Balinese gamelan is one of the traditional Indonesian musical instruments that is growing rapidly in the United States, especially in Denver. Gamelan became famous and popular in America in the mid-1950s when the Institute of Ethnomusicology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) began to introduce a series of Javanese gamelan, and this was followed by a set of Balinese gamelan with several teachers from Indonesia. In its development, gamelan learning was initially only an extracurricular activity, then became an official subject at UCLA and continued to develop at various universities throughout America. I Made Lasmawan became one of the disseminators of Balinese Gamelan education in Denver, especially in the Tunas Mekar community. This is a significant contribution to Balinese cultural diplomacy in the United States. This research uses a narrative qualitative method to identify comprehensive information on the spread of Balinese gamelan education in Denver. The results of this research show that non-Indonesian students are able to learn and become lecture in the Balinese Gamelan community. The community also performs a Balinese gamelan show every year in Denver. Cultural diplomacy is a way or one-way communication of direct two-way exchange, one way of promoting Indonesian culture to America. This grows local and global music communities in creating cultural diplomacy.

Authors:
Shindi Viona Panjaitan, University of Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Shindi Viona Panjaitan is currently a graduate student in the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program, Graduate School of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eka-Lestari-4

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