Compositions
Korean Melody, Jazz Waltz Rhythm
For my first composition, I viewed Arirang, the Korean nation’s most famous traditional song as an homage. The tune, usually written in G or A minor, contains the haunting, pentatonic melancholy (C-D-E-G-A) of its source and reflecting the feeling of sadness, longing, and hope. I transposed it to D major so that it could feel more generous and warm on both piano and Korean traditional instruments like the janggu and kkwaenggwari. The tonal switch brightened the timbre and created a bit more harmonic breathing room for jazz-inflected chords, for example more chance for extended sevenths and ninths that could subtly color the melody without overpowering it. Structurally, I kept the traditional verses but re-conceived the bridge into an improvisational passage inspired by Sinawi: model, elastic, rhythmically conversational pattern which can open up more jazz rhythm section to create a pocket for improvisation. With the feeling of Jandan rhythm, I played jazz waltz in a ¾ feel in the drumset that adds occasional triplets in a cycle.
Jazz Melody, Korean Hwimori Jangdan Rhythm
In this piece, I began with a B flat blues-inspired melodic phrase. The melody itself, flows with a natural swing and straight feel that mirrors an extended 12-bar blues phrasing. To give the piece a rhythmic foundation rooted in Korean tradition, I paired this blues line with a Hwimori Jangdan, a fast-paced 3-3-2-2-2 rhythmic cycle often used in shamanic and folk performance. The janggu patterns drive the music forward with syncopated energy with the kkwaenggwari layers in subtle backbeat accents. This combination creates a mix between American blues phrasing and Korean rhythmic propulsion, uniting two traditions that both rely on groove, repetition, and improvisation. To add on the alternation between feeling a ¾ and 2/4 in the melody reflects the fluidity between jazz swing feel and Hwimori subtle swing but straight-feel momentum – a way of blurring rhythmic borders while maintaining a grounded pulse. My intention was to let the melody “speak” in both idioms: the stepwise motion and slides of the blues voice carried by the percussive drive and cyclic pattern of Hwimori rhythm, making the result feel both well organized and unified.
Korean Melody, Jazz Waltz Rhythm
When creating this piece, I wanted to explore how the simplicity of Korean melodic tradition could coexist with the rhythmic fluidity aspect of jazz. I chose the anhemitonic pentatonic scale (C-D-E-G-A), which has long been central to Korean folk forms like Arirang and Sanjo, because it embodies both clarity and feeling of openness. By appreciating the simplicity and pattern, the scale leaves space between tones – space that feels both meditative and full of possibility. In jazz, especially in a ¾ waltz swing, those spaces invite more breath and bend. Through my research on Sinawi and improvisation, I learned that both Korean traditional music and jazz share a deep respect for structure that allows freedom. The jangdan rhythmic cycles in Sinawi provide a pulse much like a jazz rhythm section does; they ground the improvisation while leaving room for spontaneity. I wanted this piece to reflect that balance, to sound as if a Korean melody found its way into a smoky jazz club and began to dance. Every phrase carries the syncopation and swing that make jazz alive.
Jazz Melody, Korean Sinawi Jangdan Rhythm
This composition explores how Sinawi, a Korean improvisational form rooted in jangdan rhythmic cycles, can coexist with the pulse of jazz. Traditionally, Sinawi rhythm unfolds in groupings of three or six beats, creating a continuous fluid feel. I wanted to see what would happen if that sense of motion were placed within 4/4 time, the most common meter in jazz swing. In Sinawi, musicians improvise together within rhythmic cycles that expand and contract through listening and response. Jazz works similarly, though it drives forward through swing and syncopation rather than looping cycles. Translation Sinawi into 4/4 allowed me to preserve its cyclical energy while letting jazz phrasing in. Throughout the piece, syncopated accents stretch across the four beats, creating a subtle bridge between threes and fours – a rhythmic meeting point between the two traditions.
Korean Melody with Jazz Ballad Straight Feel
This piece dives into the intersection of Korean melodic purity and the emotional openness of a jazz ballad. After composing rhythmically driven works based on Sinawi and Hwimori patterns, I wanted to slow time down and focus on large scale of breath, tone, and space. Written in 4/4 with a straight ballad feel at quarter note = 60, the piece invites stillness rather than swing, creating more ways to incorporate embellishments through the rather calming and simple melody. The melody reflects Korean melodic phrasing: gentle ascents, lingering tones, and gradual descents reminiscent of Sanjo and Sinawi contours. Within the jazz idiom, it functions like a ballad head – intimate, spacious, and interpretive. By removing syncopation, I wanted to highlight how both traditions use restraint as expression. Instead of building through tempo, the music builds through resonance: each note, each rest, carries emotional weight. This piece became a study in stillness – how Korean and jazz sensibilities can meet not in rhythm or harmony, but in the shared human impulse to listen deeply.