The gamelan featured in this tour was acquired in 1964 and is a part of the Stearns Collection at the University of Michigan. Comprised of some forty instruments, it was given the title Kyai Tela Ga Madu  or "The Venerable Lake of Honey" in a special naming ceremony. The word 'Kyai' indicates that the gamelan is 'male', as most gamelan sets tend to be. The instruments are on the fourth floor of the Burton Memorial Tower in Ann Arbor where they are regularly used by the University of Michigan Gamelan Ensemble. Their yearlong study culminates in a public performance each spring; alumnae and visiting artists often join in the concert



   Interest in acquiring a gamelan for the Stearns Collection began with the New York World Exposition in 1964, where a complete Javanese gamelan was on exhibit. Professor William Malm coordinated the purchase and the instruments arrived from Indonesia two years later. He described the day the gamelan arrived at the University:


   "One winter day in 1966, a truck driver arrived at my office door and requested my signature on a delivery receipt. He then dumped before the [Burton] Tower, a set of giant boxes made with rough teak and sheathed in tin. A quick trip home for a hammer and a crowbar plus a search for my only graduate assistant (Mark Slobin), resulted in an eighth floor room filled with gongs, wooden frames, and metal keys, minus an instruction book on how to assemble the forty piece gamelan. During one of the many elevator trips up, the university fire marshall informed me that the packing rice straw and boxes that were in front of the Tower were a fire hazard that must be removed immediately. Two boxes became storage sheds in me backyard and the rest went up in safer flames."





   The first University of Michigan gamelan ensemble made its debut in 1967 playing two pieces. With the efforts of Dr. Judith Becker, an ethnomusicologist, and Hardjo Susilo, an Indonesian musician, the ensemble soon flourished. The number of performers grew from 12 in 1968 to 26 at its largest in 1976. Professor Becker continues to direct the ensemble and coordinates its activities. Here are some highlights from the various performances:
  • 1969 - The U of M gamelan ensemble, which happened to be comprised of women that year, goes on tour in Wisconsin and the Chicago area. The banner on the bus reads: Judy Becker's All Girl Gamelan.
  • 1974 - The annual gamelan performance at Hill Auditorium is accompanied by a shadow puppet play led by P. Becker.
  • 1977 - Artist in Residence, Sodear Sono, coordinates a dance drama performance with 15 dancers and 18 musicians. Among the performers are Margaret and Andrew Becker, children of Professor Judith Becker.(Interview with Susan Walton 3/29/86)




Judith Becker (far left) and William Malm (far right).






Go to the next section

1. Introduction
2. One Winter's Day in 1966...
3. Born of Fire
4. Gamelan in Indonesia
5. The Musical System
6. Instruments of the Gamelan
7. Additional Resources