There is a popular belief that there are two distinct traditions of farmers' band music in Jeonla Province: jwado(left) and udo(right). The common outline of the two traditions, however, reflects the outsider's etic perspective. When we investigate the individual band musics in Jeonia province, we can notice that each village band music differs one from the other in its components, clothes, music, and so forth. In order to construct a general delineation of a cultural tradition of jwado band tradition, we need to delve into the detailed traits of each village's band music practice. Three troupes - Imsil Pilbong, Jinan Jungpyeong, and Namwon - are still active among many village traditions in jwado tradition. They have a common performing lineage of semi-professional or professional band tradition with masterful performers. They are training tens of thousands of students who are searching for the so-called "national music." While these troupes have become big businesses, other village traditions performed by amateurs have been vanishing. Even the surviving band has become "performing arts" which are presented in a public stage divorced from its cultural context. With the emergence of samul nori (percussion quartet) and the gravitation of the attention toward the big three troupes, each village tradition has begun to modify their performance so that the diversity of jwado tradition is indistinct compare to earlier days. For instance, the buk (barrel drum) which was not employed in many villages due to its clamourous sound that did not harmonize with delicate rhythms of the soe (small gong) and janggo (hourglass-shaped drum). The buk has become an indispensable instrument to the band to compose the samul ("four objects") since the 19805. The members of jwado band do not always wear jeonlip (rounded hat) contradictory to the common view. The members of a band descended from the (semi-)professional band tradition normally wear the jeonlip to exhibit various performances with it. The members of the village bands seldom wear the jeonlip because they cannot accomplish such a highly-skilled performances as the professional musicians do. Today, farmers' band music admirers and scholars worry that it is losing its diversity because of the emergence of samul nori and the popularization of florid big bands. In order to revive the precious traditional cultural artifacts, we should bring back to life of the philosophy and aesthetics of the farmers' band music - the solidarity of village people and the diversity of village tradition.
한국국악학회는 국악을 연구하여 음악학 및 민족음악의 향상에 기여할 목적으로 1948년 4월 봄에 이혜구, 장사훈, 성경린, 이주환 외 15명의 발기로 발족하여 1963년 12월 14일 사단법인체로 인가취득한 이래 1) 국악의 연구발표 2) 국악 관계자료서 수집 3) 국악에 관한 전시회 및 강연회 개최 4) 국악에 관한 출판사업 5) 국내의 학계간 교류 등의 사업을 진행해 오고 있다. 본 학회는 국악의 연구발표를 4000여회에 가까운 월례발표회를 가졌으며, 20회에 걸친 국악기 및 국악서적 전시회를 열고 3회의 신국악작곡 발표회를 가진 바 있다. 특히 학회에서는 1971년 한국음악연구 제1집을 발간한 이래 현재 제45집 출판에 이르렀으며, 30여종의 고악보 간행, 이혜구 박사 송수기념 음악학 논총, 장사훈 회갑기념 동양음악논총 등 30여권의 단행본을 출판하였다. 또한 1989년 제1회 국악학 전국대회를 열어 한국음악의 쟁점이 되는 주제를 선정하여 전국규모의 학술대회를 개최하고 있으며, 1975년 한·일간의 고려악 연구회를 발족시켜 일본의 음악학자들과의 공동연구로 심포지움을 개최하였으며, 1981년에는 국제전통음악학회(ICTM) 서울대회를 치뤄내고, 1994년에는 제1회 아시아 태평양 민족음악학회(APSE)를 서울에서, 1999년에는 제6회 아시아 태평양 민족음악학회(APSE)를 수원에서 성황리에 치뤄내는 등 외국학회와 교류에 힘써왔다.