[Senior Trend] Seniors Dancing, Singing, and Playing Musical Instruments

‘Pungnyu’ is a word combining the characters for wind ‘pung (風)’ and flowing water ‘nyu (流)’. It carries complex meanings such as ‘composing and enjoying poetry under clear wind and bright moonlight,’ ‘something stylish,’ ‘knowing music,’ ‘joyful things,’ and ‘appreciation of art.’ Every evening, street food stalls set up in the alley next to Gukilgwan in Jongno. Since nearby office workers stop by for a quick drink, the age range is diverse. Further down the alley, there is a live cafe for seniors. Some places have nostalgic 1970s-style menus and mainly play pop songs as DJs, while others host once-famous but now forgotten singers or bands performing ‘group sound’ or ‘folk songs.’ Like old music cafes, they take song requests and, if the mood is lively, people can dance. This was a scene I encountered while visiting Insadong. What other forms of pungnyu do our 50s and 60s generation enjoy these days?

Until now, when thinking of entertainment and enjoyment for the elderly, television, trot music, and hwatu card games came to mind. In fact, the 50s and 60s generation are television kids and, unlike the MZ generation (Millennials + Gen Z) who consume on-demand content on laptops or smartphones, they still watch TV. To achieve high viewership ratings, programs must capture seniors’ interest. They met cartoon characters through the screen in childhood, waited for sports games, and watched rural dramas together. They are familiar with TV. Trot music is also indispensable. It is a unique music genre characterized by a trembling singing style, blending music from various countries and influenced by Korean folk songs, expressing love, farewell, and longing for hometowns. It is also called adult popular songs. In the 1970s, Nam Jin and Na Hoon-a formed a two-person rivalry dominating the music scene, followed by Jo Yong-pil, nicknamed the ‘King of Songs,’ and recently, Song Ga-in and Lim Young-woong have sparked a new craze. Hwatu card games are also an inseparable pastime. Played with a deck of 48 cards representing the 12 months, there are various types like Minhwa Hwatu, Jitgo Ddaeng, and Yukbaek, but ‘Go-Stop’ is by far the most popular. Because it was always played when extended family gathered during holidays, it is sometimes mistaken for a folk game, but it actually came from Japan. With just a blanket and Hwatu cards, 2 to 10 people can play, and it became established after the mid-1970s.

These entertainments and joys remain valid, but the way seniors enjoy life is gradually changing. They are heading outside the home. They have started visiting live concerts, movie theaters, and art galleries. Initially, women led this trend. Mothers and daughters formed the core, going on intimate dates to ‘special exhibitions.’ Then, as retired men joined groups of senior women, couples began to attend together. Usually, they dress up a bit, visit movie theaters or art galleries on topics of interest, spend enjoyable time, chat, and have delicious meals. When appreciating artworks or attending performances, they purchase related merchandise to keep the memory. Performances or exhibitions by domestic and international veteran or legendary artists who share the senior generation’s youth are sold out. Interpretations vary, but some say the recent boom in wine and Makgeolli is because seniors are entering this entertainment market and pairing drinks with meals on these special outings.

Now seniors are going beyond just watching and listening. They no longer passively receive and learn but want to actively draw, sing, and play instruments themselves. The Japanese Dankai generation showed similar behavior. Seniors who only watched classical, Kabuki, or musical performances aim to be able to do it themselves through ‘lessons.’ Yamano Musical Instruments Company opened ‘Adult Music Classes’ with the goal of enabling participants to ‘be able to play and blow instruments,’ receiving enthusiastic responses. Korea’s baby boomer generation also recalls sitting on campus lawns playing guitar and singing when young, forming ‘ajusshi bands’ and playing instruments while singing. Dancing is similar. Beyond aerobics and Zumba, they learn tango and line dance, organize stages, and prepare performances as ‘ajumma dance groups.’ They buy cameras, study photography, shoot various places, and publish books. Instead of just learning how to appreciate paintings at department store cultural classes, they prepare art tools, join ‘sketch clubs,’ and hold exhibitions, saying ‘I want to paint well too.’ They learn English or Spanish and try to use it immediately when traveling to those countries. This is the movement of ‘entertainment that I do myself.’

Recently, when deciding to move into senior towns, whether there is a hospital connection is basic, but equally important is whether various programs like sports classes and cultural courses are offered. It is natural that startups gathering ‘adult lessons’ like ‘Siso’ or ‘Uri Class’ as hobby platforms for the 50s and 60s generation are increasing. Places for seniors who want to learn and be active are still very limited. It is said that the senior generation is very diverse and should be approached in segments. However, surprisingly, there are commonalities. They are the generation that created the mass market. If reasonable prices and stable programs are provided, businesses enabling seniors to dance, sing, and play instruments could be a great opportunity.

Eboram, CEO of Third Age

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.