Javanese gamelan is music indigenous to Java, an island of Indonesia. There are many other types of gamelan, such as Balinese gamelan and anklung gamelan from other cultures of Indonesia.
I have played Javanese gamelan for over four years in a course, Music 361, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The name of the gamelan ensemble at the UW is Kyai Telågå Rukmi, which translates to "The Venerable Lake of Gold" in reference to the golden carvings of the gamelan set and Lake Mendota along which the UW sits. Music 361 is open to students of any major, so this has been a great way for me to continue playing music even though I am an engineering student.
I created these pages to describe Javanese gamelan to my friends and others who have never heard of gamelan. The information on my pages reflect what I have learned about Javanese gamelan; I am by no means an expert. (If you find any mistakes or problems, please let me know.) Please, browse through the site by following the links near the top of each page. If you get lost, or if you just want to see links to everything, try the sitemap.
Why don't you read more about Javanese gamelan, see pictures of the instruments, or listen to a music file...
--Bern Jordan
Created: 2002-04-11