Bringing together progressive Korean drummers to learn, play, build community, and support local movements through pungmul.
mindeullae project
about mindeullae project
Mindeullae 민들레 (Dandelion) Project brings together progressive, left, and radical Korean pungmul 풍물 players to learn, play, build community, and support local movements through our drumming. Pungmul has long been part of Korean liberation movements against colonialism, imperialism, and militarized political repression, both in Korea and from the diaspora. In the spirit of this legacy, we seek to build unity and connection through pungmul as an offering to our communities—particularly in this time of intensified fear and fragmentation.
Pungmul is a participatory folk music tradition rooted in Korean farming culture and spirituality. It brings the village together to express communal hopes and wishes, release sorrow and rage, and overcome adversity. In the Bay Area, groups like the Korean Youth Cultural Center (est. 1987), Jamaesori (est. 1991), Ieumsae (est. 2014), kkiri kkiri samulnori (est. 2022), and Nodutdol Pungmul Pae (est. 2025) have sustained Korean drumming traditions over the years. We are honored to be part of this lineage of pungmul players across generations.
points of unity
We affirm our shared humanity as Korean immigrants, trans and queer people, adoptees, feminists, disabled people, and more, with the belief that our varied experiences enrich our community.
We use pungmul as a form of resistance and self-determination, continuing its cultural and political legacy. As Koreans, our history bears the pain of division and displacement, the traumas of colonialism and war, and the lasting impacts of US occupation. As people living in the United States, we especially bear a duty to oppose our own government's role in creating war and devastation abroad.
We come together because we value community. Pungmul is not possible without a village. We hope to cultivate relationships of longevity and resilience that can weather the challenges ahead. To that end, we uphold a collective culture of mutual respect, generosity, and care.
We reject gender-based violence in all its forms. Patriarchy, misogyny, transphobia, and queerphobia are highly corrosive, and can break down the fabric of a community.
We deliberately choose to build community through pungmul in spite of our differences. All movements across history have had their factions, contradictions, and tensions. We recognize that the Korean left, here and in Korea, are not monoliths. We commit to navigating our differences with integrity and kindness, without dehumanizing or ostracizing one another.
We all have roles to play in changing our current world for the better. We welcome people to show up as they are, without pressure or expectation to conform.
janggu essentials workshop series
We are so excited to introduce a 5-Week Janggu Essentials Workshop Series to the Bay Area.
This workshop series is designed for folks interested in learning the fundamentals of janggu (Korean drum). No prior experience needed. The basics of janggu are important for learning and playing other Korean pungmul instruments.
Returning to the foundations of janggu can be helpful for drummers of all experience levels, but we especially encourage beginners to apply.
Participants will learn:
The history, philosophy, and terminology of pungmul
The fundamentals of pungmul: collective awareness and movement, the roles of the four basic instruments of pungmul (kkwengwari, jing, janggu, and buk), and embodied rhythm
Janggu form and technique (both seated and standing/marching in formation)
Introductory garaks from Pilbong village in northern Jeolla province, which have been central for Bay Area pungmul since the 1990's
NOTICE:
Registration for this workshop series is currently AT CAPACITY. If you are interested in future workshops or would like to be on the waitlist for the first Janggu Essentials Workshop Series, please submit this form. We will put you on our contact list.