Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia, and is among the most well-known of the traditional performing art forms of the country.  The term Gamelan refers to the entire set of instruments as well as the music played on them and the group who plays them.

 

Multiple layers of interlocking melodies and rhythms using gongs, metallophones and drums create the music. 

 

Gamelan music and dance have distinctive qualities that make it ideal for bridging cultures and traditions, and it was those qualities that attracted music teacher Karen Ingeman, who originally brought the program to Clearview. 

 

“The art form is so compelling to kids,” Ingeman explained. “It awakens them to a different culture which is so important.”

 

The students performed three dances during the performance, ending with the Kecak, also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant. The dance is a form of Balinese music drama and depicts a battle from the Ramayana in which monkeys help Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravanan. The high-energy dance uses interlocking vocal patterns and is traditionally performed by a circle of 100 or more people percussively chanting “chak” and throwing up their arms.

 

Throughout the performance students took turns reflecting on their Gamelan experience, sharing with the audience how much they enjoyed learning to play different instruments and dances from another country. 

 

Prior to the performance, art teacher Kathy Gerdts-Senger taught lessons on Indonesian animals and had the students create artwork to decorate the walls. The students also created the masks they wore during the Kecak in her class.

 

Instructors Joko and Tri Sutrisno are originally from Indonesia, and have brought their 10-day Gamelan residency to Clearview students for the past 19 years. The students practice one hour a day for nine days, with their performance on the tenth day.

 

The PTA sponsors Clearview’s Gamelan music and dance residency, bringing the Sutrisnos to the school each year.