The 'Snail of Love Clarinet Ensemble' held its 18th regular concert at Yongsan Art Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on Saturday, November 25th.

The Snail of Love is a social welfare organization that supports hearing-impaired individuals by providing cochlear implant surgery and hearing aids, helping them regain their sense of sound, supporting their social adaptation, and conducting public awareness education.

Founded under the motto 'slowly, but persistently,' Snail of Love has sought to provide consistent support and donations for people with hearing impairments.

Moreover, since 2003, Snail of Love has been helping hearing-impaired youth gain confidence within the music and art cultures by forming an ensemble called the ‘Snail of Love Clarinet Ensemble.'

The ensemble consists of around 30 young clarinet players with congenital hearing impairments who have tried to overcome their conditions to express their dreams and hopes through their instruments.

They have attempted to break societal prejudices as well as spread hope and inspiration to society.

Members of this ensemble have dedicated a full year of consistent practice for a performance that lasted about an hour and 30 minutes.

Through repeated rehearsals of the same piece hundreds of times, the members have memorized how to play their instruments as well as produce a beautiful sound, which has led to the completion of a single piece.

Despite the challenging condition requiring prolonged practice compared to the non-hearing-impaired, the ensemble’s pure dedication and consistent rehearsals led them to the 18th annual concert.

This year’s concert theme was the 'Arirang Festival,' harmonizing traditional Korean music and the clarinet.

Starting with <Fantasy of Arirang>, a piece that evokes the essence and soul of Koreans, continuing with <Prince of Jeju & Flowers of K>, and concluding with the well-known theme of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, <Beautiful Country>, the hour and 30 minutes performance gave a night to remember for the audience.

The concert was hosted by MBC announcer Cha Mi-yeon, and the crossover fusion band 'Second Moon' and vocalist Kim Junsu all took the stage as guests, collaborating with the ‘Snail of Love Clarinet Ensemble’ members.

They showcased performances such as <Eosachuldu> (Dawn Arrival), <Love Song>, and <Our House in Sinsu-dong>, contributing to the finesse of fusion music and the completeness of the performance.

The 18th regular concert of the Snail of Love Clarinet Ensemble was also streamed on their official YouTube channel.

The concert received high praise for showcasing that despite living with disabilities, the musical accomplishments they have achieved and for impacting positively by broadening the young’s communication abilities, fostering positive achievements, and helping them realize their dreams beyond disabilities through musical activities.

Their performance has once again brought a seemingly subtle yet significant ripple to the prevalent 'league of their own' culture within Korean society.

Their concert has also symbolized the breakdown of the 'social barriers' commonly faced by hearing-impaired individuals in the performing arts culture.

Sending a big round of applause to the members of the Clarinet Ensemble members who, by playing the clarinet despite the prejudice that they cannot hear, took the lead in improving public perception when no one else was brave enough to step up.

Jooha Roh

Grade 9

Korea International School