One of Hye-jung Park’s goals as TCU’s inaugural Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow was to continue her research. Her paper exploring the political role of music in Korea during the Cold War — titled “Musical Entanglements: Ely Haimowitz and Orchestral Music under the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea, 1945-1948” — was recently published in the Journal of the Society for American Music.
Park earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Korea National University of the Arts and her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Her areas of study are music diplomacy, global and transnational music history, Cold War studies, critical race studies and music in East Asia.
During her time at TCU, she also has been working on research for a book exploring the role of music in U.S.-East Asian relations. Solidarity Across the Color Line: Music in African American Encounters with East Asia, 1904-1966 investigates how diplomatic relations led to the wide circulation of African American music and marked racial and class differences in East Asia.
Park completes her TCU fellowship in July. We asked about her time at TCU and what’s ahead for her research.
What attracted you to TCU?
HP: When I came for my on-campus interview, the faculty and staff really helped me to connect with other scholars from TCU — from different fields and departments. That really attracted me because I knew it would help me continue my interdisciplinary research, which combines history, music and race studies. TCU also gave me a teaching opportunity. And I love Texas — I don’t have to dig my car out of the snow.
What has your experience been like as a postdoc at TCU?
HP: I have taught several classes in the School of Music, and TCU also funded my research. Through support from TCU, I have participated in leading academic conferences in my discipline, where I was able to receive a lot of feedback. I have also been able to connect with scholars from other departments at TCU and from other universities in Texas.
What have you enjoyed most about being part of the Horned Frog community?
HP: I think the people. I really like my colleagues. It’s such a caring community. It’s really wonderful to have great scholars as my colleagues who also inspire and support my research.
What courses have you taught during your time at TCU?
HP: This semester I’m teaching History of Western Music II and also World Music. Last semester I taught a proseminar on music in Afro-Asian encounters. In fall 2019, I taught Graduate Music History Survey.
What have you enjoyed most about teaching at TCU?
HP: I’ve really enjoyed interacting with interesting and intelligent students. Through teaching, I think I not only helped them extend their repertoire of knowledge, but also I expanded my perspective as I learned from their ideas and experiences as well.
Did your TCU experience play a role in your recent publication in the Journal of the Society for American Music?
HP: Absolutely. I got a lot of good feedback on my manuscript from the scholars in the department of musicology. Supported by a travel grant from TCU, I was able to complete necessary archival research for my article.
What is the significance of this research?
HP: “Musical Entanglements: Ely Haimowitz and Orchestral Music under the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea, 1945-1948” examines the unique role of music as a political tool during the early Cold War, but it also explores the complex relationships among individuals involved in this music diplomacy. The key intention of my research in this field is to draw attention to musical diplomacy not just as a tactical power, but also as a way to open up new musical encounters for people from different cultures.
Did you learn anything new about the publishing process?
HP: Oh, yes! This is my first time to publish an article in a really prestigious journal. I learned that so many people are involved in the publishing process. I got a lot of comments from reviewers and journal editors, and I worked really closely with them — so it’s not only about me. I was able to publish this article because of so many people’s effort, care and support.
What are your plans for future research?
HP: I plan to publish one more article this year about how the South Korean government used music as a political tool toward the United States during the Cold War. I also plan to complete my book manuscript and publish the book within a few years. And I want to secure research grants for my second research project about the musical context between Africa and China.
What are your long-term goals?
HP: I want work as a full-time faculty in a postsecondary educational institute.
What impact do you think your TCU postdoc experience will have on your career?
HP: I thank TCU for supporting my research. This is really huge for my career as a musicologist. After teaching several courses during my fellowship, I feel like I’m really prepared as a teacher as well.