On May 21st, Korea University (KU) students, while returning home, heard harmonic singing resonating in a distinctive way at Anam Station. They followed the sound as if they were possessed by it. The fountainhead of the varied melodies was a group of young people who sang songs with a smile. Passersby were captivated by the a cappella music of the singers and they were left unaware of the passing time.
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It was part of a small concert of LoGS, KU’s acappella club. LoGS stands for “Leaning on theGreat Stream”. Lim Hyo Jung (’11, English Languageand Literature), the club leader, explains,“Music in itself is to give oneself to a greatstream that has existed from ancient times.”Someone might consider the name to be aslight exaggeration. However, taking into account their sincere attitude toward a cappella, its name describes the group exactly as it is.
With such an attitude, the club has achieved plenty of success. This club was formed in 2008 with a mere four or five members. After three years, LoGS became KU’s main club, and now this a cappella group is the one thing that cannot be missing from any events at KU. Moreover, there is no university a cappella club in Korea better than LoGS. It is not an exaggeration to say that such an achievement has only been possible because of its senior and current members.
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“In addition, there are features particular to only LoGS. Other university a cappella clubs stick to just classical a cappella music. In contrast, LoGS handles a variety of musical genres. Pop songs such as Jason Mraz and Maroon 5’s songs are included as well as jazz songs suchas “Java Jive”. Sure enough, K-Pop music isdealt with. They sang a lovely song, IU’s “Good Day” and a dance song, T-ara’s “Lovey Dovey”in their concert. Moreover, LoGS’s performanceis unique in that the members sing the songs using choreography. It adds another exciting feature to their stage.
LoGS holds a regular concert twice a year. For the better show, they gather to practice once a week during the semester. During vacation LoGS members have to make a lot of effort to prepare for the concert that is held at the beginning of the semester. That is why during vacation they devote two hours to practice, three or four times a week. Such a situation can be tough. Therefore, the club members should agree to participate in practice whenthey have an audition. In spite of endeavors, unexpected mistakes take place from time to time. Lim says, “In last year’s concert, a male member who sang bass pitched a first note lower than the intended note. Other members unknowingly adjusted their parts. All of a sudden, a bright and lilting song turned into a gloomy song in a minor key.”
Surprisingly enough, LoGS is asked to do around 40 performances as a guest apart from their regular concerts. In addition, the club was awarded the grand prize in a contest heldby Seoul Metro. Some seniors in LoGS have become professional a cappella singers and Yayan, Yonsei University’s (YU) a cappella club, is trained by one senior member of LoGS. Such factors indicate why LoGS is overwhelmingly exceptional among a cappella clubs.
Not only do the a cappella singers practice, they also share innumerable activities with one another. Like other clubs do, LoGS offers plentiful chances for members to become intimate, such as membership training, trips, etc. One of LoGS senior members performs a concert at Gwanghwamun once a month and the members go together to watch the show. Ko Han Kyul (’12, Science) says, “When a member of LoGS loses a game [in their gathering sat bars or MTs], on which a cup of alcohol is bet, they harmonize penalty songs with other members.” Also, they have appeared on TV. “We joined the famous cable TV show ‘Show Me the Money’ as judges,” Ko says.
LoGS officially recruits newcomers in March. Because of members who have to serve in the army, the club advertises for singers to fill vacancies in September. The sucess rate is one out of five applicants being chosen. In addition, there is no limitation on new arrivals. Everyone who has an interest in music can apply for LoGS, regardless of his or her age and year. Actually, Lee Jae Won was a little worried about applying for it because of his older age compared with that of other applicants. Lee says, “Every member of this club is helpful to me. They treat me as one of them. All I had was an idle fear.” Therefore, there is no need to hesitate to apply for this club if you are ready to sing with other people.
In Inchon Memorial Hall, LoGS will hold its regular concert on September 18th, at seven P.M. The club has set up a plan called “the 1000 seats project”, in which the audience will fill all the seats in Inchon Memorial Hall. Lim HyoJung heralds various events and performances that will please the eyes of the audience. In particular, LoGS Love Premeditating Group is going to help brave students confess their love.
This concert will be a good chance to enjoy an unfamiliar music genre, a cappella. Lee says,“We practice a lot so that your ticket is worthyof its price.” A cappella is composed of soprano,alto, mezzo-soprano, baritone, tenor, bass,and vocal percussion. And the audience. Howabout leaning together on the exciting stream that is made by LoGS?