There is an excellent community gamelan group in town led by professor Andrew McGraw at the University of Richmond. I was a member of the group for half the year in 2007, before a scheduling conflict prevented me from continuing. It's fun, challenging and the music and instruments are utterly beautiful and inspiring. You don't need to have a background in music, just a vague sense of rhythm and a bit of a work ethic. Professor McGraw is an immensely talented performer and patient teacher and he is always happy to add new members to the group.Here is some key background information and details taken from their website:
'Gamelan’ refers specifically to the large traditional percussion orchestras of Java and Bali within the Indonesian archipelago. The music typically accompanies theater and dance performance or serves as an acoustic offering within Balinese Hindu temple ceremonies. Above all, gamelan is about community. Ensembles are often owned by community organizations and performers are drawn from the community at large. Gamelan began to be studied in university and community settings within North America in the late 1950s. Today there are over 200 ensembles within America and Canada.
Raga Kusuma rehearsals are held Thursday evenings from 7-9 pm in room BB117 in the Booker Hall of Music (first floor) Rehearsals are free and open to the public. Adults, young adults and (supervised) children are invited to take part; both "trained" and "untrained" musicians are welcome.
For more information or to add your name to the UR Gamelan mailing list, call 804-287-1807 or email amcgraw@richmond.edu.
