UC Davis Professor of Music Henry Spiller and graduate student Gillian Irwin spoke with interviewers from the Voice of America, Indonesia, about student life for Indonesian students studying at UC Davis, and about the music department’s Sundanese Gamelan Ensemble.
Gillian Irwin has been a student of ethnomusicology at UC Davis since Fall 2014. Before coming to Davis, she studied music and English at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA) and served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. At Davis, Gillian specializes in Indonesian music with interests in educational and cultural policy, national identity formation, and the relationship of the region to the nation of Indonesia.
Javanese Gamelan music from Central Java, Indonesia.
Gamelan are Indonesian orchestras that feature bronze gongs, chimes and other melodic percussion instruments. Gamelan music incorporates unique tuning systems, intricate melodies, sophisticated rhythms, and flexible interaction among musicians. The ensemble will focus on learning the traditional court music from the city Surakarta.
Meets Tuesdays, 4:00–6:00 pm in the Ethnomusicology Ensemble Room (Art Annex 120).
