Javanese Gamelan Music Intensive

Description:

In partnership with the Vancouver Community Gamelan, Western Front presented a two-week intensive workshop on the rich classical percussion music of central Java, Indonesia. 

Led by master teacher Al Suwardi with assistance from Sutrisno Hartana, the sessions involved ear training, hands-on practice, and discussions on the theoretical, social, and cultural context in which gamelan functions. Participants played the instruments of Kyai Madu Sari (The Venerable Essence of Honey), a full court style gamelan from Yogyakarta, Indonesia consisting of over eighty gongs, metallophones, drums, and string instruments.