Sincere thanks to the author, Erin M R McMahon, for permitting WILTA to re-produce this interesting article on the website. Erin is a journalism student at Murdoch University and is also a member of the Murdoch Gamelan Group.

by Erin M R McMahon

May 30, 2003

SITTING at the front of his gamelan class under the Joglo Rahayu Peace Pavilion at Murdoch University, Sutendri Yusuf keeps a trained ear out for any off notes, ready to jump in and get the group back in time.

Pak Tendri, as he is affectionately known to his students, leads the Murdoch University Gamelan Group, a bright-eyed and eager bunch of students from varied disciplines who share a common interest in Indonesian culture and music.

Although most of his students are Australian and aren't the most skilled performers of this ancient and traditional Indonesian art, there's still a smile on Pak Tendri's face. He's just happy to share his love of music.

"For me, music is universal. Not only Javanese people can play gamelan - it's for everyone," he said.

Tom Suffling, 45, of Willetton, is one of Pak Tendri's students and has studied gamelan for 20 years,previously at the University of WA.

"He's very good," he said candidly. "An excellent teacher."

Chair of Southeast Asian Studies at Murdoch Professor David Hill said it was unbelievable for them to have found someone so qualified.

"He's an absolute gift from our point of view," Professor Hill said.

Growing up in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, Pak Tendri said that there were lots of opportunities to play music. His father was a good gamelan player who also put together and tuned the instruments.

However, his childhood was spent playing guitar and violin, learning by himself and watching friends. It was only at 19, when he began university at the Indonesian Institute of Fine Arts, that he started to learn karawitan (gamelan music).

"I wanted to study Western music but I heard the sound of the gamelan, it was beautiful, so I watched and changed my major to karawitan and started to learn gamelan," he said, lamenting the fact that his father never got to see him play.

Pak Tendri came to Perth with his family at the beginning of last year after stints teaching and performing gamelan in Chile, South America, and throughout the United States.

Pak Tendri is a gifted musician who can play all the gamelan instruments, from each of the Javanese, Balinese and Sundanese varieties, and many Western instruments such as guitar, violin, piano, flute, saxophone and drums.

He is also an accomplished dalang puppeteer for the traditional Indonesian wayang kulit shadow plays that are usually accompanied by gamelan music.

"For me music, any kind of music, is like food for the spirit," he said. "I couldn't live without music. Wherever I go and wherever I live there is always one or two instruments beside me."

His musical abilities are well known to his friends and family.

"There's only one word for it and that's awesome. He can pick up anything and start playing, he just loves music," praised Mr Suffling.

Murdoch University is the custodian of the Western Australian Gamelan Orchestra, a hand-crafted, 80-piece gamelan set which was presented to the people of WA in 1993 from the sister-state East Java.

Pak Tendri not only teaches gamelan at Murdoch but also looks after and maintains the precious instruments. He can often be found on campus carefully polishing and tuning the gamelan.

"Apart from that I play golf," he jokes, because he is also involved in the local Indonesian community, teaching gamelan and helping to organise cultural events.

He relishes the opportunity to teach Australians about Indonesian culture and to promote the traditional music of his country.

"He obviously loves teaching and has an enjoyable teaching style that the students seem to pick up on," said Professor Hill.

Pak Tendri has liked living in Australia, and in particular Perth, because of the nice people and quiet lifestyle. "To get permanent residency, it is happy for me," he said.

And he certainly has the support of the university.

"The gamelan can only go from strength to strength," said Professor Hill, hinting at aspirations to expand the program, both at the university and in the wider community, well into the future.