From Baroque to Gamelan

Participants in Dean Poulsen’s hands-on workshops on gamelan will learn how the instruments are used, different tuning systems and proper performance technique.

By: Susan Van Dongen

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"In a gamelan orchestra, all the instruments are made at one time so they’re tuned to the same pitch," says Dean Poulsen, who plays the reyong.


   Western classical orchestras require their musicians to be meticulously trained. It usually takes years of dedicated study and practice to even be considered for a seat.
   On the other hand, a gamelan orchestra — found in Bali and Java, Indonesia — will take people who have never played an instrument before, as long as they have some sense of rhythm.
   "With gamelan, no experience is required so it’s easy to get involved," says ethnomusicologist Dean Poulsen. "Of course, if you want to be an advanced player, then time and practice are necessary, just like in Western music."

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Dean Poulsen playing the mettalophones.


   Mr. Poulsen will lead two hands-on workshops in gamelan Nov. 21 and Jan. 16. Presented by the Highland Park Recorder Society, the classes meet at the United Methodist Church in New Brunswick.
   Participants will learn about various types of gamelan — how the instruments are used, different tuning systems and proper performance technique. Each student will sit at an instrument and play in a gamelan ensemble. In addition, the workshops include an overview of gamelan’s cultural context.
   The anthropological background of gamelan music is a mixed bag, although the instruments are indigenous to the islands, according to Mr. Poulsen.

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Dean Poulsen plays the rebab.


   "There are actually two tuning systems and one of them sounds very Indian and the other, Chinese," he says.
   Most of the instruments in an orchestra are "metallophones" — an Eastern cousin to the xylophone, but crafted with a special casting technique.
   "Gamelan orchestras have a preference for metallic gong sounds," Mr. Poulsen says. "All the metallic instruments are made from an ancient sand-casting technique. They pour the molten metal into the sand and then rub and sand it for days. In a gamelan orchestra, all the instruments are made at one time so they’re tuned to the same pitch. Each ensemble is different as well."
   A gamelan orchestra is mostly made up of mid-range to small gender (pronounced gen-DARE). An ensemble will also have people playing a recorder-like bamboo flute, called the suling. The hanging gong providing the metallic splashes is the kempur and the bass instrument, the one that holds the steady bottom line, is the jejogan. Mr. Poulsen’s orchestra also includes the rebab, a stringed instrument that migrated to Java from Persia.
   Mr. Poulsen has bamboo rattles which, he says, are no longer used in Bali, but give his group an engaging overall timbre.
   "They’re like hand bells, in other words one person to a rattle," he says. "So, you have this bamboo sound mixed with the metal xylophones and gongs and it makes for a really interesting blend of colors."
   There are about 15 people in his orchestra, which is typical for a gamelan group.
   "We rotate on all the instruments and throughout various parts of the music," Mr. Poulsen says. "There will usually be some switching around. That means accomplished gamelan musicians learn to play all the instruments as well as all the parts."
   Primarily a pianist, Mr. Poulsen studied Balinese and Javanese gamelan at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., and at the Gamelan-Academi Seni Kawaritan in Bali.
   "When I was over there, I made a lot of field recordings and bought a number of cassettes," he says. "I’ve transcribed a lot of the music — it’s come to the point where I hear it and can just write it down."
   He also studied Chinese music (GuCheng) with Master Hao An and ancient Japanese music (gagaku) with M. Togi, former music minister of Japan. His studies in Western music include piano, electronic music, composition and harpsichord. In fact, it was through the harpsichord that Mr. Poulsen connected with the recorder society, playing baroque music with the group’s founder, Donna Messer.
   Mr. Poulsen is director of music technology and a piano teacher at Reilly Middle School in Elizabeth.
   He says students new to gamelan are often surprised to hear how many Western musicians have been influenced by its sound.
   "Debussy first heard it at the World’s Fair in Paris. Benjamin Britten was also influenced by gamelan," Mr. Poulsen says. "Of course, all the minimalists like Steve Reich and Philip Glass are interested in gamelan. The piano music of John Cage and Henry Cowell can have a certain gamelan sound, too."
   Deeply imbedded in the culture, gamelan instruments and orchestras are integrated in almost all the art forms in Indonesia. Gamelan accompanies dance, drama, masked dance drama, rituals and elaborate shadow puppetry.
   Mr. Poulsen hopes to incorporate several of the art forms into the workshops and will also offer some native food to sample.
   "You don’t have to be a musician to participate," he says. "We’ll see the different aspects of the culture, get a taste for the different kinds of repertoire. There’ll be something for everybody."
Dean Poulsen will lead gamelan workshops at the United Methodist Church, George and Liberty streets, New Brunswick, Nov. 21 and Jan. 16, 3-6 p.m. Workshop fee: $40. Presented by the Highland Park Recorder Society. For information, call (732) 828-7421. On the Web: www.hprecorder.org