For Indonesian Students Only
In this two-hour hands-on music workshop, students will be introduced to the large, mostly bronze, Javanese music ensemble known as gamelan. The workshop will be taught mainly in Indonesian, providing students with basic vocabulary on musical sounds and techniques, some of this specific to Javanese music and some more universal. Students will learn a little about the roles that the various instruments in the ensemble play. We will learn to play two short pieces that will highlight the contrasting sounds of the gamelan’s two different tuning systems, as well as the stylistic differences between Central and East Javanese music traditions. In both of these pieces, the gamelan can be played as accompaniment to short, playful songs in Javanese; we will also spend some time learning about these vocal parts, what they mean, what performance contexts they’re likely to be heard in, and what kinds of cultural significance these songs carry.
Questions? Email SEASSI Area Studies Director, Steve Laronga: smlaronga@wisc.edu