Opening performance of UNIST’s official events

UNISTRA is a compound word of ‘UNIST’ and ‘orchestra’. Celebrating the eleventh anniversary of its establishment this year, UNISTRA’s musicians range from freshmen to faculty members of different ages and professions. Han Il-gyu, the head of the orchestra club, says, ‘Anyone at UNIST can join our open club.’
“UNISTRA’s doors are always wide open to those who play an instrument with passion. Our members’ activity period is relatively long compared to other clubs. There is one member who has been active for over ten years, from undergraduate to post-graduate school. There is another member who is a professor and the head of violins, and many professors and faculty members have also participated in our club in the past. So our orchestra is growing together with a variety of members.”
UNISTRA, the only orchestra at UNIST, plays a very special role at the university. The orchestra gives performances at matriculation, graduation, university presidential transfer and inauguration ceremonies, as well as conferences held by UNIST and other events.
“We play the national anthem, celebratory songs, and other types of music at major events. As for celebratory songs, we try to play a varied repertoire without limiting ourselves to classical music. At the matriculation ceremony in 2019, we played the OST of Avengers and The Phantom of the Opera from the musical of that name, and received a lot of good feedback on SNS at that time.”
In addition to these special performances, UNISTRA holds small concerts on campus and carries out local voluntary activities. The contents of such activities can be found through SNS channels such as Instagram and Facebook, which UNISTRA uses as a window to share information on its performances, keep a record of its activities, and communicate with the audience about performance reviews.

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Enjoying playing music and rehearsing together

Even if there is no regular performance, the orchestra rehearses freely and continuously. Basically, people who like playing an instrument have gathered at the orchestra, so even if it’s it is not the regular rehearsal time at 7 p.m. on Sundays, the members still come to the practice room whenever they have time to practice a particular piece or look after their instrument. If there is an instrument that someone wants to learn, the members teach each other and exchange their skills.
“I think voluntary participation is one of UNISTRA’s strengths. Most of the members attend the regular rehearsals, except on special occasions, and they actively recommend songs to rehearse and practice as well. UNISTRA’s motto is to ‘We will do our best not to interrupt our studies.’”
Another of UNISTRA’s strengths is that there are people who play in other bands in the orchestra. As some members play very different instruments such as guitar and bass, which are generally used in completely different musical genres, it is possible to exchange learning and teach each other about different instruments, and sometimes they can perform ensembles that cross genres, resulting in very colorful music.
At the rehearsal room the members not only play music but also spend time playing board games and sharing snacks together. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they went to see orchestral performances together. It is said that UNISTRA plans to go to an MT (Membership Trip) this year when people can resume their normal activities.
“When there was a limit on the number of people who could enter the rehearsal room due to social distancing, the room was desolate, but I am very glad that things are now back to normal. At that time, we set times to rehearse individually as well we to perform as an ensemble via Zoom (video conference App) or by combining individuals’ recording files. Now, we can all rehearse together in one place, so I think that we can create a better harmony than before.”

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A new start to creating harmony together

This year, after three years of COVID-19, UNISTRA was finally able to select some new members through face-to-face interviews. In March, UNISTRA selected eleven new members via a document screening and an interview. Candidates were also chosen according to their level of musical skills, from among players of the instruments required to form an orchestra.
“As we need a certain number of instruments suitable for the size of the orchestra, we had to consider that side as well as the applicants’ musical ability. Especially this year, we were able to meet the applicants in person, so it was good to hear them play directly.”
UNISTRA runs the ‘buddy system’ to help new members adapt to the orchestra quickly. It is a “master-new member 1:1 matching system” that aims to help new members to lose their inhibitions and develop a sense of closeness with the rest of the orchestra.
“Through the system, we provide new members with information on such things as how to use the rehearsal room, practice times, major activities, how to look after instruments, and information about current rehearsals, and we also listen out for any inconveniences or difficulties. As I said earlier, the members remain with UNISTRA for a relatively long time, which is due to the high degree of intimacy and friendship between members. So we run the system to take care of new members and make sure they don’t feel left out and can get along well with the other members.”
An orchestral performance is a process of creating harmonious sounds with many different instruments. It is important to listen to the sounds of the other instruments, adjust one’s volume, and match the speed, rather than just being the only one who is playing well. Therefore, ‘consideration’ for other people is also the greatest virtue of an orchestra. UNISTRA also places a strong emphasis on ‘consideration’ when selecting its practice music, when wanting to learn a different instrument, or when new members join the orchestra. Thanks to its deep contemplation of how everyone can be in harmony, UNISTRA’s performances create a beautiful harmony anytime, anywhere.