Music is the universal language of mankind. Even without words, people are able to communicate and sympathize with each other solely with the beautiful melodies of voices and instruments. All kinds of emotions, such as happiness, grief, anger, excitement are conveyed as the sounds touch the eardrums of listeners. HVCO is an orchestra that is composed of visually impaired musicians, who have overcome the limit of their disabilities. HVCO approaches the general public as well as the handicapped in an attempt to give them hope, and communicate love.

 

 

 The orchestra was founded in March 2007, by a music director and a clarinetist, Lee Sangjae, that is well known for his outstanding musical achievements despite his handicap. HVCO was established with a clear purpose: to provide jobs for blind musicians that would otherwise be deficient of job opportunities elsewhere. Considering the fact that most of the visually impaired become massage therapists after receiving a high school education, there are very few open doors for the blind in other fields such as education, music, art, and many more.

 

Thus, in order to resolve the worries of prospective and hopeful blind musicians, HVCO has opened doors for them to actualize their dreams. The orchestra has been invited to play for numerous companies, including Samsung, ING insurance, and Kookmin Bank. For their outstanding efforts, they have also been recognized by musicians abroad, and had the honor of performing at the dream stage of all musicians, Carnegie Hall. Lastly, the orchestra holds a regular performance at the end of the year to thank its supporters.

 

As such, members of HVCO have made countless efforts to have their works recognized, and to show that love for music transcends the barriers of disability. Jang Seong Ju, a flutist and one of the founding members of HVCO, is a figure that possesses such power. Seoul National School for the Blind (SNSB) is where Jang got started with HVCO in the first place. It turned out that HVCO’s music director, Lee, was a senior student that Jang was very close to at SNSB. After graduation, Jang was suggested by Lee to join an unprecedented orchestra composed of blind musicians. “At first, I was very pessimistic about the project and doubted its success. It was simply too unrealistic.” Unlike his expectation, the orchestra eventually kicked off with half doubts and half hopes that it shall fulfill their desires.

 

However, it was not an easy road for HVCO to get to this point, and still they are facing difficulties broadening their scope of activity. Shortly after HVCO was established, the orchestra faced realistic difficulties because it was hard to make the orchestra visible to the general public in the first place. Thus, 2007 and 2008 were the years of distress, having financial and operational problems to the extent of almost disbanding the orchestra. As Jang mentions, “In 2007, we only had about six recitals, and had only a few more in the following year. There was no government support, which makes it harder for us to achieve what we want.” However, since 2009, the orchestra started being recognized after numerous invitational performances from private companies, and most importantly, their performance at Carnegie Hall.

 

Jang further explained the struggles that they have experienced in the past, both as individuals and as a group. Individually, orchestra members have to remember the entire musical score because, unlike other musicians that can look at the music scores during performance, HVCO members cannot see them. Memorizing is bearable for short pieces, but when it comes to symphonies that go as long as 40 minutes, it accompanies unimaginably hard work to the members. “Without exaggeration, I can assure you that the work and effort of our members in doing this job surpasses the efforts of normal musicians.” To such extent, HVCO is worthy of praise.

 

There are also troubles that come as a group. The role of a conductor is to keep each sound in harmony by managing the flow and beat throughout the performance. Being absent of one, HVCO’s main struggle is starting and ending the piece simultaneously. Since they cannot see, members rely on instinct, and that instinct is formed after endless practices. It is not that HVCO does not have a conductor, but they do not need one, and orchestra members are proudly doing what they must to fill in the missing parts. Jang mentioned, “Of course it is absurd to compare ourselves to the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), or the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) Symphony Orchestra, but the music we play has a precious echo.”

 

Music indeed has beauty that comes from precision, techniques, and proficiency. Yet, there is also warmth and power that comes from a true heart. HVCO plays music not to prove their excellence, but to communicate with the world and let them know an important virtue. When asked about how HVCO corresponds with the virtue of communication, Jang gave an insightful response. “I think of communication in two ways. First, I think HVCO is based on true communication among orchestra members as they make harmony by feeling connection, not seeing it. Also, we communicate with the general public because we tell them that even the visually impaired can play music, and this can be empowering to other handicapped or socially deprived individuals.”

 

Even without vision, there is still vision. Their sight might be dark ahead of them, but they make colorful sounds together to brighten the world. There will be struggles for HVCO in the future, as Korea is not a good environment for the handicapped to gain a prominent position in society, even harder in the field of music. Yet, what they have started is a great leap forward, and is sure to touch the hearts of the audience with their echo.