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.