"I'm now doing a study on the preservation and promotion of traditional Korean music and researching traditional gugak (traditional music) musicians, gender, fashion and the use of social media," she said.
A highlight of Yates-Lu's academic career was a 2015 interview with Park Song-hui, pansori master and performer and designated National Intangible Cultural Asset No. 5. Park, who died in 2017, was Min's teacher.
"Park was living history, someone who actively participated in the development of pansori through the ages. I was so excited to see her in person, sitting before me," Yates-Lu said.
"Seeing the passion and strength of Korea's traditional gugak musicians, I want to fuel that same energy into my research and dive even deeper into the world of pansori."
On her research goals, the professor said she is studying how traditional musicians promote themselves and their performances through video content and livestreaming.
"Interacting with the audience through improvisation is such an integral part of a pansori performance, and I'm researching how the genre changes when it's uploaded to an online platform," she said.
"I also want to improve my students' ability to research performances and venues using the tools of ethnomusicology and become an educator who plays a role in promoting traditional Korean music on the world stage."
xuaiy@korea.kr