At St Aloysius College we have taken the gamelan to our hearts!

Dodi Darmadi
The original instruments were purchased from Indonesia in 1998, made and tuned by Mas Suhirdjan in Yogjakarta. The program was initiated by the vision of our former Principal Sister Judith Redden and continues to be valued by our Principal Paddy McEvoy. Deetje and Hannah Tunstill (Flinders University gamelan) played an important role in training senior Music students during the early years.
Since then, more instruments have been added and introductory gamelan lessons have been an established part of our Music curriculum. In 2011 an Australian Government Building Asia Literacy (BAL) grant enabled Dodi Darmadi as our gamelan musician in residence. Five year olds were included in the program for the first time. Classroom teachers also had a taste of gamelan and the Music teachers extended their skills. A children’s performance group Gamelan Melati was formed and invited to perform at public events. The gamelan program continues to flourish! It is a significant Indonesian presence in our school.
Weblinks
Suhirdjan: Reverberations
– website in memory of Mas Suhirdjan
Bali & Beyond
– a performing arts company inspired by the cultures of Indonesia. Features traditional and creative gamelan music, shadow theatre