Saxophone

Learning a new instrument at KAIST is not an opportunity that comes by often. Throughout this ten-week course, a professional saxophone player will not only instruct on how to actually play the instrument, but also cover the understanding behind different music genres. This class is fit for beginners since students will be starting with the basics of playing a saxophone, such as how to assemble the pieces together. After several weeks, students will study how to play the C major scales.

Aside from exploring the instrument using different techniques and styles like tonguing, legato and vibrato, students will study the history behind different genres – like classical music and jazz – that the saxophone is widely used in. By the end of the ten weeks, students should even be able to perform several advanced pieces.

Coaching skills

Every Monday night, Korea Leadership Center’s Jong Myung Kim will lecture on how to build better relationships with others by using proper coaching skills. Students will improve their ability to be happy with others using these communication styles.

For ten weeks, students will explore various communication styles and learn various methods to improve their colloquial language. Starting with how to settle conflicts with others, students will also discover proactive coaching communication skills that they can use in their daily lives. As important as communication is in today’s world, students will develop skills on how to ask questions, listen properly and accept others. Understanding language structures will lead to the development of stronger relationships with others and the acquisition of a positive attitude around peers.

Speech Presentation

The Speech Presentation classes will be divided up into two parts: theory and practice. By dividing the class up into two separate parts, students will first be able to study the essentials of developing presentation skills, then practice giving better speech presentations. Moreover, students will learn how to overcome anxiousness in front of crowds as well as how to blend creative messages into their presentations.

The key to this class lies in using the word “SMART” to delivering powerful and effective presentations. “SMART” has five subsections: special topics; mind control and mapping; angle; rehearsal; and touch and delivery. For instance, the first subsection on special topics emphasizes that the most important factor when giving a presentation is the subject itself. Every week, students will learn a different part of the “SMART” presentation in more depth. By the end of the ten weeks, students will study how to give great presentations by incorporating all of the above aspects.

Wording Power Program

KAIST students may be good at expressing their ideas using mathematical equations and scientific formulas, but many of us are not so confident when it comes to using fancy language to convey our thoughts to others. To those of you who are facing this problem, you might be glad to hear about the Wording Power Program. Wording power is the ability to move and win the hearts of people using language. It requires creative thinking and a fascinating use of words. Nowadays, society is not only looking for people with impressive profiles but also people with great communication skills. Fortunately this class teaches students how to develop this power and prepares them for the actual world through practice. Students will learn about techniques of conveying messages and the ways to influence people through words. By learning how to express their opinions effectively, students will be able to develop their leadership skills at the same time.

 Happy Artist Program

Being a college student is tough. You find yourself surrounded by many problems that you have had since you were a child but instead of whining about them, you are now told to act like an adult and face up to reality. As a result, it is not always easy to talk about your troubles with others. If you have such problems, perhaps the Happy Artist Program might be able to help you. The program, which originates from Hope in Music Society, is for everyone including children, teenagers and adults who are exposed to stress and other factors that disrupt their well-being. It was first developed to help people resolve their distress by applying their emotions into art and thereby allowing them to feel a sense of achievement. Art best expresses our subconscious minds and has been proven to be a very effective means of therapeutic treatment since it was first introduced in Korea. The program employs art to help people express their individuality and portray feelings of pain, sadness and joy. Through creative and fun activities such as making music, playing instruments and producing artwork, students learn how to  acquire peace and mental health. Some of the topics that are to be taught in class include self-assertive behavior and passive behavior; and solving problems by peace and compromise. Students will also learn how to receive and give help, and how to deal with feelings of loss they experienced in their family and community.