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Hi everyone, Attached is a summary of Night Shades:Zachar has recently designed a number of courses aimed at graduate students based on his research material. A seminar would consist of a series of lectures with some possible workshops and tutorial sessions (discussing readings). These workshops are intended to help students combine their talents to produce performances based on the contents of the courses. Seminars on musical composition, performance operations and lectures.

I’ve been invited to give a couple of seminars in Australia in the latter half of this year, and I’ll possibly be presenting them in Singapore as well. They are based on the contents of my PhD. The summary of the lectures is brief, and if anyone wants more detailed information, please feel free to contact me personally (zachar.laskewicz@pandora.be).

There are also two issues I’ve always wanted to bring up regarding the gamelan. If this is old hat I apologise on the beforehand. They are issues that involve our interpretation of Indonesian music as well the impact of alternative musical structures on our own bodies. I’ll describe them as follows:

[1] How do we represent Javanese or Balinese gamelan in film? What sort of roles does it play? What makes directors want to use it as such? When I saw recently the “Once Upon a Time in America” the role of the gamelan seemed quite remarkable, not the ‘other’, incomprehensible in any way, but something the leading character looks back towards with nostalgia (discounting the fact that the wayang performance seemed to be taking place in a opium den). On the other hand, directors like Fellini have used it precisely to represent the ‘Other’, such as Fellini’s adoption of Balinese Cak in Satyricon. What other roles do these traditions impose on our own, not necessarily through film? What are some other classic films (excluding those made on Bali by Walter Spies and crew)?

[2] This issue contrasts quite considerably. As westerners we have a certain way to approach instruments, to use our hands and arms and manipulate tools and objects. While I was learning in Holland the message was strongly ‘do as the Indonesians do’. After three years of using a western body on Balinese instruments I ended up with chronic headaches, muscle-pain and many other problems connected to this. Learning the Balinese gender wayang was even more difficult because of the dexterity of the wrists. As a part of our rehearsals, people sit how they want. Women (Indonesian and western) ALWAYS seem to want to sit on seats even for the kantilan even though they would be able to do it without this aid. It just makes it that much easier. I still sit, however, stretching upwards towards the pemade trying like anything not to allow my shoulders to get tense. There is a thin line between ‘doing it like the Indonesians do’ and causing yourself chronic pain for life. It would be interesting for me to hear what other people think about this.

I look forward to your replies,

Zachar

NIGHT SHADES music-theatre-language NACHTSCHIMMEN
Dr Zachar Laskewicz
Het Lofthuis, Vermorgenstraat 13/8, B-9100 Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
TEL: +32 (0)3 776 61 63 MOBILE: +32 (0)486 97 35 71
email:zachar.laskewicz@pandora.be
http://home2.planetinternet.be