"We play, imagine and recycle." This is the motto of a music band "Noridan," which delights people with hilarious music performances using household junk, such as pipes, tubes, aluminum plates and plastic bottles.

Noridan is the combination of the Korean words nori (play) and dan (team). Any object can become a musical instrument in the hands of Noridan, team members explain.

Musical composer Ahn Suk-hee launched the unprecedented group in June 2004 and currently leads the group as general manager and artistic director. "We know that any object we hit makes a sound. Add just a little bit of imagination and the sounds will turn into melody and music," Ahn said.

Ahn often shows people that different parts of objects, the center and edge of a table for example, make dissimilar sounds. When you hit two empty plastic bottles against each other, you can hear a clear sound that you may not have heard before, Ahn explains. When empty of air, the bottles make still another sound.

Ahn's team has so far created more than 10 musical instruments. Not only that: Noridan earns over 500 million won ($500,000) worth of profit annually from "recycled music" education and performances at home and abroad. Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Russia and many other nations are sending letters of invitation.

Members' ages and occupations vary as much as the sounds they produce. The youngest is in their teens, the oldest in their 50s. Jobs range from architect to writer, driver, composer, guitarist, actress and elementary school student.

To break down invisible barriers among members, the Noridan players call each other by nicknames, such as Hwi, Ting, Dori, Lemon, Haneul, Simba and Miya.

"It's true that conversation is a lot easier between people of the same age, but Noridan's composition of diverse groups generates a different kind of synergy," Ahn said.

Noridan is making itself a model for "social enterprise" in Korea.

Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which trade in goods or services for a social purpose. The profit from the business is used to support related or unrelated social aims.

Last November, Noridan was awarded with a social enterprise certificate by the government in recognition of its contribution towards the society. Thirty-five other organizations received certificates at the same time.


By Ro Ji-woong
Korea.net Staff Writer