Drum till you drop

April 30, 2013 — by Nikil Ramanathan and Sherrilyn Ling

Math teacher P.J. Yim is not your ordinary teacher. From stories about his mountain biking to his “cactus greater than rose” philosophy, Yim’s unusual personality often bubbles over in his lectures. 

Math teacher P.J. Yim is not your ordinary teacher. From stories about his mountain biking to his “cactus greater than rose” philosophy, Yim’s unusual personality often bubbles over in his lectures. Adding to his unusual personality is his passion for drumming, where he finds solace in the comfort of the drum’s rhythm.
“It’s just a habit to have,” Yim said. “Some people like jogging. In a similar way, I like to drum.” 
Yim said that he was first exposed to a traditional Korean form of drumming, called Janggu, in 1998 at a Korean culture night at MIT. The Janggu consists of two heads that produce sounds of different pitch and timbre. There are a variety of styles that people can play the Janggu, differing from region to region. 
Although Yim said he initially found the drum disturbing and loud, he has since come to love it.
When Yim taught at Leland High School from 2001 to 2008, he agreed to teach drumming to a group of his math club students. Gradually, more and more students discovered the class, and soon enough there were more than 20 students from the South Bay Area coming to learn from him.
While at first Yim played the drums to entertain these students, he soon found that it also put him at ease.
“Initially I just did it for the people, but then when I started drumming, a certain calmness started reaching me,” Yim said. “It was almost like a meditation; so I got into it and it just really settled me down.” 
Yim said that he and his Leland High students used to drum at culture nights at Lynbrook High School, Belmont High School and other local elementary schools.
However, ever since moving to Saratoga High, Yim has cut back on teaching Janggu. Today, he no longer meets with large groups of high school students, but instead instructs a small group of Korean women, who call themselves the Sori Noori, twice a month at multifunction rooms in County Parks, local gyms and Taekwondo studios.
Yim said that while his favorite part about drumming when he is alone is its meditative value, he also appreciates drumming with others, because there is “something more.” 
“When I play with other people, [my favorite part] is the harmony that we achieve,” said Yim. “I feel like we are one. It’s almost like when you dance, when everybody does it right, you just feel right.”
Yim hopes to eventually find a few more people who would be interested in forming a drumming group. He explained that he would like to meet them periodically, and maybe put on shows at certain festivals. But for now, he is going to stick to just teaching drumming. 
As one of his favorite hobbies, Yim doesn’t look to stop drumming any time soon. 
“I plan on continuing [drumming] until I die,” Yim said.
 
 
 
 
 
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