Gamelan orchestras, featuring a variety of bronze, bamboo, and wooden percussion instruments, are a global icon of Indonesian culture. This course introduces the vibrant and dynamic gamelan traditions of Bali and Central Java in historical and contemporary perspectives, surveying diverse repertories including ritual, court, village, dance, theater, and popular musics. Students learn the fundamentals of Indonesian music theory and the elements of form and design that create the distinctive sounds of gamelan music. The role of Hinduism and Islam in Indonesian musical life is discussed, along with the impact of Dutch colonization, decolonization, and tourism. Emphasis is placed on performance and creative components; students compose and perform gamelan music and participate in hands-on workshops with Indonesian musicians. The class culminates in a public performance, in which students present music learned during the course. All students are welcome; no prior musical background needed. The class is team-taught by an Indonesian musician and an ethnomusicologist. This course meets the ethnomusicology requirement for the music minor. As a cross-listing with Anthropology, it centers on humans as producers of music, situates musical activity comparatively, and makes meaningful connections with the body of knowledge and theory of cultural anthropology. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Global Cultures requirement.

Degree requirement — Critical Perspectives: G

1 unit — Lasmawan

Offerings