A Recorded Anthology of Indonesian Music Prepared by Anthony Seeger, Director Folkways Records Philip Yampolsky, Principal Investigator Introduction This project proposes a collaborative venture between the Smithsonian Institution's Office of Folklife Programs, Smithsonian/Folkways Records, a principal investigator (Philip Yampolsky), and the Indonesian Musicological Society, for the production of a series of audio and video recordings of Indonesian music. The three-year project is designed to yield a high-quality anthology of music from many different regions of Indonesia, which could be used for educational and cultural purposes in both countries. The research, recording, and production parts of the project are designed to supplement the training of Indonesian musicologists and technicians by involving them in every step of the process from training through research and recording to final record production, distribution, and archiving. Equipment purchased with the grant will be used by the researchers, and will remain in Indonesia, and a copy of the field recordings will be left in a suitable repository in Indonesia. The results of the project will include the following: (1) an anthology of Indonesian music that emphasizes the regional styles, published jointly by Smithsonian/Folkways Records in the United States and by the MMI in Indonesia; (2) theoretical and practical training of Indonesians in all aspects of research, recording, production, and preservation; (3) the provision of equipment for further research and publication by Indonesians that the project will have prepared them, and further motivated them, for undertaking on their own. We propose to begin the project immediately, in order to be able to produce four titles in conjunction with the "Festival of Indonesia" and to continue for two more years. This proposal seeks funding only for the first year; we will reapply for the subsequent years on the basis of the experience with the first year. The Need for a Broad Anthology Of the hundreds of distinct genres and styles of national and regional or ethnic music in Indonesia, only a handful have been represented on commercial recordings available in the West. Commercial releases have concentrated on only a few geographical regions (mainly Central Java, West Java, and Bali) and, within those regions, on only a few genres (mainly the classical gamelan traditions). Despite the excellent quality of some of these recordings, they present only a fragmentary picture of the extraordinary richness and diversity of Indonesia's music, and give only a vague sense of the musical context surrounding the genres that have been recorded. Even in Indonesia, few people have a grasp of the full range of Indonesian music. While many regional or ethnic genres are recorded on commercial audio cassettes, the distribution of these tapes is usually limited to their home region, and people in other parts of the country have no access to them. Moreover, commercial and social pressures tend to privilege certain genres (urban popular music; Central Javanese classical gamelan music) at the expense of others (village music; music associated with certain religious rituals; and the music of the less populous regions and ethnic groups). As a result, many Indonesians are simultaneously unaware of and disdainful of much of their country's music. In an effort to change these conditions, both in the West and in Indonesia itself, we propose to record and issue a series of recordings in collaboration with the Indonesian Musicological Society (Masyarakat Musikologi Indonesia, hereafter MMI). These will provide a comprehensive and integrated overview of Indonesian music. The purpose of the series is fundamentally educational. On the musical level the recordings are intended to increase awareness and appreciation of the diversity of Indonesia's heritage. On a more fundamental cultural level, we hope that by stimulating listeners' respect for, interesat in, and understanding of musics other than their own we can foster in them the same attitudes toward the social and ethnic groups from which the musics spring. The Components of the Recording Series We envision the eventual production of a number of coordinated products that will enhance the use and enjoyment of Indonesian music in schools and homes. The following seven are examples of the projects that would be developed from the recordings (1-3) or could be developed in the future (4-6). 1. The production of approximately fifteen audio master tapes for release in the U.S.A. by Smithsonian/Folkways in some appropriate audio format (we are currently thinking of CD and cassette releases), each with brief explanatory notes (the maximum that can be included in packaging for commercial distribution). 2. Where appropriate, more extensive notes would be prepared and made available by mail order from the Smithsonian for a small postage and handling fee. 3. When the series is completed, the entire set of recordings could be packaged together with extensive notes for library and classroom use. 4. A teacher's guide to the recordings would be prepared with teaching materials for different age levels so that non-specialists could use them in classrooms. 5. A videotape, documenting performance practice, could be issued to complement the audio recordings. 6. If desirable, a monograph could be prepared for the Office of Folklife Programs Monograph & Media Series including a series of analytical articles based on and employing the recordings. 7. We will obtain rights for possible ROM or interactive CD products which would combine audio, visual, and textual material. While this is definitely a format for the future, the Smithsonian Institution is investigating this format for educational products. The entire series is conceived as a reference work for schools, libraries, and scholars. To meet the needs of teachers and scholars, the notes will contain contextual material, song texts and translations, and analytical commentary. The videotape(s) will provide visual documentation to complement the audio, and we plan to develop teachers' guides for the recordings. These would greatly enhance the school use of the project. The audio recordings will probably be marketed both individually as they appear and as a single package (at the conclusion of the project). We envision two editions of the recordings; one of these will be issued in Indonesia with explanatory notes in Indonesian, the other will be issued in the United States with explanatory notes in English. The published recordings, videotapes, and annotations are a tangible outcome of a project that combines research, recording, and production. There is also an important intangible result that derives from the collaborative nature of the project. Throughout the project, the Office of Folklife Programs and the principal investigator will work closely with members of the MMI. Whenever feasible, the planning, scouting, documentation, and annotation for the recordings will be carried out by the principal investigator and researchers from MMI, working as a team. The recording engineer will be an Indonesian chosen in conjunction with MMI. All equipment purchased for the project would be left in Indonesia, along with copies of all the recordings. We propose to bring the recording engineer to the U.S. in 1990 to attend a workshop on sound recording techniques (offered by U.S. National Public Radio), and one or two more MMI members would come to the U.S. later as Smithsonian interns to study audio production and distribution. Thus the recording project, in addition to producing a major reference work for anyone studying or teaching about Indonesian culture, will provide extensive experience in field recording, documentation, and production for a group of Indonesian researchers and technicians who can be expected in their turn to teach other students and researchers in Indonesia. [end of project description]