Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

74 INTERMINGLING OF CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITYentertainment is particularly identified with the youthor what is essentially the future citizenry of the nationalpolity. Threats from outside and inside of Indonesia’scurrent system of governance have spawned new reactivestrategies from the artistic and cultural communities.They have devised alternative methodologies ineducation and organized national and internationalevents, all directed towards challenging and matchingthe temperament of today’s youth, as well as promotingsolidarity among artists and instilling a nationalconsciousness for culture and the arts. Targeting theapathy of youth towards traditional cultural practices,Endo Suanda, one of the major artist-educatorstoday, established LPSN (Lembaga Pendidikan SeniNusantara) with the vision of not only revitalizing aknowledge and appreciation of their cultural heritageamong high school students, but also a feeling ofpride. LPSN produces teaching materials (e.g., books,monographs, and audiovisual kits), conducts workshopsand regularly visits the schools to monitor the progressof both schools and teachers who have adopted this newstrategy. To date, the project, which began in 2002, hasestablished twelve regional centers on all major islandsin Indonesia, accredited some 1,000 teachers andreached some 100,000 students (Lembaga PendidikanSeni Nusantara 2006, Gombloh 2007).Institutional safeguardsIn spite of the changes in the value and relevanceof traditional expressive cultures in modern life,institutional mechanisms either remain in place orare being established in order to preserve traditionalpractices as living emblems of a society’s culturalheritage. These mechanisms, both humanly evolvedand nature-induced, may be viewed as functioning assafeguards in the conservation of the essential integrityof the traditional expressive cultures.The Khru cultureAbiding respect for one’s teacher and master isembodied in the wai khru, 21 an annual ceremonyhonoring the master as well as an occasion for formallyinitiating young people to a life of discipleship, almostlike taking a vow to aspire for mastery of one’s musicalskills. The wai khru ceremony in Thailand 22 is indicativenot only of the respect and reverence for the teacher inany productive endeavor, but also respect for what hasbeen learned.The Royal CourtsThe royal courts, whether politically active or not, serveas a de facto conserver of the cultural traditions, beingthemselves part of such traditions. Performers who areprivileged to be members of the palace ensembles arewell versed in traditional practices, especially the ritesand ceremonies. In Thailand, the royal family’s supportof culture and the arts is particularly notable in thatKing Bhumipol is a practicing musician-composerand Princess Sirindhorn is a fine khaen performer.In Indonesia, the royal court ceremonies are closelyintegrated with religious rites. In modern times, thecourts also provide the venues and facilities for publicperformances. What is perhaps a more significant role ofthe courts lies in their symbolic presence, continuouslyserving as a living mechanism in keeping alive thespiritual and social significance of the artistic traditionsperformed under their auspices. Many of the masterswho are members of the court artistic groups also teachin academic institutions and their choice disciples getthe opportunity to apprentice with them, eventuallybecoming court musicians themselves (see Hari 2007).The family and pedagogic dynastiesThe family tradition remains a strong factor in the socialfabric of Southeast Asian peoples. As an institution,it also serves as a mechanism in the transmission oftraditional values, knowledge, and cultural identity.In the course of the research, many artists traced theirlifework to their parents and earlier ancestry. SamangJiangkan, 55, a molam master, first learned the artfrom his uncle because his father could not send himto school among nine children. Surasak Pimsen fromKhon Kaen, who plays several instruments such asthe khlui (recorder) and phin, grew up in a family ofmusicians and was reared by his father, Buen Pimsen, amolam teacher. In Gyanyar, the most famous gamelanfactory, Sidha Karya, traces its existence through some500 years of family history of gamelan manufacturing.The present generation of lecturers in arts schools andinstitutes are mostly children of master village artists.The pedalangan tradition itself in Central Java is tracedback to the Mataram Kingdom that later became theKingdom of Karto Suro, and its proliferation to otherparts of Indonesia is believed to have branched out fromone extended family tree. 23Thus, the concept of family does not only refer toimmediate kinship among members of a household butto extended family units, clans and artistic dynasties.The pedagogic dynasty in Thai classical music isan interesting, if not intriguing illustration: 24 thepresent generation of teachers, whether in academicor informal educational settings, traces their artisticlineage to pedagogic dynasties. In general, thereAsian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows