Academics no slouches as band members, either
Academics no slouches as band members, either
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
If someone decides to grab an instrument and jump on stage to
perform, they ought to have a conviction that they can please a
crowd.
If not from their musical skill, it should be from messages
they want to convey in their music. One has to choose between the
spirit of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) or The Clash.
However, four music-loving professors from state University of
Indonesia (UI) took the middle course, with sufficient musical
technique to have fun together.
Out of their sheer passion for music, professors of psychology
Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, criminology Tubagus Roni Nitibaskara,
political science Martani Husaini and sociology Paulus Wirutomo
decided, two years ago, to take their music seriously and started
rehearsing in between lectures and field research.
Their years of rehearsal and small gigs paid off on Wednesday
during a gig organized by UI alumni at Rouge Cafe in Kemang,
South Jakarta.
Although the professors did not display exceptional musical
prowess during the show, the songs were never out of tune, but
enjoyable.
Performing oldie standard hits from the fifties, light jazz
and a couple of newer local hits, the four professors, backed by
scores of junior lecturers who were formerly their students, gave
a measured, if not cautious, performance.
Sarlito's saxophone playing was note-by-note straight from the
sheet music, while Paulus' drumming was sufficient to give a
rhythmical background to the performance, to keep the piece going
to the end.
The only spark of brilliance occurred when Tubagus gave an
extended banjo intro that sent a frenzy through the audience.
The rest of the show consisted mostly of slow songs suitable
to accompany the dozens of affluent, middle-class intellectuals
in the cafe dancing cheek-to-cheek with their spouses.
The most immediate impression was that the band was simply
enjoying themselves.
The whole situation was reminiscent of a scene from Tembang
Kenangan, a show on local TV devoted to elderly folk indulging in
past glories.
The Kemang performance was not the first for the group, which
had been christened the Professor Band. They have performed in
various occasions in several cities.
Sarlito, who was a fan of Tom Jones and saxophonist Billy
Vaughn, said that the band has been widely known in intellectual
circles and beyond.
"The last time we performed was at a jazz festival here," he
said before taking the stage.
Sarlito's bandmate Tubagus said that although they didn't
consider themselves as professional musicians who made a living
from performing, they would play earnestly, simply through their
love for music.
"Being a professor with bunch of activities is not a reason to
turn up a bad performance," the ardent Beatles fan told The
Jakarta Post.