Voice of the people: Take your pick of music courses

Voice of the people: Take your pick of music courses

There are dozens of music courses in town, all having their own
specialities on offer, although at first glance at their
signboard it's often hard to tell apart.

If you have ambitions of singing for your supper, just want to
perfect that bathroom baritone or tinker on the ivories, scan the
following list. At the end of the day, your choice may well hinge
on which school is closest to home.

Sekolah Musik Yayasan Pendidikan Musik (YPM)
Jl. Kepodang Raya No. 30, Tel. 021-7350374
Jl. Manggarai Utara No. 5, Tel. 021-8292469

Established in 1952, this music school is probably the oldest
and respected music schools in the country. Programs include
piano, violin, guitar, flute and vocal. The school has yielded
top notch graduates. One of them is Kuei Pin Yeo, the first
Indonesian with a PhD in music from the Manhattan School of
Music. The New York Times once described him as a great
technician and a responsive musician.

Yayasan Musik Indonesia
Yamaha Music Center Building
Jl. Gatot Subroto No. 4, South Jakarta Tel. 021-5201577/5202578

Perhaps the biggest music course chain here, with 60 branches
all over the country ever since it was established here in 1972.
A franchised of Japan's Yamaha Music Foundation, it has programs
on piano, electone, guitar, drums, children's music education and
popular music course.

Elfa's Music Studio
Jl. Duta IX Blok LL No. 15, Tel. 8203757
Jl. Wijaya I No. 7, Tel. 021-7251647

Formed by noted musician Elfa Secioria, it was first
established in his hometown Bandung and now has branches
all over the country. There are four branches in the capital.
Programs offered are piano and vocal, with an admission fee Rp
300,000.

Lembaga Pendidikan Musik Farabi
Jl. Dharmawangsa XI/5, South Jakarta Tel. 021-7224407

Established in 1978, it was subsequently taken over by top
musician Dwiki Dharmawan. Teachers include fellow musician,
drummer Gilang Ramadhan, and programs range from guitar, drum,
violin, classical piano, bass, trumpet, and saxophone. Admission
fee Rp 600,000 with monthly fee Rp 200,000. Audition needed for
electric guitar, with additional fee of Rp 25,000. There will be
final examination, which means there is the possibility of
flunking, and a certificate is provided.

Purwacaraka Music Studio
Jl. BDN Raya No. 10B, South Jakarta, Tel. 021-7512845

Another music course owned by musician, that is Purwacaraka.
Courses include vocal, guitar, piano, drums and violins.
Admission fee is Rp 400,000 and monthly fee Rp 200,000.

Bill Saragih
Jl. Cikini Raya No. 77, Central Jakarta. Tel. 3157002

Run by Indonesian jazz legend Bill Saragih, often called
the Indonesian Louis Armstrong.

Yayasan Amadeus
Menara Citibank, Jl. Metro Pondok Indah 2nd Fl., South Jakarta
Tel. 7662853/54/57

A music school, recommended by conductor Addie MS. The woman
behind this school is 39-year-old violinist Grace Sudargo.
She is the first Indonesian, and the first Asian women, to
graduate cum laude in teaching and concert from the Austrian
Hochschule Fur Music, the oldest music university in Europe.

Institut Musik Daya
Jl. Taman Kemang I Kav. 11, South Jakarta
Tel. 021-71792331

A music school, run by noted jazz musician Tjut Nyak Deviana
Daudsjah. It has two programs, undergraduate and graduate
study. Students will be taught anything they need to know about
music, with a major given on the later years. There are five
subjects given for undergraduate study, and 22 subjects for
graduate. The minimum age for undergraduate students is 15 years
old, while graduate students should be at least 18 but not older
than 30.

-- Hera Diani