Teaching gamelan in Australia: Some perspectives on cross-cultural music education

Abstract

Indonesian percussion orchestras (gamelan) have found a place in several Australian education institutions. Their presence and usage confronts music educators and students alike with a whole range of cross-cultural issues – social, ethical, pedagogical, and musical. Javanese gamelan is an ideal medium for introducing students to broader aspects of Indonesian society as well as to the musical principles and procedures of another culture. The educative value of gamelan studies also extends to musical insights and skills of a more general application in a student's music education. This paper examines some approaches to teaching gamelan in Australia, and discusses problems faced by students of this tradition in a cross-cultural situation.

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