Pianist Marusya playing her own tune

By Ida Indawati Khouw

JAKARTA (JP): We listen to the music, but we never learn to change the tune to create a different atmosphere.

That is how composer and pianist Marusya Nainggolan Abdullah criticized the new government, by comparing it with the disharmony often found in music.

"Our political condition is comparable to a poor orchestra,in which all the musicians want to play their instruments at an allegro vivace (fast and lively) tempo with con spiritoso (high spirit) at a fortissisimo (very loud) volume. What kind of music will result from that? Apparently no one wants to take a supporting role," said Marusya, who specializes in contemporary music.

She suggested a simple formula that would encourage politicians to model themselves on the principles of an orchestra.

"The main thing in the orchestra is the harmony. This means that sometimes, for example, the violin should support the other instruments, while at other times the violin should be dominant and the players should accept this condition," she said.

Using the same modest principle, Marusya has been able to successfully blend traditional music in her performances.

On some occasions, she plays a melodious fusion of traditional instruments such as the gondang from Tapanuli, the Javanese gamelan and Sundanese instruments.

"The key lies in the willingness to learn from everybody, sometimes even from illiterate people, like when we learn Betawi music," said the gray-haired woman, who has studied music in Australia and at Boston University.

With these principles, a collaboration between the educated pianist and the simple rebana musicians, for instance, is able to work. "I can play any kind of music, be it keroncong or dangdut for instance," she said.

But these collaborations are not aimed at co-opting these different types of music and making them obsolete. Rather it is like oil floating on water; the different types of music cannot be truly united but they are able to exist together.

Betawi music

Marusya is currently focusing her attention on Betawi music, which may make her the only composer and pianist working with this musical style.

"So far I don't know of any others who are concerned with Betawi music," she said.

Listening to her play the piano with the gambang kromong Betawi orchestra during a recent workshop was a unique and pleasing experience.

About Betawi music itself, Marusya remarked: "It's a very good example of bringing together music from totally different backgrounds. There are Chinese, Arabian, Balinese and other tones in it. And working with this kind of music is very interesting and challenging."

Betawi music has been the inspiration behind several of her compositions, like Tukang Koran (Newspaper Seller), Balada Betawi (Betawi Ballad) and Anak Asongan (Sidewalk Vendor).

"It's a pity that there is so little attention paid to Betawi music, so now it is almost only played in the background at certain events. That's why the Betawi musicians are so pleased when I pay attention to their music. They never even ask for money (when playing with her) because they are just grateful to know that there's someone who cares," she said.

After a series of rehearsals with the members of the Betawi orchestra, Marusya said she truly began to appreciate them. "They are real musicians. My role there was just to show them how to make all the instruments produce good music together."

She would like to hold a Betawi music concert, but has come up against the reality that finding sponsorships for such an event is extremely difficult.

"It makes me resentful that it is easier to get sponsorships for 'less-quality' performances, while sometimes I have to borrow money from friends and relatives to stage concerts."

Born in Bogor, West Java, on Aug. 24, 1954, Marusya has become a household name in Indonesia since first beginning to perform in the 1970s.

She shares her knowledge as a music teacher at several institutions, including the Jakarta School of Arts and the Jakarta Theological Seminary.

Religious

Those who have a good ear may find that listening to one of Marusya's compositions is something of a religious journey.

As a Christian, Marusya said many of her compositions were inspired by verses from the Bible. She also credited many of her ideas to Sunday sermons.

"The sermons often inspire me. For example, when the church reverend is delivering a homily, sometimes the musical notes pop up in my mind," she said.

That is why most of her compositions reveal the values of love and peace.

Her composition Damai (Peace), for example, was inspired by the bombings of several churches on Christmas Eve last year.

"The composition delivers the message that a human being has no right to take another person's life, because that life belongs to God," she said.

Marusya believes music is a form of prayer to God, who blesses humans with musical talent. "So when I teach children, the first thing I stress is that they should sing for God."

Her love of children (she has a son, Mahan, five) is manifested in her involvement in the children choirs at her church (GKI Kayu Putih in East Jakarta) and at the Perguruan Cikini school.

Indeed, she is concerned about the development of the younger generations.

"Children are the basic element of a country's future, so I shape their feelings through music" she said.

That is why when she founded the Marusya Chamber Orchestra in the 1990s she selected young musicians, a practice that continues today.