Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Up earlier than planned but still, I was excited for the day. We had lunch at the campus. Today was rehearsal day for the upcoming fundraising concert held in the spectacular home of Dedi Panigoro. With the band – Deviana piano, Jennifer Vincent bass, Suhandin Kosasih percussion, and Wahyu Prastya drums, we practiced my arrangements of songs from my recorded and performance standard songbook. We did not have the time to practice my performance tour material. That would have to be another day.
Thursday, July 4, 2024
Fundraising party performance day at Dedi Panigoro! The house featured a whole wing devoted to concerts and entertainment. Everything from the sound system and instruments to the tech engineers, lighting, and catering was carefully designed to enhance the artists and the audience’s experience. The performance space was stunning—both inviting and spacious. The exterior effortlessly flowed into the interior, capturing the essence of Indonesian architecture and embracing the island’s renowned tropical climate. The Panigoro family’s generosity and enthusiasm helped make this festival a sweeping success. The event space inside the Energy building where the festival was held was graciously provided by his nephew Roni Panigoro, one of the Directors of the Medco Group. The Panigoro family have always been avid supporters of music, art and culture in Indonesia. Interesting read about the Panigoro family.
The evening was lively and full of celebration, with not only generous donors in attendance but also the family and friends of the students and teachers from Daya Indonesia Performing Arts Academy. A lineup of exceptionally talented performers, all professionals in their respective fields, graced the event, many of whom would also take the stage at Soehanna Hall for the final musical performances. The evening also featured an unexpected yet delightful encounter with a group of gifted young artists and teachers visiting from Tacoma, Washington, who were members of the Tacoma Arts Council and their support team. It was their first time in Indonesia, and they were deeply moved by the country’s warmth and rich cultural heritage.
A side note and story: July is usually the dry season in Jakarta, however, it rained every day while we were there but only in short bursts throughout the day and evening.
This quick video was shot on the very first day, I left the hotel to go to the market to pick up a few things for my room. Located directly across the street from the hotel, was a complete health food supermarket that incidentally I’d shopped in on my last couple of visits. I felt that it couldn’t get any better than this. When I left the hotel it was sunny out. I crossed the street only to find out that the amazing supermarket was closed for renovation. I thought, no problem, I’ll have someone drive me to another one a few miles away, tomorrow. There was a smaller market similar to a 7-Eleven and I went in there to pick up some bottled water. I paid and upon exiting the store, it started raining…. hard. As I waited under the awning for it to ease up, I pulled out my phone and took this video.
Friday, July 5, 2024
Chill day? No. More like a recovery day. I had a chance to do some brief walking around until our 1:00 pm lobby call. The day’s itinerary was to gather at the academy, have lunch, and meet with the visiting delegation who attended the fundraiser as guests of Devi. The visiting delegation of the Tacoma City Arts Commission which consisted of Council member Jamika Scott along with vocalist, and educator, Joe Williams and as I find my business cards of the other wonderful people of the delegation, I will return to update this post. I have asked Devi to send me some pictures of their visit. (This is what happens when I write a post 8 months after an event. LOL)
When I finally returned to my room I went back to preparing for my presentation that I was showing the next day at the forum. To be honest I was somewhat stressed out after I returned to the hotel. I kept running my PowerPoint presentation, reading through my written script aloud, adjusting the timing and animation. Everything had to be perfect. And as with anyone wanting something to be perfect one can invariably apply Murphy’s Law. Those of you who are not familiar with this law. Murphy’s law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” The mouse that I needed to use to click through the slides, broke. It stopped working. I changed the batteries and still nothing.
I don’t recall who ran the errand to pick up the mouse for the laptop, one of Devi’s students, or more than likely it was A. Aprillia, Devi’s right-hand and extremely competent administrator. It was replaced within hours. It would be a serious error on my part if I didn’t give a shoutout to the young men and women students at DAYA Indonesia Performing Arts Academy. It is inspiring to witness focus dedication and strong work ethic. Oh, yes, and did I mention that they are also very talented? (from left to right – Obaja Simatupang, Gian Van Den Bos, Akira Widyantara, Jonathan, Sachi, Deviana)
Saturday, July 6, 2024
The weekend marked the beginning of the musical performances and panel discussions at the festival. At 10 a.m., the Ministry of Education officially opened the final two days at Soehanna Hall. The Dialogue Forum featured four professionals, each an expert in their respective fields and highly accomplished musicians. Our panel included Endo Suanda, PhD in Ethnomusicology and Educator at Cornell University Indonesia; Arjun Sgar Gupta, Founder and Owner of The Piano Man Jazz Clubs in Delhi, India; Suhnadi Kosasih, Music Educator and Commissioner of the Indonesia Community Council in NSW, Indonesia/Australia; and myself. The four of us engaged in a discussion centered on the topic “Exploring the Depth of Music,” with my contribution specifically focusing on “The Profound Significance of Music Education.”
After the audience participation dialogue, the concert for the evening began in classic full swing.
Sunday, July 7, 2024
The second Dialogue Forum was on – “The Power of Music Therapy for the Special Needs”
Speakers:
- Jennifer Vincent, Bassist, Music Educator & Therapist USA
- Masea Ito, Child Development, Master Therapist, Japan
- Dian Natalina. B.Mus.Ed., M.Mus. The Music Educator and Therapist, Indonesia
I spent the entire day in the hall, feeling more like an audience member as I listened to three skilled professional therapists discuss their work and the techniques they use to assist and improve the lives of individuals with special needs across all age groups. Through the use of music therapy, they demonstrated how significant changes and progress could be made. I had many questions about the topic, as it was something I was familiar with but hadn’t fully explored in terms of the depth and importance of programs for special needs individuals from birth to old age. The performances were deeply moving and emotional, not just for me, but also for Devi.
On Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7 following the Dialogue forums were the music concerts.
The musical lineup for both days:
Saturday Performances
- Minahasa Kolintang Group Marimba
- Ekantika
- Ekasankha Angklung Group
- DAYA Future Ensemble
- DAYA Faculty & Alumni Ensemble (Ali Akbar Sugiri)
- The DAYA String Quartet
Sunday Performances
- Andien
- jpac Jakarta – special needs children
- Dira Sugandi
- Prof. Tjut Nyak Deviana & Nava Daya Swara
- The DAYA String Quartet
- Traditional Dance – Dr. Rosmala Sari Dewi, M.Sm
- Bambu Music Deka by Endo Suanda
With deep gratitude, I closed out the six-day festival with Prof. Tjut Nyak Deviana on piano, Jennifer Vincent on bass, Suhandin Kosasih on percussion, and Wahyu Prastya on drums. The 6-day event was amazing!!!!!
To read more about the festival, click HERE.
Roll the credits…..This is the end of part two.