X-Change and B-Girls: Experiential Learning Project Through the Lens of K-Pop Idol
Dr. Ray Seol
Assistant Professor, Professional Music
Now that the Fall 2024 K-Pop & Beyond event has successfully concluded, drawing a large audience of Berklee students to the David Friend Recital Hall, this writing serves as my reflection on the monumental experience, which centered around a student-led experiential learning project featuring Berklee's own K-pop idol groups: X-Change and B-Girls.
The foundational definition of experiential learning is “learning in which the learner is directly in touch with the realities being studied. It is contrasted with the learner who only reads about, talks about, or writes about these realities, but never comes into contact with them as part of the learning process” (Keeton & Tate, 1978, p. 2).
Given the widespread interest in K-pop among Berklee students, there has consistently been tension between students' perceptions of K-pop and its underlying realities. In part, these realities diverge from the glamorous image it often portrays. X-Change and B-Girls is an experiential learning project focused on creating a student version of original K-pop idol groups. The project was born out of curiosity about what would happen if there were a platform where students could directly experience what it means to be part of the K-pop process, while still maintaining and expanding their aspirations within it.
My PM-205 K-Pop Culture and Practice course was the starting point. I revised the curriculum, shifting from a culture and practice lecture that invited K-pop industry professionals, to a more hands-on approach. Students now design their own version of a K-pop idol concept through the framework of Cultural Technology, which involves a systematic approach to creating K-pop artists and content. This method systematizes the casting, training, production, management, and marketing processes. This holistic K-pop idol design process led to the creation of the students' final assignment, X-Change, a mixed-gender idol group—a concept that has historically received little attention among K-pop fans. The students aimed to challenge this perspective by promoting greater diversity and representation in K-pop idols.
Meanwhile, a separate group of students outside the K-pop class approached me to explore the possibility of forming a K-pop cover girl group ensemble. Their aim was to acknowledge the challenges faced by women in the pop industry by paying tribute to 1990s K-pop girl groups such as S.E.S and Fin.K.L. This brilliant idea seemed feasible and could provide a nice contrast to X-Change, offering additional opportunities to further develop and test the foundation of the K-pop experiential learning project.
Challenges
Over the summer of 2024, students formed a voluntary group to work on these projects under supervision. The key challenge was communication due to the nature of the summer semester. Some students were in their hometowns, while others were taking summer classes. B-Girls, in particular, faced more challenges since none of them were on campus. Their entire summer was spent planning, with some feeling frustrated by the inability to meet and practice in person. X-Change faced a similar challenge, but their main difficulty stemmed from creating all original materials. While many students had experience doing this individually, it was almost everyone's first time working in a group setting. About 15 students joined the X-Change project, with the leaders who developed the concept in the K-pop course spearheading all the necessary processes.
Many times, students lose the initial motivation for their project as they face uncertainty. This mirrors what happens in the K-pop industry, where people constantly deal with production and market uncertainty. The only way to maintain motivation is by recognizing that they are not alone and that help is always available. One of the challenges I observed among students was their tendency toward perfectionism. Individual commitment sometimes overshadowed the group spirit. However, the interesting thing was that the more struggles they faced, the more trust developed among them. This trust, aligned with their initial goals, held them together.
For example, X-Change decided to add a fourth member who wouldn’t be available until the end of summer. This decision was made collectively because they trusted the process, even though it increased uncertainty. The new member had to learn quickly in a very short amount of time. Meanwhile, B-Girls began practicing at the start of the fall semester, facing a great deal of uncertainty. Three weeks prior to the debut showcase, which was part of Berklee’s K-Pop & Beyond event on October 2, 2024, one of the B-Girls members injured her ankle. Despite this devastating accident, they quickly found a new member who was willing to step in and help. This demonstrated not only friendship but also how students addressed challenges and made quick decisions at the right time.
Learning Process
The K-pop industry is filled with the spirit of adaptability and resilience. Labels work diligently to produce the best possible idols to meet the growing global demand, which requires faster turnarounds. This heavy workload and daunting creative process are compensated when they see their efforts flourish. There are, of course, pros and cons to this nature of the industry. X-Change and B-Girls shared the same learning themes of adaptability and resilience—not just how to overcome challenges, but how to persevere while keeping a clear vision of the destination and beyond.
Mingxin, a member of X-Change, had never danced before. The amount of trust motivated him to join the group and work diligently to master the complex choreography. Dasom, the choreographer and leader for X-Change, expressed how difficult it was to keep the team motivated. Her incredible adaptability and resilience made it possible and demonstrated that giving up is not an option. Dolly, who kindly held Mingxin’s hand and coached him with respect, exceeded all expectations. At the same time, she demonstrated the power of a smile, which brought all the members together and alleviated tension. Chrisen, who joined later, demonstrated how passion can help overcome time constraints and still deliver results. This mirrors exactly what happens during the K-pop idol training process. The administrators and producers of X-Change—Madi, Kyra, Linus, Minju, Chloe, Renold, Siyi, Jei Jei, Jianyang, Ice, Liv, Olga, and Zach—demonstrated incredible dedication under the collective spirit of adaptability and resilience. They learned and witnessed the positive consequences of staying optimistic.
Christine and Hyeri, the initiators of B-Girls, also clearly demonstrated adaptability and resilience. Despite her injury, Christine recognized the priorities and acted with a gentle and kind manner—an essential attribute of a great leader. Hyeri, who is based on the Valencia campus, worked remotely but understood what needed to be done and communicated clearly with the group. Bronwyn, Sofia, and Veronica, all non-Korean members, had to sing the song in Korean, adding another level to their learning process (acknowledging that Mingxin, Dolly, and Chrisen of X-Change are also non-Korean students). The production team—Peter, Jennifer, Linus, Harrison, and Atom—interpreted the style of S.E.S., the legendary Korean girl group that B-Girls modeled themselves after. This was a culturally and academically significant achievement for the non-Korean students. Learning about a new culture through the lens of adaptability and resilience is, once again, the core of this experiential learning project. I witnessed how this provided students with valuable learning objectives.
Personal Reflection
I have to admit that I am not a K-pop expert. My background in jazz performance certainly helps me understand the music and production aspects, but being Korean is just one resource I can draw from. Throughout this process, I’ve learned one important thing: like us as professionals, students need less supervision and more encouragement. It was incredible to see how much they already knew. As learners, students sometimes aren’t sure if the knowledge they generate or gain will truly make a difference. However, it became clear to me that the trust we built came from allowing things to unfold in their own way—with less supervision and more encouragement.
I personally adored this project. As a faculty member, I have limited hours and resources to support this, but it was definitely an experiential learning experience for me. David Kolb (1984), a pioneer of experiential learning theory, developed a four-stage learning cycle that includes concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, reflective observation, and active experimentation. The key to his theory is the transformation of experience. Reflecting on the idol project, from both student and faculty standpoints, we thoroughly experienced each stage. The final reflection will naturally emerge whenever we talk about such experiences and will remain engraved in our hearts. Yes, there was both laughter and tears, but it is worth noting that we made the best choice.
Future
Now students have a platform for learning, and the important question is how they will make their next decision—whether they will choose to continue expanding and challenging themselves, or if this will remain a one-time experience. As Keeton & Tate’s definition of experiential learning reminds us, this is a process. I believe true learning begins now, as students reflect on these experiences and explore how to make them sustainable in their own ways. Our role is to offer continuous support and encouragement as they grow. Many of the X-Change members will graduate in Spring 2025, and I am confident they will carry this experience into their professional lives. On the other hand, most of the B-Girls are in the early stages of their academic careers, excited to see how this project evolves. As we witness their journey, let's embrace each moment with them and continue to grow alongside them.
Here is the Fall 2024 KPop & Beyond video: https://youtu.be/Z-mlX39In3w
B-Girls Performance: https://youtu.be/Z-mlX39In3w?si=KAgSN9aq54tOzGSQ&t=3381
X-Change Performance: https://youtu.be/Z-mlX39In3w?si=Hv561K_LyM4oyf_c&t=3969
Tony Pittman Solo Dance: https://youtu.be/Z-mlX39In3wsi=Ewp4Mdj8t4q3Jd8z&t=4694
Reference
Keeton, M. T., & Tate, P. J. (Eds.). (1978). Learning by experience: What, why, how.
Jossey-Bass. New Directions for Experiential Learning.
Kolb, David A (1984) Experiential Learning : Experience as the source of learning and
development, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
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