Experiencing Indonesian Gamelan and Dance

ILMEA 2015 Wang & Kertayuda

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Experiencing Indonesian Gamelan and Dance

Presented by NIU Gamelan Ensemble & Indonesian Dance Illinois (IDI) Directed by I Gusti Ngurah Kertayuda ([email protected]) &

Jui-‐Ching Wang ([email protected])

PROGRAM Listening

Capung Gantung (Hovering Dragonfly), Balinese gamelan angklung Tari Pendet (Welcoming Flower Dance) and Balinese gamelan angklung

Baris (Warrior Dance) and Balinese gamelan angklung

Playing & Singing Basics of gamelan angklung

Singing Game

Meong Meong Alih Jok Bikule (Cat and Mouse), Balinese children’s game

Dancing Tari Payung (Umbrella Dance)

Gamelan is a percussion-‐dominated ensemble from Indonesia. It is the most popular Asian ensemble in the world, having 120 sets in the United States. The NIU School of Music teaches the Central Javanese and Balinese gamelans and gives regular concerts and demonstrations. Many composers, including NIU students and faculty, also write new compositions for the gamelan. For more information about gamelan, please visit the Indonesian Gamelan page available through NIU's Southeast Asian Studies Resource Site (http://www.seasite.niu.edu/indonesian/budaya_bangsa/gamelan/main_page/main_page.htm).


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About the Dance

Tari Pendet (Welcoming Flower Dance) Pendet dance, a greeting dance to welcome the audience and to invite spirits to enjoy a performance, is originally an important part of a ritual offering. The movements in Pendet, the basic dance movements of many Balinese female dances, are taught simply by imitation. The original Pendet dance is performed by four to five young girls in the temple courtyard. The dancers bring flowers in small Bokor (silver bowls containing flower petals) and spread the flowers around in a traditional symbolic Balinese ceremony to welcome the spirits. As it has evolved, the dance is now performed in both ritual ceremonies and at some social events. Baris (Warrior Dance) Also from the island of Bali, Baris is a male solo dance, known as the dance of the warrior. Using both abstract and realistic movements to show off the bravery of the young warrior, traditionally this is the first dance learned by young boys because the movements and strength they acquire can be carried over to all the other dance forms. The choreography is an ABA form: it begins with a gilak (a four-‐beat musical phrase) followed by a bapang (an eight-‐beat musical phrase) and concludes with another gilak. The dance is strenuous as it requires the dancer to hold his shoulders close to his ears and keep his arms in an upright, bent position for the duration of the piece, about fifteen minuets (Dibia 2004) The dancer improvises by arranging a set of movements to his liking. It is very important for the drummer and the main ugal (metallophone) player to pay close attention to the dancer’s signals for changes in movements. Seledet or darting eye movements to the side and back to center are used extensively in Baris and are linked to the musical phrases (ibid.). Tari Payung (Umbrella Dance) Tari Payung, Umbrella Dance, is a traditional dance of Minangkabau, an ethnic group also known as Minang in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditionally played by several pairs of young couples at a social event, the dance is usually accompanied by folk music in ABA form in Sikambang style in West Sumatra. Held by male dancers, the umbrella symbolizes shelter, and the long scarf, at times held together by the couples, symbolizes their bond, an auspicious relationship.


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The Balinese Gamelan in the Music Classroom

When a god used a gong to signal his army… In ancient times, a great god came to Java, where many different gods lived, and became king

of the gods. He created a gong and used it as a signal to call the gods to be on guard. If he struck the gong

twice, it meant the kingdom was at war, and the gods had to be ready to fight. In other situations, he struck the gong more than twice, so the gods got confused by the number

of strokes on this single-pitched gong. So…

the great god made a second gong with a different pitch.

With various combinations, these two gongs could be struck to indicate different signals. However, the number of signals had increased gradually, and the gods became confused again.

Consequently, the great god made a third gong tuned to a third pitch. These three gongs together, thus, became known as gamelan…


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Gamelan Angklung

Balinese music evolved from a complex mixture of local and Javanese sources. After the 14th-‐century collapse of the Javanese Majapaht dynasty and the Islamic ascendancy, Hindus fled from Java to Bali, bringing along their music and musical instruments. From then on, Bali was able to sustain its Hindu-‐Javanese cultural tradition.

Balinese Gamelan music has a strong similarity to Javanese music. Inherent in the Balinese music tradition are the classical gamelan principles, such as the percussion-‐dominated instrumentation, the cyclical concept of time, the multi-‐layered polyphonic texture, the tuning of the instruments, and the functions of the music. However, there are still differences between these two musical traditions. Generally, the Balinese music is more structured, allowing less room for improvisation but showcasing the virtuosity of the performers’ technique, and is more vivid and energetic. The Balinese have exceptionally active composers writing new pieces for their ensembles, and since the 20th century they have also been creating new styles of music as well as new ensembles, involving typical Gamelan instruments with voices, other musical instruments and dance.

Gamelan Angklung is one type of gamelan ensembles popular in Bali. The word Angklung originally referred to a bamboo rattle that produces one tone when shaken. A modern Gamelan Angklung comprises 8-‐12 4-‐keyed metallophones of different sizes (kantil, gansa, and jegogan), 2 sets of gong-‐chimes (reyong), two single-‐pitched kettle gongs (kempli and kenelang), two sizes of hanging gongs (kempur and tawa-‐tawa), cymbals (rincik or ceng-‐ceng), drums (kendang), and other instruments such as a recorder (suling) and a fiddle (rebab). The functions of each category of instruments vary: the metallophones supply the melody or interlocking patterns (kotekan); gong-‐chimes, elaboration; single-‐pitched kettle gongs and hanging gongs, time keeping or punctuation; cymbals, rhythm and volume; drums, rhythm, volume, and coordination of the ensemble; and other melodic instruments, counter-‐melody (See Figure 1 and Table 1).

Figure 1 Balinese Gamelan Angklung Instruments


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In 1928, Carl Orff and Karl Maendler (Harpsichord maker) built the first xylophones based on the gamelan saron (the keyed-‐instruments). These instruments later became very important for teaching and the development of Orff’s Schulwerk. Table 1 Balinese Gamelan Angklung & Orff Instruments

Gamelan Anklung Instruments Orff Instruments I. Metallophones

1. Kantil (small metallophones) 4 2.Gangsa (medium metallophones) 4 3.Jegogan (larger metallophones) 2

Soprano metallophones Alto metallophones Bass metallophones

II. Gong-‐Chimes Reyong (kettle gongs)

Alto glockenspiel

III. Gongs 1.Gong ageng (large gong)1 2.Kempur (medium gong) 1 3.Kempli (primary time beater) 1 4.Kenelang (secondary time beater)1

Bass bar (C) or Large Gong (Tam-‐tam) Bass bar (G) or Large Gone (Tam-‐tam) Triangle (low) Triangle (high)

IV. Cymbals Rincik or ceng ceng

Finger cymbals (3 pairs)

V. Drums 1.Kendang (large drum) 1 or 2 2.Kendang angklung (small drum) 1 or 2

Tubano drums or Conga

VI. Flute Suling (end blown ring flute) optional

Soprano recorder

VII. Bamboo rattles Angklung (optional)

Boom whacker

Equivalent pitches on western diatonic scale:

1 2 3 5 or

1 2 3 5


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Meong Meong alih Jok Bikule (Cat & Mouse)

Balinese Children’s Singing Game [A *2]

-‐ -‐ 0 5 me

3 2 ong me

3. ong

2 a-‐

5 3 lih jok

2 1 bi-‐ ku-‐

2 -‐le

-‐ -‐ 0 5 me

3 2 ong me

3. ong

2 a-‐

5 3 lih jok

2 1 bi-‐ ku-‐

2. -‐le

1 bi-‐

2 3 kul-‐ ge-‐

5 3 de-‐ ge

5. de

1 bu

2 3 in mo-‐

5 2 koh-‐ mo

3 koh

2 ke

5 reng

3 pe-‐

2 -‐san

5 nge-‐

3 ru-‐

2 shu-‐

1 in

-‐ -‐

[B*2] 5 5 5 1 1

1 (x3)

1 1 1 1 1 1

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[Chanting] [juk meng juk kul] x 3 [o o o o o o ja] Lyrics Balinese

English

Meong meong alih jok bikule (x2) The cat is looking for where the mouse is. Bikul gede gede buin mokoh mokoh The big mouse is getting fatter and fatter, Kereng pesan ngerushuin which will cause much more danger. Game instructions

• Select one child to be the cat, and another, the mouse. • The other children stand in a circle holding hands. • The cat stands inside the circle and the mouse, outside. • The children sing the song and move clockwise while the cat tries to escape from the circle

to chase after the mouse, but to prevent the cat from escaping, the children in the circle either raise or lower their joined hands.

• If the cat escapes, the mouse will have to find its shelter inside the circle. The children in the circle will have to make it easy for the mouse to get in.

• If the cat catches the mouse, the mouse becomes the cat, and the game continues. • You can always ask a child to volunteer to be either the cat or the mouse.


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Bibliography Books: Dibia, I Wayan and Rucina Ballinger. 2004. A Guide to the Performing Arts of Bali:

Balinese Dance, Drama, & Music. Hong Kong: Turtle Publishing. Gold, Lisa. 2005. Music in Bali. N.Y.: Oxford University Press. Hobart, Angela. 1987. Dancing Shadows of Bali: Theatre and Myth. London: KPI. Holt, Claire. 1967. Art in Indonesia: Continuities and Change. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell

University Press. Hood, Mantle.1967. Music of the venerable dark cloud; the Javanese Gamelan Khjai

Mendung. Los Angeles, University of California, Institute of Ethnomusicology. Lansing, Stephen J. 1983. The Three Worlds of Bali. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. McPhee, Colin. 1966. Music in Bali. New Haven, Conn.: Yale Unviersity Press. Spiller, Henry. 2008. Gamelan Music of Indonesia. N.Y.: Routledge. Tenzer, Michael. 1991. Balinese Music. Singapore: Periplus. Children’s Books: McPhee, Colin. 1948/2002. A Club of Small Men: A Children's Tale from Bali.

Illustrated by Tyrie, Trina Bohan. Hong Kong: Periplus. Weitzman, David. 2002. Rama and Sita: A Tale of Ancient Java. New Hampshire:

David R. Godline. CDs: Bali: Gamelan and Kecak. 1989. Elektra/Nonesuch Explorer Series 9 79204-‐2 Music from the Morning of the World. 2003. N.Y.: Nonesuch Explorer Series H72015. Videos: Dance and Trance of Balinese Children. 1995. Produced and directed by Madeleine

Richeport-‐Haley and Jay Haley. N.Y.: Triangle Productions/Filmakers library. Island of Temples. 1990. Directed by Deben Bhattacharya, produced by Seabourne

Enterprises. London: Sussex Tapes; Guilford, Conn.; distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Video-‐Forum, a division of Jeffrey Norton Publishers.

JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance. Vol. 9 and 10. Bali.


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Resources available at Northern Illinois University NIU has rich cultural studies and world music resources. You can request the following:

• Workshop/Presentation about Southeast Asian Cultures (music, dance, culture, and language of various Southeast Asian countries)

• Workshop/Demonstration/Presentation/Performance about various world music cultures (e.g., Chinese music, Arabic music, African drumming)

For inquiries about these opportunities, contact Dr. Jui-‐Ching Wang ([email protected])

Events held at NIU Spring 2015 • Teaching World Music Symposium (April 9-‐April 11)

http://www.niu.edu/worldmusic/symposium/index.shtml o Three keynote speakers including Patricia Campbell, author of Songs in their

Head: Music and its Meaning in Children’s Lives (1997/2010) and the Co-‐editor of The Oxford Handbook of Children's Musical Cultures (2014); Jere Humphreys, NAfME Senior Research Award Recipient (2006); and Michael Bakan, author of World Music: Traditions and Transmissions (2011) and Music of Death and New Creation: Experiences in the World of Balinese Gamelan Beleganju (1999).

o CPDU available for most of the sessions presented at the symposium

• Summer Study Abroad Program: Experiencing the Arts in Bali, 3-‐credit music

history course available to public (July 4-‐July 25)

Experiencing the Arts in Bali (July 4-‐July 25, 2015)

Course Description Music, dance, theater along with art and crafts are important parts of Balinese culture. The ceremonial nature of the arts reflects the multiple layers of religious practices and philosophies embedded within a complex sociocultural structure in Balinese society. The inseparable relationships among these arts provide a vivid soundscape and landscape for students to experience the functions of arts in a living environment. Through the artistic fieldwork experiences, students will encounter first hand cultural information and will be able to reinforce the theories learned in ethnomusicology, art history, and anthropology courses.

Through this program, participants will experience a unique culture by interacting with local people including musicians, artists, dancers, priests, farmers, and villagers on the island of Bali to gain knowledge about the inseparable relationship of the arts (music, dance, crafts, and visual arts), religion, and culture on Bali. Such knowledge will be acquired through the following: • Classroom lectures on Balinese culture and religious practices, i.e., animism and Balinese Hinduism, and

their influence on music, dance, theater and epic literature, the arts, and architecture. • Daily practice of Balinese music and the different dance traditions accompanied by various styles of

gamelan, including gamelan angklung, balaganjur, and gamelan gong kebyar. • Classroom lectures on traditional Balinese architecture, such as the structure of palaces, temples, and

village compounds, and on crafts, such as palm-‐leaf offerings, ceremonial motif paintings, and wayang kulit (shadow puppetry).


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• Field experiences including: ü Participating in temple festival/ceremonies ü Participating in the 2015 Bali Arts Festival ü Attending concerts at the Indonesia Institution of the Arts-‐Denpasar ü Observing community/family ceremonies ü Visiting assorted tourism sites: palaces, temples, the monkey forest, rice terraces, and the beach. ü Attending a Wayang kulit performance and a kecak (monkey chant) performance ü Trekking on mountain trails and to village rice terraces

Like our FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1454561581437131/ for updates about the course. Also available on this FB page are beautiful photos of the field school site in Bali and of the participants’ field experience in 2014. For more information, please contact Dr. Jui-‐Ching Wang ([email protected])

About Indonesian Dance of Illinois (IDI) A non-‐profit organization, IDI specializes in Gamelan music and a variety of traditional dances from across the Indonesian archipelago. On IDI’s website, you can learn more about the dances IDI performs: http://www.indonesiandanceofillinois.org Free traditional dance and Gamelan music lessons are available every Saturday at Northwestern University's Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208. For more information, please contact Chika Kertayuda ([email protected])

Documents

Experiencing Indonesian Gamelan and Dance