Gamelan Voices

It was not until 1999, that I discovered the Gamelan orchestra of Java and started learning to play it by attending an evening class in London. That was the start of a journey that took me to the other side of the world and allowed me to live and learn in a completely different culture for 3 years. I gained a scholarship to study in Java and took lessons at the University in Surakarta, now called ISI Solo. During my time there I was able to study with a wonderful traditional Javanese singer and teacher Bu Darti as well as learning from the younger generation by singing with my close friend Sukesi Rahayu. It was through Sukesi that I was fortunate to be invited to take part in the all-night puppet show wayangs of dhalang Ki Purbo Asmara. It was an incredible experience and gave me the opportunity to hear many different styles of singers and also to sing with many different sets of gamelan instruments. By the time I returned to the UK in 2005 I had been lucky enough to sing with over 30 different dhalangs during my time in Java.

Before my travels to Java I had the sense that choosing to study singing there would lead to invitations to perform and although this made me somewhat nervous I was determined to make the most of my time there. Performance had always been my least favourite part of the musical experience at university and I majored in composition and conducting. This time, however, I made a conscious decision to say yes to any invitations that might come my way and by seeing through this commitment I gained a completely new experience of performance. After grappling with my first experience of singing into hand held microphones, appearing in front of 100s of people and being filmed and broadcast live on television and radio I finally found that it was possible to access a sense of ease that had always been missing in my previous experiences of performing.

I now love to share with others what I have learnt about Javanese singing and the art of performance through one to one teaching and group workshops in addition to continuing to perform as a singer. Upon my return to the UK I also chose to study vocal mechanics with expert vocal teachers Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher (www.vocalprocess.co.uk) so that I could better understand and communicate to my students what was needed in working with the voice. Many gamelan players have never worked with their voice before and so