Appendix 6 - International Music Council

develop programs for his/her own advantages, in internet and digital
technologies one can have personal and groups’ interest. They most
likely orient themselves on financial benefit. Internet advertising
tends to favor popular music (the local dialect of western poular
music) or music that can provides instant benefit. Digital production
has the same tendency that are market and financial benefits resulting
in the alienation
of music that has values in community contexts.
Only some educational institutions, such as Smithsonian Institute
above, that orient themselves on the cultural, social values, and
educational purposes.
- Education. Are there regulations requiring education in local music
traditions, or in a diversity of musical genres?
Musical
expression among students of senior high school (and lower level) as well as academic level is dependent upon policy of the
officers
in the national level. However, the availability of program and qualified teachers also become factor to decide which music
to
study. Whereas in national level the policy relies on the concept of “Unity in Diversity” mentioned before, not all of the ethnic
music
in Indonesia (whose numbers are thousands) have qualified teachers to teach music from elementary to university levels.
Among
the small number of teachers are those with Western musical educational training, causing the system of music education
orients
itself on Western music.
The members of the communities, on the other hand, due to the lack
of knowledge and understanding of local music, they think that their
music is old-fashioned and not up-to date, and some of them say that
their music is not relevant to the contemporary life. As a result, they
orient themselves on “foreign music,” the music that is originated
from other countries. There is underlying concepts by which they
infer conclusion: they think everything comes from the West
(technology, science, laws, economy and political systems, etc. are
thought of as more valuable and they have higher status than the
similar concepts from their country. As a result they underestimate
local products and cultures. With similar rationale they also think
that local music is also lower in status. This issue eventually
becomes serious when youth construct ideas emphasizing the
“dichotomy” of West and East where West is thought of as
“superior” and East is “inferior.” This situation affect the way they
think of local music and eventually also influences their taste of
music. I was told that in west Java youth are ashamed of listening to
traditional music like Degung, they prefer to listen to (and play)
popular music, the hybrid between Western element and the local
music. They are proud of being able to play western instruments and
are reluctant to play traditional instruments. Ironically, in our campus
at STSI Surakarta, when I asked the new ethnomusicology students
whose interest is to study and to keep the traditional alive, none
of
them said that he/she had ever played traditional instruments or sang
a traditional songs before they entered the school. The reason was
like the one mentioned
before, they are ashamed of being able to
play traditional music.
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