Music workshops with gamelan

Wellbeing and community are at the heart of glimmering music workshops with gamelan. Whether we are learning the intricacies of traditional gamelan music or creating our own music through improvisation, devising or composition, the focus is listening in to the needs of the group and allowing space for wellbeing and community to be nurtured in the way we make, learn and create music and sounds together.

About gamelan

Gamelan is one of the traditional musics of Indonesia, and also the name given to the ensemble of tuned metal instruments including gongs, metallophones and drums. There are many different regional types of gamelan: here in Glasgow we play on instruments from Central Java. 

Traditional Javanese gamelan music is endlessly complex and beautiful, and takes a long time to study. At the same time, most instruments of the gamelan can be sounded by simply striking the metal – in fact, the word ‘gamelan’ comes from the Javanese word gamel, to strike with a mallet. 

Gamelan is a treasured medium for community music making. You can easily begin creating your own music in a group setting, as each person experiments with the different sounds and resonances of the instruments. There are endless possibilities to play, devise and improvise music. 

I’ve worked with people and gamelan instruments for over 25 years in many different settings in Glasgow and around UK. The picture above was a lovely informal workshop performance with my friends in gamelan Naga Mas at the Hidden Gardens where I was introducing one of the wayang kulit shadow puppets. All workshops are tailored to the group interests and needs. Below are 3 types of workshops and in the drop down menu, some of the ingredients that can be included. If you are interested in a workshop please get in touch for a chat and we can design a workshop together for your group.

Gamelan workshops

  • A one off taster session or a short course. Introducing the gamelan instruments, how to play each one and which mallets to use, simple rhythm, pitch and tempo games, leading on to playing a simple Javanese piece of music. 

  • Exploring the gamelan instruments and the different sounds they can make, listening and sensory explorative sessions, free improvisation, creating generative musical games or structures, making a group piece reflective discussions, following and supporting ideas that people bring, 

  • A creative workshop that starts with clearing a space for creativity – 20-30mins quiet time with options to rest, draw, play and discover the instruments quietly on your own, walk or make notes – before beginning to form a workshop plan together based on people’s ideas.

Listen to gamelan in Java

Listen to Naga Mas

Gamelans in Glasgow

  • Spirit of Hope

    MADE BY PAK SUHIRJAN

    Glasgow commissioned a full set of Central Javanese gamelan in the 1990s as part of its designation as City of Culture, it was named the Spirit of Hope.

  • gado - gado gahdon

    MADE BY PAK COKRIK

    A small collection of what is sometimes known as the “soft” instruments of the gamelan. Here we are playing under a Lime tree in Maxwell Park.

  • Spirit of Shimmering Abundance

    MADE BY PAK TENTREM

    Small set of “loud” instruments brought to Glasgow in the 1990s. They’ve been in storage for some time and now ready to be played!