For the Sekar Laras Karawitan community, playing gamelan is more than just making music. The community is deeply committed to preserving and protecting the nation’s cultural heritage, especially Javanese traditions.
Founded in 2008, Sekar Laras was born from the initiative of several Faculty of Economics and Business UGM professional staff and lecturers who shared an interest in traditional Javanese arts, especially karawitan or gamelan. Initially, the community was formed to accommodate staff and faculty passionate about playing gamelan. Over time, as interest grew within FEB UGM, Sekar Laras expanded to include members of Dharma Wanita (an organization of spouses of civil servants) and other academic staff.
Dwi Susanto, coordinator of Sekar Laras, shared the community’s journey. At that time, FEB UGM did not have its own gamelan set. Their first rehearsal was held at Balai Budaya Minomartani, Sleman. “Before FEB UGM finally acquired its own gamelan set, we practiced every Sunday for two hours under the guidance of Mr. Sukisno,” he explained in an episode of Fakultas Ekonomika dan Bisnis UGM’s YouTube series, Sisi Lain Kampus: Sekar Laras FEB UGM.
Sekar Laras grew significantly with the support of FEB UGM Dean Prof. Marwan Asri, M.B.A., Ph.D., who facilitated the purchase of a gamelan set for the faculty in 2009. Since then, Karawitan practice has occurred on campus, providing more meaningful opportunities for community members to engage and practice intensively. “I hope that in the future, this Karawitan community will attract more academic members, including faculty, professional staff, and students, to preserve and nurture our cultural heritage together,” Dwi expressed.
Sekar Laras serves as a platform to preserve Indonesia’s cultural heritage and as a means to unite and strengthen bonds across generations. Murtono, a retired member of the FEB UGM and an active participant in Sekar Laras, expressed his joy at being part of the community. “They have always welcomed me since my active years until my retirement. It’s a great pleasure for a retiree like me to participate in activities like this and keep in touch with FEB colleagues,” said Murtono.
Meanwhile, Rita Didi Achjari, a member of Sekar Laras and chairperson of Dharma Wanita FEB UGM, shared how joining Sekar Laras allowed her to reconnect with the traditional art of karawitan that she had known since childhood. “I am playing the saron again. It’s wonderful because it’s like the instrument I used to play as a child, although the challenge is playing the unique numerical notation,” she explained.
The community participates in regular practice sessions and performs at major UGM events, such as graduation ceremonies, FEB UGM’s Dies Natalis (anniversary), and interfaculty Karawitan festivals. “During the Karawitan Festival at the Faculty of Philosophy in 2024, we presented the Tari Edan-Edanan performance, where both players and gamelan performers were adorned with sensational and amusing face makeup,” Rita said with a laugh.
Discussing Sekar Laras’ journey without mentioning Dandun Witono, the dedicated teacher training the members for years, would be incomplete. Initially invited to teach by the Dean of FEB UGM (2016-2021), Prof. Eko Suwardi, Dandun feels honored to contribute to preserving Javanese culture through gamelan. “At that time, Prof. Eko owned a gamelan set and asked me to teach in his residential area. Unexpectedly, I was then offered to teach at Sekar Lara’s FEB UGM,” he recalls.
Dandun trains Sekar Laras members to play classical gamelan pieces and introduces conventional and older songs through the gamelan. To support the development of Sekar Laras, Dandun hopes that FEB UGM can enrich its gamelan collection with instruments tuned to the slendro scale, complementing the existing pelog scale set. He also hopes that the community’s daily activities will continue and the family ties among its members will strengthen. “Although there are often dynamics, such as changes in membership due to retirement or job relocation, these dynamics are part of the harmony that strengthens the continuity of this community as a platform for preserving Javanese culture,” he concluded.
Reportage: Shofi Hawa Anjani
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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