UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 10, Page 3
November 5, 1992
Exotic sounds ; Gamelan concerts attract diverse, repeat audiences

     The pungent smell of jasmine incense pervades Michael Zinn's
office, where he directs Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear, an
all-student, Indonesian-style orchestra at the University.
     The incense must be lit every time the orchestra plays, as a
spiritual offering to the instruments, but this is only where the
differences from Western music begin.
     In addition the instruments themselves are unusual, as the
celempung, a stringed zither, and kenong, a set of pot gongs, replace
the usual violins and cellos. Lines of numbers are used instead of
notes on sheet music. The musicians perform barefoot in flowing
patterned skirts and waist cloths instead of in tuxedos and gowns.
     For 10 years, Zinn and his musicians have been surprising area
audiences with this taste of the exotic.
     What has evolved into a popular one-credit course began when Zinn
saw a gamelan, (the Javanese word for orchestra,) perform at a
conference in Milwaukee. He said that the beauty of the ancient art
form prompted him to pursue a fellowship in Asian music at the
University of Michigan. He gained hands-on experience when he
performed in the gamelan ensemble there.
     "I couldn't get the sounds out of my head," Zinn, who is also a
composer, said. Although he said he never intended to build a gamelan,
he spent two years making 16 of his 18 instruments. The other two
instruments, a bronze gong with a teakwood frame, and a kethuk, a set
of bronze knobbed pots, were both imported from Java.
     Following a tradition started in the ninth century, A.D., he
tuned his instruments to their own spirit. Each gamelan ensemble is
tuned only to itself and no two gamelans are ever tuned alike, Zinn
explained. Even the group name, Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear, has
individual significance. According to the group's creator, the bear
symbolizes an animal native to North America and some of the orchestra
pieces are made of silver.
     In 1982, Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear was an experimental
course which consisted of 12 students, none of whom had any musical
background. Zinn described them as "very enthusiastic" as they learned
together during weekly trips to play with musicians at the Embassy of
the Republic of Indonesia in Washington, D.C.
     Today, the ensemble consists of 18 members. Some former
participants have even gone on to participate in the director's
community group, which meets Wednesday evenings in the Amy E. du Pont
Music Building. Others have composed original works that have been
performed by Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear.
     Zinn said he considers himself a part of the group. In addition
to teaching his students the history and theory of Javanese and
Balinese music, he serves as a percussionist on a set of hand drums.
     His close interaction with the orchestra has brought some teasing
from colleagues. "They say I'm the only faculty member who conducts
barefoot," he said.
     Despite the seemingly off-beat characteristics of the orchestra,
audience response has been overwhelming positive. The two to four
concerts the ensemble performs each year have attracted full houses.
     While the music sounds the same as it would to an Indonesian
audience, Zinn said the length of the songs have been shortened for
University audiences. In some cases, the director estimated, a
45-minute song is performed in less than 10 minutes at a local
concert. He added that his beginner and advanced community groups
perform a combination of eight songs at a typical concert.
     Dance is equally as important at a performance. Zinn said a
dancer, fully garbed in robes and colorful masks, illustrates the
story a song is telling through Javanese dance.
     Although Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear is one of the few
Indonesian music ensembles on the East Coast, Zinn said there are
almost 200 gamelans in the United States.
     "What gives me the most satisfaction, in addition to the sound of
the music itself, is giving non-musicians this kind of performance
opportunity and experience," he said.
     The next concert by Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear is scheduled
at 8 p.m., Dec. 2, in Loudis Recital Hall, and is free for the
public.
                                        -Casye Launer