong myself.
4. What are the difficulties of running this club?
As I said before, the number of the members in our club is now around a hundred, but still proceeds to increase. Consequently, we feel difficulties from the lack of practice space. The club room, which is currently in use, is not enough to accommodate all the people, so complementary space is needed. Working for a better environment is sometimes difficult, but it is still a happy concern.
Sometimes we are in disputes with each other because we spend a lot of time practicing. However, because we practice continuously, we naturally find ways to resolves these conflicts. Having lunch or dinner often is an alternative.

5 What is most rewarding from this club?
Preparing the concert takes a lot of effort. However, on our regular concert( the largest concert) has been successfully completed, it is very rewarding. The fact that audiences came to see our product is priceless. Also, when I see new students participating in activities with passion, I feel the future of our orchestra is still bright. When students work from 6pm to 11pm, until the club room closes, I feel the gratitude towards them for making our club sincerely thrive.
6.What are the club’s next schedule?
The next concert we are preparing is a collaboration with our senior members. It is going to be at the Seoul Arts Center in January. Before this, a concert called Family Night will be performed mostly by freshmen’s. We are still in the process of planning for the next year.
7. How does the orchestra select the songs?
We have played pieces like Beethoven's Destiny Symphony, and various movie themes. Since we are a relatively small group, the members play the songs they want in small concerts, but in regular concerts, they select and practice professional classical music. We also arrange songs and play them ourselves. Consequently, think it's best to choose the song members want.
8. How do you practice?
Because we're an amateur band, we are adopting a lesson system where seniors teach juniors, and based on the lessons, juniors practice. We also meet our lack of expertise through our connections with our own majors.
9. How do you continue to communicate with your seniors?
Whenever we have an event, we often send out invitations to our seniors. On each concert, we contact them three times; a month ago, two weeks ago, and a day ago. The seniors come to our concert to support us or to participate themselves. Therefore, I too become close with the freshmens who participated in the concerts. After the event, seniors gather around and eat, giving advices. It seems that this club is naturally making us communicate with the seniors.
10. Is there anything you want to say to students of Chungnam National University?
The orchestra of Chungnam National University is open to people who are interested in music, so please feel free to tap the door of the club room whenever you want. As I said earlier, musical instruments can be lifelong hobbies. Also, please watch out for our future activities!