Luminous Gamelan
LINKS TO GAMELAN PAGES
Essential Gamelan Workshops
INTRODUCTION TO THE GAMELAN ORCHESTRA
This workshop is an essential introduction to the Gamelan. Over the course of a
single session participants form an ensemble that can perform cohesively,
experiencing music at a highly interactive level. Participants as young as 7 or 8 can enjoy this session. They learn music from
the Indonesian tradition developing musical skills along the way.
It is usual to work with 15 students or less at a time, and to concentrate on
the experience of making music as an ensemble. Workshop sessions can last up to
two hours. Beginners are easily integrated into the ensemble. Using combinations of
traditional and original music, we teach first by ear and then by a form of
non-western music notation.
Workshops provide information about background aspects of gamelan music. This
might include descriptions of locale, culture, climate, customs, how the
instruments are made, related art forms such as puppetry and dance, different
styles of music from various regions, ways of notating music, related music
from neighboring countries, etc.
This program is aimed to enlarge cultural experience, and to allow participants
to return with musical knowledge that will enhance their own cultural
activities. Previous musical experience is helpful, though not essential.
These hands-on sessions are available at primary, secondary and adult levels and
are a valuable introduction for secondary schools curriculum.
Most beginning encounters with gamelan bring the individual into contact with
simple, traditional forms of Indonesian music. There is a large and attractive
repertoire to learn the basics from, and traditional music can teach us a great
deal. Much of this music is in active circulation, played by established gamelan
ensembles throughout the world. Some of it is hauntingly beautiful, some of it
challenging, and most of it presents unusual ways of thinking about music.
THE CREATIVE GAMELAN
Commencing with introductory workshops on a full set of gamelan instruments,
pupils continue to work in once or twice weekly sessions, translating their
gamelan experiences onto western instruments. Compositions begin to emerge and
all members of the group pitch in to help one another. With an increased
awareness of music making, they return to the gamelan to further explore the
new music they have made, now infused with cross-cultural implications.
For young people it is normal to learn gamelan music primarily by ear,
emphasizing the skills of listening and memorisation. This translates well into
the process of composition, where the music can be simple, often groovy and
beat oriented. Within a short time playing skills are gained, and this ‘instant ensemble’ is making very interesting music.
The sounds of the gamelan instruments are coherent and relaxing. The tonalities
seem to function on several levels at once, helping pupils make better sense of
western instruments. During these sessions, Orff creative-music approaches and
game structures help unlock the mysteries of the composer-performer.
Performances at the conclusion of the project allow the children to show their
compositions on both western and gamelan instruments.