Jamming at a Djembe Class in St. Petersburg
I met up with Oleg at 6 PM and hopped on the subway to head to the highlight of today's itinerary: a djembe class. I have a terrible sense of direction, so I don't remember exactly where we went, but we arrived at an abandoned, ruined factory that looked completely uninviting. It's a unique place where broke artists rent out spaces. I guess artists and money always have a complicated relationship. While the exterior gives off a very gloomy vibe, the inside is actually quite well set up and even has a security office. You can't even get in without a prior reservation, and the interior feels more like a university building than a factory. It's a fascinating place with an unexpected charm.
Ivonna, who kindly allowed me to join, is a professional djembe musician based here. In stark contrast to her petite height—barely over 150 cm—she is so full of energy that it completely blows you away. But Ivonna's greatest strength isn't just her energy; it's her ability to lead people. Since it was my first time, I couldn't speak Russian, and I was feeling pretty awkward, she told me she wanted me to have fun. She threw in lots of jokes and advice, helping me truly enjoy playing the djembe for the first time. At the same time, she constantly encouraged the others so they wouldn't fall behind, talking non-stop for an hour to build harmony between the two different skill levels. Maybe it's because she's Estonian rather than Russian, but she seemed to smile a bit more. She definitely has a unique charm.
Uniquely, the tuition for Ivonna's beginner class is paid in snacks. Some people bring candy, others bring cookies, and it doubles as a tea time gathering. I showed up with some yeon-yanggaeng (sweet red bean jelly) that my girlfriend gave me. (You can call me an old man, but red bean jelly is delicious...)
Playing the djembe, a traditional African instrument, in St. Petersburg seems weird no matter how you look at it, but as I beat the drum with my hands—"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"—all my stress flew away. The more I played, the more I understood why Oleg insisted we go. I'd love to try it again when I go back to Seoul, but I doubt I could take a class in Korea by paying with red bean jelly. I'll have plenty of free time when I get back, so maybe I should start a class teaching basic programming languages in exchange for snacks.
(For the record, Ivonna does charge actual tuition for intermediate classes and up.)
The real highlight of Ivonna's djembe class happens after the lesson is over. After the hour-long class, everyone grabs whatever instrument they want and naturally jams to the music. No one tells anyone else what to do; they just instinctively sync their beats together. I know absolutely nothing about music, but there were so many fascinating instruments that I just started hitting things randomly. Before I knew it, everyone was building a rhythm around my playing. I never realized percussion instruments were this captivating. Suddenly, I thought of the janggu (a traditional Korean drum), so I showed them a video of it, and they absolutely loved it. Ivonna mentioned that collecting percussion instruments from all over the world is her hobby. Honestly, the experience I got from today's class was worth way more than a single red bean jelly, so I promised to send her one when I got back to Korea. Of course, I said this without having any idea how much a janggu costs...
And here's the heartwarming conclusion: I actually did send her a kkwaenggwari (small gong) and a janggu.
Expenses
- Breakfast Pyshki 114R
- Water 65R
- St. Isaac's Cathedral 250R, Colonnade Observatory 150R, Audio Guide 100R = 500R
- Subway 70R
- Dinner Shawarma, Kvass 289R
Total Expenses 1038RUB
Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 40,593RUB + $152.26