My mother is a music teacher for elementary children in American Falls, Idaho. With world music being a strong passion for her, she wrote several grants in order to obtain a Balinese gamelan. Bringing outside culture to the children of the tiny, rural town excited her. It also made her curriculum unique compared to other music teachers. Balinese gamelan is a percussion orchestra containing gongs, metallophones, drums, and flutes. It is very loud as well, perfect for young players. My mother was so inspired that she asked a Balinese professor living in Colorado to come and teach a workshop. He specialized in gamelan. With him, she formed an annual community gamelan group. They performed after a few rehearsals. After having this experience with my mother, I too, have become inspired by the beautiful artistry of the music and dance. In my presentation, I will briefly overview gamelan and its role in the modern world. Then, I will demonstrate a traditional piece on one of the metallophones (pemade). I will also perform a piece I have arranged for solo operatic soprano, pemade, and kantil.

Growing Up with Gamelan