Composer worried about new children's songs
Composer worried about new children's songs
By Rita A. Widiadana
JAKARTA (JP): Millions of Indonesian children are familiar
with the modest yet touching song Pelangi (Rainbow). Even now,
this composition still echoes in homes, in schools and other
places. This song is about a beautiful rainbow in a blue sky and
teaches children to praise its creator, God.
However, many people do not recognize the man who composed
this evergreen children's song.
It was Abdullah Totong Mahmud, popularly known as A.T. Mahmud,
who wrote this song more than 30 years ago. It was inspired by
the curiosity of one of his daughters about the natural
phenomenon of rainbows.
For almost 40 years, A.T. Mahmud has written about 800
children's songs, including Pelangi, Amelia, Main Ayunan (Playing
on a Swing) and Ambilkan Bulan (Get Me The Moon). Together with
the late Ibu Sud (popular name for Saridjah Niung Bintang
Soedibjo), Pak Kasur (Soerjono) Daldiyono and Ki Suratman, A.T.
Mahmud has enriched the lives of many Indonesian children with
beautiful compositions.
Born in Palembang, South Sumatra, in l930, he has been active
in the world of education. After graduating from the Teachers'
Training College in Jakarta, he continued his study at the
University of Sydney, Australia.
Between 1968 and l988, A.T. Mahmud hosted music programs for
children: Lagu Pilihanku (My Requested Song) and Ayo Menyanyi
(Let's Sing), at the state-owned TVRI. The programs were halted
by the station in l988, one year before the emergence of private
television stations.
A.T. Mahmud is as prolific as ever. He is also an avid
observer of the development of children's songs and the country's
junior entertainment world. He has great concerned about the
quality of today's children's song and the condition of young
singers. The following is an excerpt from an interview with The
Jakarta Post.
Question: Why are so many people, including you, so worried
about the quality of current children's songs?
Answer: It's really pathetic. If we talk about children's
songs, we have to first understand the definition.
For me, a song is a means of artistic expression, and children
are human beings who are still in a growing process both mentally
and physically.
A good children's song is a composition that reveals
imagination, feelings and artistic expression, seen from the
children's point of view, that can stimulate their mental and
physical progress. In my opinion, most of today's songs are not
appropriate for children.
Q: How can you come to such conclusion?
A: It is not a conclusion, it is a long and meticulous
observation. Listen to popular children songs. Their lyrics lack
educative and moral values and are often burdened with a pack of
messages which are hardly understood by the singers. I'll show
you an example.
In a song called Aku Cinta Rupiah (I Love the Rupiah), the
singer urges people to use their Indonesian currency, the rupiah,
instead of U.S. dollars when they purchase goods or save their
money. That is a campaign launched by adults to boost the
declining rupiah value against the dollar. How can a six- or
seven-year-old singer understand the meaning of its content?
The appearance of young performers are also incredible. They
appear in a style only suitable for grown-ups. They are just
miniatures of adult singers.
Q: How important are lyrics in a song?
A: Lyrics in children's songs are very substantial.
Children, especially the under five-year-olds, are excellent
learners and observers. In these formative years, they can easily
absorb everything from their surroundings, including songs and
music.
Ideally, a song should contain lyrics that help children
develop verbal skills and vocabulary as well their knowledge and
moral values. If a child frequently hears bad songs with vulgar
lyrics, he or she will absorb values from the songs that will
persist forever in their minds.
Q: Who is responsible for the current situation of our children's
music world?
A: We are all responsible. Parents, teachers, songwriters, the
government and other parties, including TV stations and music
producers.
Q: Is there any effort being made to improve the quality of our
children's songs?
A: Child experts, including psychologists, educators, senior
songwriters and musicians, have been voicing their concern over
this problem since l989.
There was a series of seminars, workshops and discussions to
formulate "genuine" children's songs. There were also songwriting
contests to seek new talent and good songs but there was no
follow-up action.
These experts have also met with people from television
stations, producers and other parties involved in the music
industry.
Q: Was there any positive response from music producers or
related groups?
A: I think older songwriters, experts and people from the music
industry have different perceptions toward children's songs.
The late Ibu Sud and Pak Kasur, for example, wrote a song out
of their affection for children. They were educators who lived
among children and who understood their feelings. I am very sure
they never thought about making money from their writings.
Now, many people earn money from writing children's songs and
sell their works to producers at very high prices.
I asked one music producer whether he had set up a special
team to pick children's songs if he wanted to produce an album.
He honestly said he always let his workers and even servants hear
the songs offered to his studio. If they liked the songs, then he
would produce them and he was sure the songs would sell.
Q: What should we do now to prevent our children from hearing
low-quality songs?
A: We cannot prevent people from producing market-oriented
children's songs because it is their right. But don't forget,
children also have the right to hear good songs.
What we should do now is to encourage the government, child
experts and people from the music industry to give alternative
facilities for children to learn and to enjoy educative and
entertaining music activities. They deserve to live in a
harmonious and innocent world which is free from commercialism
and exploitation.