(Melbourne Community Gamelan at the Final Gong Gamelan Concert, 26 May 2014)
(The Shadow Puppet & Gamelan Performance at the University of Melbourne)
In mid February this year, I was invited by an Australian friend to join her musical group here in Melbourne. At the beginning I was not sure as the group is specialized on javanese traditional music: Gamelan. What do I know about Gamelan or Javanese culture? I can't even count one to five in Javanese language. I don't even remember when was the last time I watch or see Gamelan and this including shadow puppet performance? Well, I must see it thru several wedding events that I attend when I was in Indonesia. But I honestly never really pay attention and have an interest on it! Seriously! I know! I am so bad! Shameful, I should as Indonesian whom marry a half Javanese man hehehe
(Helen Pausacker, as the only Female Dalang in Australia)
Anyway, this friend then told me that most of the group are Australians and they need some more Indonesians. I was curious and a bit shocking. Hey! Why these Aussie wanna learn Gamelan??? Well, as a courtesy to the invitation, I then decided to come to their rehearsal located at the surrounding of my uni, the University of Melbourne in Parkville. And I feel more ashamed to myself as I noticed most of the group members have learned Gamelan for years! Some of them told me that they have playing Gamelan for more than 20 years! They can even speak Javanese with the accent, so much better than my husband! Don't ask me how good they are in playing those traditional instruments! So yes, I finally join the group and every Monday evening we have our rehearsal together! I have to be honest at the first few weeks, I feel so frustrated with this Gamelan stuff. I am playing Saron Slendro and Saron Pelog. It's quite hard and confusing at the beginning. I also feel bit uncomfortable knowing that I am the newest and perhaps the most stupid one in playing this instrument. There are some other Indonesians among the group, but they are all Javanese and have been well exposed and familiar with Gamelan or stories of puppet. Unlikely me....poor this half Batak and Palembang girl who grew up in Papua! More, I also feel bit unhappy and disturbed with the attitude of one old member who always seems happy to criticized the way I play and when I made mistakes! This girl (once told me that she is not Indonesian, but speak with so Javanese accent and I am pretty sure that her name is so Indonesian than my name!) is somehow so unfriendly with me since the very beginning I join the group. Many times she spoke with her harsh and loud tone to me, in front of the whole group! Oooh I should enjoy the course, not feeling depressed and stupid! Anyway, it's not me if not willing to fight with the situation and challenge myself. I keen to learn Gamelan and I enjoy the music anyway, so why bother with one snobbish chick and unfriendly people within the group, anyway? hehehe
Anyway, just three months after I join the group, for the first time in together with the group, Melbourne Community Gamelan (MCG), I have my first gamelan's concert performance. Not bad, huh? :) First it was on Monday, 26 May 2014 at the Final Gong End of Semester Gamelan Concert and on the following Wednesday, 28 May 2014 at the Preston Library. Both in Melbourne, of course. With the shadow puppet performance play by the only female Australian dalang, Helen Pausacker, we play the story of Srikandhi Maguru Manah (Srikhandi Learns Archery). Within an hour, we play non stop about 12 songs. I may not as good as the other members, but I am proud that I can finally play something so Indonesians in Australia :)) And happy to see the excitement and applause from the audiences, mostly are Australians.
Lesson learned: you are not learning, if you don't feel the pain! And wherever you go, you will always find a snobbish Indonesian, whom sometimes talk and act more "western" than the westerns! Just enjoy their performance too :))
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