The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Chicago, in collaboration with the Field Museum and Friends of Gamelan, presented a gamelan concert recently. The concert was themed Harmonious Tapestry of Indonesian Gamelan, Bridging Nations in Celebration of Indonesia-U.S. Relationship.
The melodious Gending Ladrang Babar Layar did not resonate from a conservatory in Java, but from the Main Hall of the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, on October 27th. In addition to a series of Javanese gamelan pieces, the concert also featured a Balinese gamelan ensemble with a range of songs, including the song Hujan Mas performed on the Kebyar gong gamelan.
Celebrating 75 Years of the RI-US Bilateral Relationship
The Javanese and Balinese gamelan concert that delighted the ears and artistic senses of the audience highlighted the cultural ties between Indonesia and the United States, and was held as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. The gamelan music was enjoyed by the audience thanks to the collaboration between the musicians from Friends of the Gamelan (FROG) Chicago and Indonesian players, primarily from KJRI Chicago. The captivating performance by the musicians at the concert also accompanied the graceful movements of the dancers performing Balinese and Javanese dances.
Friends of the Gamelan, established in 1980 as a Javanese gamelan community ensemble with the goal of providing education and gamelan music performances, joined forces with the Chicago Balinese Gamelan ensemble, founded in 2017. In 2023, the two groups merged.
The gamelan and dance performance in Chicago was significant as it was in this city that gamelan music was first introduced in America, specifically at the World’s Fair in 1893. It is said that the gamelan exhibited nearly 132 years ago is still housed at the Field Museum.
The two main figures in the Chicago concert were Alex Yoffe, a Javanese gamelan expert who proficiently played Balinese gamelan, and Claire Fassnacht, a Balinese gamelan dancer and musician who also mastered Javanese gamelan performance. They are active in the management and activities of FROG: Alex as the leader and Claire as the artistic director.
Their stories are closely tied to cultural immersion and a passion for it, as well as a shared mission to help foster relations between Indonesia and the US.
Claire has been studying and performing gamelan and dance since 2010, initially under the guidance of I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana while she was a student at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 2015, she received the Dharmasiswa scholarship, a one-year scholarship sponsored by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, after studying at the music and dance conservatory at the Indonesian Arts Institute in Denpasar, Bali.
Claire founded the Chicago Balinese Gamelan ensemble and, under the guidance of Nyoman Mahartayasa and I Ketut Gede Asnawa, the group rapidly developed. Claire herself has performed Balinese and Javanese music and dance throughout the US.
Alex is a musician and Javanese gamelan instructor who completed his degree in music composition at the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. He continued his gamelan studies intensively at the Indonesian Arts Institute in Surakarta (ISI Surakarta) after receiving a full Dharmasiswa scholarship funded by the Indonesian government.
Alex has performed and taught gamelan across the US, including with Gamelan Laras Tentrem (Boston), Gamelan Kusuma Laras (New York City), Gamelan Sari Raras Irama (Buffalo, New York), and at several other universities and colleges in the US.
Cultural Harmony
The paths of Alex and Claire intersected through the art form that is somewhat unconventional but captivating in America: gamelan music. Alex, a percussionist, leads Friends of the Gamelan. Claire, his wife, works at a prominent art museum in Chicago. Together, they have found cross-cultural harmony and dedicated their lives to introducing the intricate rhythms and enchanting sounds of gamelan to American audiences.
Their love for gamelan began during their college years. Claire recalls her first encounter with this art form while in college.
“When I was a college student in 2010, I took a gamelan class with teacher Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana at Lawrence University. I loved the music, I quickly understood the music, it was unlike anything else,” said Claire.
Under the guidance of I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana, Claire quickly fell in love with the dynamic music genre. Her passion deepened when she studied in Bali during the summer, where vibrant performances and community-centered learning immersed her in the art and culture of the island.
Meanwhile, Alex, who has been a gamelan lecturer at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, admits that his journey and love for gamelan began with a moment of awe.
“When I was a high school student, I heard gamelan music for the first time. Yes, I felt it was the best and the most beautiful sound,” he expressed.
Alex then began studying gamelan, first in Chicago, and later at ISI Surakarta where he studied with respected Javanese gamelan musicians, both in Indonesia and the US.
“I studied Javanese gamelan from Pak Midiyanto, Pak Wakidi Dwidjomartono, and Pak Darsono Hadiraharjo,” he added. It was in Surakarta that Alex honed his skills and developed a deeper connection with the local culture.
Collaboration Evolves into Romance
Alex and Claire’s love for gamelan brought them together.
Saat Claire menghadiri kelas di Old Town School of Folk Music di Chicago, dia tidak pernah menyangka bahwa itu akan menjadi awal dari sebuah kolaborasi musik yang luar biasa dengan Alex, seorang instruktur gamelan Jawa. Meskipun sudah mahir dalam gamelan Bali, Claire menemukan tantangan baru dalam memahami gaya musik Jawa yang lebih meditatif dan halus. Namun, kolaborasi mereka tidak hanya berkembang menjadi sebuah hubungan romantis, tetapi juga menjadi landasan hidup mereka bersama.
Harmoni antara Gamelan Jawa dan Bali
Alex dan Claire memiliki spesialisasi yang berbeda dalam dunia gamelan, namun mereka berhasil menemukan harmoni yang menjembatani kedua gaya tersebut. Mereka menggambarkan bahwa Bali dinamis dan dramatis, sedangkan Jawa lebih halus dan tenang. Namun, ketika kedua gaya tersebut digabungkan, mereka menciptakan keseimbangan yang indah. “Ini seperti menggabungkan dua genre,” kata Alex.
Filosofi harmoni ini tidak hanya terwujud dalam musik mereka, tetapi juga dalam pekerjaan mereka sebagai pendidik dan pemain gamelan. Mereka berusaha menyajikan gamelan sebagai bentuk seni yang kohesif, terlepas dari perbedaan daerah asalnya.
Konser Kolaboratif di Field Museum
Konser kolaboratif mereka di Field Museum mendapat perhatian dan apresiasi yang besar dari penonton. Mereka membawakan berbagai karya, mulai dari tari Pendet hingga gending klasik Jawa seperti Bondet Mataraman. Claire menyebutkan bahwa sebagian besar penonton baru pertama kali melihat gamelan, dan mereka sangat menikmati penampilan tersebut.
Alex menambahkan bahwa konser di Field Museum juga merupakan contoh kolaborasi yang sangat baik antara Friends of the Gamelan dengan KJRI Chicago. Mereka berhasil menyampaikan pesan tentang budaya Indonesia melalui seni gamelan yang mereka bawakan.
Menumbuhkan Pemahaman dan Apresiasi tentang Budaya Indonesia
Misi Alex dan Claire tidak hanya sebatas pertunjukan musik, tetapi juga untuk menumbuhkan pemahaman dan apresiasi yang lebih dalam tentang budaya Indonesia di antara para penonton Amerika. Mereka percaya bahwa gamelan dapat menjadi pemersatu karena sifatnya yang sangat komunal. Melalui interaksi di luar musik, mereka berhasil membangun pemahaman bersama yang lebih mendalam.
Ke depan, Alex dan Claire berharap dapat memperluas jangkauan mereka dan menginspirasi lebih banyak orang untuk mempelajari gamelan. Mereka percaya bahwa melalui seni gamelan, orang dapat lebih memahami budaya Indonesia dan menciptakan hubungan yang lebih erat antara berbagai komunitas.
Dengan semangat yang tinggi dan cinta yang mendalam terhadap seni gamelan, Alex dan Claire terus berjuang untuk menyebarkan pesan tentang keindahan dan kekuatan seni tradisional Indonesia. Melalui kolaborasi mereka, mereka membuktikan bahwa musik dapat menjadi bahasa universal yang menghubungkan berbagai budaya dan merajut harmoni di tengah perbedaan.
I am writing again.
