1995 saw progress in gamelan music world

1995 saw progress in gamelan music world

By Zoel Mistortoify

PRAMBANAN, Yogyakarta (JP): The end of 1995 saw an important
step in the world of gamelan music with the organizing of the
International Gamelan Festival II and a seminar focused on the
future of karawitan (the art of gamelan play and singing)
education.

The festival, held in Prambanan, Yogyakarta, was opened by
Vice President Try Sutrisno and closed by Coordinating Minister
for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman. It was
attended by participants from France, Japan, the United States,
Britain, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Indonesia. These
countries, which have gamelan music centers of their own, took
part in the festival to share experiences and take stock of their
progress by comparing themselves to the other participants.

Gamelan has been known to the world since the 16th century. It
was reintroduced at the World Expo in Paris in 1870. Since then,
meetings on gamelan music have frequently taken place across the
world.

The festival was a continuation of the International Gamelan
Festival I held in Vancouver, part of the World Expo of Canada in
1986. The difference in the second festival and seminar was that
it concentrated mainly on the role children play in the future of
karawitan. The basic objective is to make the gamelan part
Indonesian children's musical education.

Eight children karawitan groups, with 12 performances, and six
adult karawitan groups, with 7 presentations, were on the
festival's program. Large audiences, consisting of the public,
karawitan lovers and observers and experts from Indonesia and
abroad, attended the performances.

The Indonesian adult karawitan groups presented contemporary
works such as Ono opo (What's Up) by Bambang SP from Surabaya,
1001 Topeng (1001 Masks) by Darno and Omong (Talk) by I Nyoman
Sukerna from the Indonesian Arts Institute of Surakarta, Dangiang
by Suhendi and Yus from the Indonesian Arts Institute of Bandung,
and a number of works by Jaduk Ferianto of Yogyakarta.

The Indonesian children karawitan compositions were not exempt
from complex contemporary idioms, like the works of Srana
Banyuwangi Kapuronto of East Java and Ubud's Gentha Buwana Sari,
which were quite enthralling. The young performers were of
elementary and high school age, but the quality of their
performances was mature.

The foreign karawitan groups, of both adults and children,
strongly adhered to performing the compositions in accordance
with classical norms, which was touching and admirable for the
local audience. The more so when Tokyo's Kodomo No Shiro
(Children Castle) and the Anger Galerie Sonore of France
performed children compositions in a strong straightforward way.
The degree of "quality" did not need to apply in this case. On
the other hand, Indonesia's younger generation should ask
themselves why all this could happen.

Various comments were heard from observers, concerning the
variety of interpretations in presentation and style of the
classical and contemporary compositions, from the humorous to the
serious genres.

One was aware of the phenomenon of cultural intersection of
gamelan music, which entailed the vast spectrum of perceptions of
the Indonesian society. Suhartoyo, the festival's committee
chairman, said that during the two days of performances he had
found contradictory perceptions. Some people considered that the
young Indonesian artists had destroyed their own tradition.
Others thought that their contemporary works had given rise to
new sensations. "It makes sense," said one festival visitor.

Things are happening now. Demands are being made on the art of
gamelan music in Indonesia to continuously change the way of
performing classical works to an interpretative style. On the
other hand, demands are being made on the art of gamelan music to
create new progressive, even explosive, works. We are convinced
that gamelan music will continue to exist in its own country.
However, are the demands understood within the limits of the
implication of seeking popularity?

In many countries gamelan music has been studied not only for
its development but for what could be its essential objective,
which is for the development of humans to be more human. In
Japan, gamelan music has been used as tool for mental
stimulation, expanding musical experiences and in the therapy of
handicapped children.

The discussions at the seminars on Dec. 28 and Dec. 30, 1995,
brought forward a number of important opinions and formulations.
The discussions, by five speakers, were focused on appreciation,
composition and strategy for fostering children karawitan. Prof.
Harjo Susilo said that the degree of appreciation is not only
based on the quality of an interesting work, but also on the
community's perception of the social position of artists in olden
days, and the appreciation by the parents who also influence
their children's appreciation. Prof. Dieter Mack said that an
objective appreciation arises if somebody experiences their own
music process. It was admitted, however, that the parents' role,
the environment and education are determining factors in the
growth of children's appreciation.

From the formulation read out by Dr. Sri Hastanto, the
seminar's chairman, it can be concluded that Indonesian children
are facing three cultural conflicts: traditional, national and
world culture. This is an impediment for Indonesian children
looking for an identity in their cultural environment.
Traditional Indonesian children's games, which are very important
in developing children's cultural spirit, are disappearing fast,
while games are an approach to acquaint oneself with esthetics,
including gamelan music.

The Indonesian community needs to be convinced that an
education in music is not only a way to produce musicians but,
more importantly, it will produce people who appreciate, love and
support the existence of gamelan music. In this situation, the
institution that should be developed is a workshop system which
would be in accordance with local conditions.

The Indonesian Gamelan Festival II and the seminar sponsored
by the Senawangi Foundation Jakarta will endeavor to convince the
government to handle the problems of traditional music and art
education in general more seriously. It will be up to the
Indonesian gamelan music community whether it is able to stem the
development of cultural dimensions that have gone out of control
and to raise the dimensions which are weakening.

The writer is conducting post-graduate studies on the
performing arts at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.