Sounds of Sunda: The Gamelan

'Gamelan' refers to a set of predominantly percussion instruments including tuned gongs, metal-keyed instruments, drums, as well as bamboo flutes, bowed lutes, and vocals meant to comprise a single system. Gamelan comes in many forms on the islands of Indonesia.

Emory Gamelan specializes in the West Javanese music and was formed in the autumn of 2007 as part of the World Music Program in the Music Department, making Emory one of only a handful of institutions in the United States with both West and Central Javanese gamelan. Emory is one of five institutions in the United States chosen as recipients of a gamelan degung donated by Tony Lydgate, a bamboo horticulturalist residing in Kauai, Hawaii. The donation was coordinated by Andrew Weintraub. As a part of this gift, Emory participates in the University Gamelan Artists-in- Residence Program created in 2002 by Andrew Weintraub, which brings artists from West Java to the United States.

For more information about the Emory Music Department and Emory's Gamelan, visit
http://www.music.emory.edu