Reforming music education in Indonesia

Reforming music education in Indonesia

By A. Chaedar Alwasilah

BANDUNG (JP): Many believe that music is simply a form of
entertainment that does not require any thoughtful consideration
at all. This attitude emanating from sheer ignorance has pushed
music into a corner, where it is perceived as unimportant. On the
other hand, science, English and math are put in a better
position on the school curriculum. This partial treatment has
left students with a feeling of estrangement from music and art
in general.

A features article by Deborah Hasting of Associated Press
which was printed in The Jakarta Post on March 16 revealed that
music lessons coupled with a special computer program
significantly increased the math skills of elementary
schoolchildren. The report further said that "the learning of
music emphasizes thinking in space and time."

The national high school curriculum (1993) stipulates that art
education is aimed at developing sensitivity toward art, skills
in art works and in inculcating respect for and pride of
Indonesian arts and cultures in general, This school subject
comprising music, fine art, dance and drama is meant to develop
on students an equilibrium between rational and emotional
aspects. That is to say, high school students are expected to
demonstrate aesthetic appreciation toward, as well as creativity
in, producing artworks.

Unfortunately, this imposing curricular goal has encountered
various hindrances. As an impact of globalization and
industrialization, students are continuously bombarded with music
programs from overseas. It is not unreasonable to infer that
Indonesia's youth is more familiar with Mariah Carey, Guns 'N
Roses, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, to mention just a few.
One may immediately blame MTV as scapegoat. To our dismay,
Indonesian traditional music such as kecapi suling, gamelan,
angklung and Cianjuran continue to be forgotten especially among
he youth in urban cities.

Another obstacle is the fact that, in general, schools do not
have qualified music teachers. Professor Dieter Mach,
ethnomusicologist and composer at School of Music in Freburg,
Germany, in his book Pendidikan Music: Antara Harapan dan
Kenyataan (Music Education: Between Hopes and Reality, 1996)
criticized the current practice of music education here. In his
observation, while the teaching of traditional music is hardly
successful, music teachers do not have sufficient knowledge about
Western music. Even worse, teachers oftentimes introduce
misconceptions about Western music to students.

Students are provided with a history of Western music rather
than an introduction to traditional music. It is a pity that many
teachers are fascinated by the delusion that Western music is the
only model for music education. No wonder most high school
students are crazy about pop music, although without educated
consciousness, understanding and appreciation. A knowledge of
music theory may be helpful, notwithstanding that such rational
competence does not in itself disclose aesthetic meaning at all.

Strong and disheartening though Mach's assessment may sound to
us, there must be some wisdom in it. A theory exists that long
colonialism in the past and present globalization account for
students' failing to appreciate traditional music. Meanwhile,
efforts to improve the education system in the country are
hindered by abject facilities and lack of understanding among
policymakers. However, the most lamentable thing is teachers'
fallacious perception that Western music is superior to
Indonesian traditional music.

By way of comparison, in most American schools, music is part
of extracurricular activities. In schools, relatively few hours
and activities are allocated for teaching music. In this respect,
like in Indonesia, music lessons do not contribute significantly
to general education. It is in the extracurricular program that
music, along with sports, is promoted most.

American schools are very much characterized by the "melting
pot" philosophy, by which teachers are inspired to expose
students to virtually any form of music available. Each work is
invited to speak its own message and to stand on its own merits.
Students are conditioned to be familiar with and appreciative of
music reflecting different living cultures. Through this mode of
aesthetical negotiation, students' creativity is fostered and
their appreciation is ascertained. Thus, students are provided
with an opportunity to appreciate music as part of their general
education, and talented students are promoted to develop to the
full.

In German schools, music education in early years is aimed at
exploring and developing sensitivity toward sounds in general.
Perhaps, this is what composer Igor Stravinsky meant when he
asserted: "My music is best understood by children and animals."
That is to say, enrichment of experience of music depends upon
openness to the boundless variety of possible music ideas.

At later stages, music education is aimed at developing
appreciation and cognition. It is never meant to train students
to be musicians. Like in the U.S., music training is generally
part of extracurricular programs. According to Mach, in 1986 in
Germany there were 750 private music schools with 589,616
students. Students pay approximately a half of the cost, while
the other half is paid by the local government.

Dwelling upon the practice of music education in both the U.S
and Germany, as illustrated above, it is a certainty that our
music education is still far from satisfactory. A survey
(conducted by the writer in 1996) with undergraduate music majors
at Bandung's Teachers Training Institute as the respondents
revealed statistics as follows:

More than a half of students, 51 percent, did not play any
musical instrument in their elementary years. Most respondents,
77 percent, reported learning Sundanese (traditional West
Javanese) songs in elementary schools, although they, 68 percent,
reported that their schools did not have facilities for learning
Sundanese music. And 89 percent reported enjoying no facilities
to learn Western music.

At junior high school levels, situations are slightly better,
where 83 percent of the respondents played an instrument, and 74
percent learned Sundanese songs. At senior high school levels, 66
percent of respondents learned Sundanese songs. It was also found
that in their high school years, most respondents, 91 percent,
did not take any music courses outside schools.

The statistics above suggest many things, and three major
observations follow. First, our elementary schools, so far, have
neglected music, which is, in fact, part of general or basic
education. Students are already introduced to traditional music.
It does not mean, though, that they really learn music. Despite
the fact that traditional flutes made of bamboo are inexpensive
and easy to get, most students are not familiar with them. It is
no exaggeration to say that elementary schools are not staffed
with qualified music teachers. They simply make bricks without
straw.

Second, music education in secondary schools seems to be
relatively better in terms of hours. This is not an ideal
situation though. As German and American schools demonstrate,
early years of schooling are highly influential, constituting an
ideal period of exploring and developing students' sensitivity of
musical sounds. There is a common attitude among educational
bureaucrats here: the lower an educational institution, the less
attention it is paid to. To improve music education in elementary
school, music -- along with sports and English -- should be
taught by subject teachers rather than grade teachers.

Third, music education is not unreasonably perceived as a
luxury in this country. The continued growing of private music
schools attracting schoolchildren of various ages is a sound
indicator of improved music education. It would be relatively
long time before this indicator comes into reality in this
country.

Reforming music education does not necessarily entail
additional hours at schools. The way to a genuine appreciation of
music is through a right and informed form of education. The
crucial things to do are: (1) priority should be given to local
traditional music before introducing Western music and other
forms of music; (2) music appreciation should take precedence
over history and theoretical aspects of music; (3) music should
be taught by professional music teachers rather than grade
teachers; and (4) talented students should be furnished with
opportunities to develop their potentials in extracurricular
programs.

The writer is a lecturer at Graduate School of Bandung
Teachers Training Institute, West Java.