▲ Creative Kalimba Research Society / Leader Kim Gyu-ah

(PowerKorea) Kalimba is a musical instrument with metal bars on a wooden box. It is known to come from lamellophone and the player flicks fingers to make sound. English ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey introduced the first modern Kalimba and many shapes and types of kalimba are now found on the market today. 

Regardless shapes and types, kalimba is small, light, portable and cheap, the reason it is played by people of all ages. The sound is as clean as a pond in a forest and we might feel like it takes us into the world somewhere we have imagined in our dream.

Creative Kalimba Research Society, also known as Witch’s Kalimba, is famous for introducing an easy to read and play kalimba score. The Society leader Kim Gyu-ah said that the existing sheet music was hard to read for beginners so she felt a need to do something. The newly devised score is for everybody to read and play easily and it won the silver prize at the Korea International Women’s Invention Exposition. Kim has applied for a patent for the score.

Creative Kalimba Research Society runs kalimba programs for all ages and professions from children to adults and from non-music major to music major including teachers and certificate courses. Those who successfully finished the course can have an opportunity to get a job.

The Society has published a number of books: <Witch’s Kalimba with Rectangle Number Score>, <Beginner’s Kalimba Songs with Rectangle Number Score> and <Moonlit Witch’s Kalimba Songs>. The Society’s Macaron Ensemble also gathers teachers and students alike to organize a concert every now and then. The first single of Witch’s Kalimba <Stars of Seoul> is being received positive reviews. 

“I’m planning to hold an online live concert in cooperation with DM Entertainment and sarambook.com on April 17. I hope the sound of kalimba will give a moment’s rest and peace to the wearied hearts especially in this time of the pandemic” says Kim.

Creative Kalimba Research Society received the 2021 Korea Education Industrial Awards held by Herald Corporation and monthly PowerKorea.

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