Korean Job Discussion Forums

sodabread · Joined: 30 Dec 2006

help! I just got to Seoul, and beyond find a teaching job, I have to find a place to practice saxophone. My Korean girlfriend tells me it's not kosher to practice in the apartment. what's up with that? all I want is an hour or two a day to keep chops in order. anyone know about sound ordinances in Seoul? Would a karaoke joint rent me a room during the day?
I'm not shabby or anything, just don't want to pxxxoff the people. Or do I?

kimchi_pizza · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject:

Don't practice in your apartment. On behalf of all apartment residents including myself, please don't do that. Your best bet is to go to the park, a DISTANT park on the weekend. Maybe you can find a studio. You could probably hook up with a local band or saxophone club. Koreans have clubs for EVERYTHING. Your girlfriend can help ya.

Welcome ta Korea!

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

Yes, Noraebangs would rent to you. SHould be pretty cheap during the day. Maybe 10,000 for an hour.
Or you could go Korean and go to a music hogwan.
I had a friend who played sax. He lived in a hotel for a year and I'm pretty sure that he just played in his room there. No complaints. But you should be able tofind a band to play with pretty easily. Good Luck!

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

aldershot · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

agreed, qinella. people practice their music all the time in their apartments. there are several pianists in my complex who are nice enough to save their practicing until 2-3pm. at that hour, i don't mind at all.

seoulsucker · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject:

I know there are 고시원 style places near universities with music programs that rent out space to students who are practicing for recitals, exams, etc.

Depending on your location, you might be able to find a good spot.

Another method would be to just keep an eye out for folks with instruments on the subway or bus near your place and casually ask them where they practice. Decent icebreaker, may make a few friends or more.

sodabread · Joined: 30 Dec 2006

So, I went ahead and started practicing at 2pm today, and was shut down after just 15 minutes. Talk about unbelievable. This is the first time in my life that anything of the sort has ever happened to me. In berkelely, CA, practicing at home eventually garnered gigs at,among many other venues, the filmore and warfield in san francisco, and yoshi's in oakland (one of earth's premier jazz clubs), followed by recording, tours, television.
Practicing at home in san francisco apartments and houses was always met with bemused curiosity at least, and often with praise and appreciation. Even in italy, whose population density and shoddy modern architecture are similar to Korea's in many respects, I never, never had any problems. 15 minutes of soul in seoul is all they can seem to stand here. No wonder their own music sucks(movies are awesome, though).
Meanwhile, my new, yet thankfully temporary neighbors have no qualms when pounding, clanking, blasting and screaming at all hours of the night.

I hope this predicament says more about the building in which I live and the people with whom I currently share it than it does about this land in general. I'm not trying to be a hater; I genuinely try to tread lightly and respectfully and, after all, my long-time lady is Korean, which is the reason why I came here in there first place. It is however maddening that after having lived on 2 continents in countless homes and rediculously diverse living arrangements, I was faced with what is to me nothing less than senseless, selfish intolerance.

ah fooey. these are just the petty complaints of a man who has just arrived and has too much time on his hands, so he wants to toot his own horn, for chrisssake

Up the red devils. Down with the whining, sax-playing yanks. find yourself a norebang and shut the hell up.

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

If you live in an appartment building you shoulod be able to go on the roof. If the door is locked ask the boss to tell the guard you want to go on the roof to play. You could set up on the corner and play. Some people will think you're strange and might even want to give you some $$.

I wouldn't take it, it's illegal money and you could get deported.

Do it at school. Teach the kids a song. Make them sing and play musical chairs. They will love you for it.

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang

i know nothing about music beyond high school when i was 13 but couldn't you just get a mute? i know it wouldn't quite be the same, but better than nothing?

sodabread · Joined: 30 Dec 2006

Good ideas, folks, and i thank you for them.
don't have a teaching gig yet--been here less than a week-- and I'm looking for an iBT program anyway; not exactly the place for much fun and games.

Saxophones are riddled with holes, so using a bell mute wouldn't quite calm nerves around here as offending sound pours from every pore.

stop-gap solution came today:I went to a norebang, offered them a tenner an hour, and now have a place to practice, albeit an expensive one.

i've got to say i'm surprised by your concern. You seem to have a pretty tight one-line community going, run by a bunch of good people. My hats off to you, seriously.

sorry for earlier rant post . here on out, I promised to take the horse family size chill pill before spewing...