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@article{ART002427134},
author={Chang, Jeong Youn},
title={Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs},
journal={Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology},
year={2018},
volume={26},
number={2},
pages={7-67},
doi={10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001}

TY - JOUR
AU - Chang, Jeong Youn
TI - Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs
JO - Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology
PY - 2018
VL - 26
IS - 2
PB - The Korean Society for Musicology
SP - 7
EP - 67
AB - This paper is on Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), who has been mentioned the ‘first’ woman composer and singer in modern Korea but never researched yet. Tracing her life and activities, revealing her thoughts on music with newly discovered primary sources―the birth certificate, newspaper, magazine, church records, school records, hand-writing letter, compositions and interview articles― I study how this famous soprano, who was trained under Christianity and colonial experiences and was eager to learn with achieving her dream, had become to have social perspectives to the society where she had belonged to. Especially I first reveal both her life after studying abroad from Joseon to U. S. A. and her activities as a diaspora supporting women in her homeland and yearning for independence of Joseon. Reading her activities with diverse sources in context, this study sheds new light on her as a pioneering woman musician in modern Korea. I took a look into Bessie Lim’s life dividing into 4 periods based on changes of her life and places of activity. The first period is the time in Joseon before she left to Hawaii in 1923, when Bessie Lim had been educated at Ewha Haktang (이화학당/梨花學堂) and sung on stage as a famous soprano. The second is the time from 1923 to 1928, she was a teacher at Korean Christian Institute (한인기독학원/韓人基督學院) in Hawaii and was a student studying abroad in Oberlin College and Illinois Wesleyan University. From this time, her latent social perspectives had started to be manifested in earnest. The third is the time when it is from 1928, the year of her marriage with Kyung Kim (김경/金慶/Bernard Kim, 1888-1966) to 1945, independence year of Joseon. As a diaspora, she supported women in Joseon and sent supporting payments for independence of country. Bessie Lim’s diverse activities in music field are mostly found before 1945. And the last is the time after 1945 that she concentrated herself on her Christian faith staying in New York. Music for women, educated by Christianity in Korea under Japanese rule, was not just for enjoyment but a powerful tool for representing their identities. Bessie Lim’s life was full of christian faith and it shows a big journey of her finding her identity in the society with using ‘music.’ She tried to have her own voice in public squarely looking at current situation and the problems of it. She believed that music could make society better when returning what they have learned, and strongly recommended “this is a ‘must-do’ of musicians.” Bessie Lim was a ‘musician’ in modern Korea, devoting herself to put her learning and beliefs into action with songs. In addition, I also research the historical and socio-cultural meaning of Temperance Song (금주가/禁酒歌, 1918), which is known as her sole surviving song until now, and I first introduce her newly discovered song, My Bible (나의성경, alleged 1938). These two songs ascertain how much influence Christianity in modern Korea has on musicians. A pioneering woman musician, Bessie Lim shows one aspect of women musicians with struggling for herself and society in modern Korea.
KW - Bessie Lim;Bessie Kim;Temperance Song;My bible;Korean modern woman musician;Modern music education;diaspora;Kyung Kim
DO - 10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001
ER -

Chang, Jeong Youn. (2018). Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs. Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology, 26(2), 7-67.

Chang, Jeong Youn. 2018, "Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs", Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology, vol.26, no.2 pp.7-67. Available from: doi:10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001

Chang, Jeong Youn "Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs" Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology 26.2 pp.7-67 (2018) : 7.

Chang, Jeong Youn. Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs. 2018; 26(2), 7-67. Available from: doi:10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001

Chang, Jeong Youn. "Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs" Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology 26, no.2 (2018) : 7-67.doi: 10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001

Chang, Jeong Youn. Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs. Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology, 26(2), 7-67. doi: 10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001

Chang, Jeong Youn. Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs. Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology. 2018; 26(2) 7-67. doi: 10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001

Chang, Jeong Youn. Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs. 2018; 26(2), 7-67. Available from: doi:10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001

Chang, Jeong Youn. "Bessie Lim (林培世, 1897-1999), the ‘First’ Woman Musician in Modern Korea: Seeking a Better Society through Songs" Journal of the Korean Society for Musicology 26, no.2 (2018) : 7-67.doi: 10.34303/mscol.2018.26.2.001