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After this first experience of playing l was keen do some more performances. This led to me playing for Wayang Gedog on several occasions, for Upacara Mepandes (a tooth- filing ceremony), and even for some tourists' l soon became aware that playing for these occasions was nothing like the western equivalent, where everything fits into a tight time-slot - it seemed that as long as it happened on that day, there were no worries.  It is not uncommon to have to sit patiently for hours on end sipping coffee and nibbling sweet rice cakes waiting for the Pedanda (high priest) to arrive. The concept of jam karet (rubber time) is something that is firmly ingrained. in Balinese culture.

One sunny day in Ubud l remember waiting for five hours or so for the priest to come, and sure enough when he finally arrived the heavens exploded and it poured down with torrential rain. We then had to move the outside Wayang stage to a small balcony hardly big enough for the puppeteer alone.

Some months later l had the opportunity to play for a full three hour night time Wayang, which was a totally different experience altogether - talk about a tense musical atmosphere! As well as coordinating four musicians, add the crazy rhythms and machine-gun cues from a puppeteer, who is busy spinning and dancing rawhide stick puppets. When the cocks began crowing and
the show was deemed  finally over, my wrists were sore and the blisters were showing through!.

A few months further down the track l started learning a different style of Gamelan music, namely Semara Pagulingan - a slowly courtly style of music, more akin to the sounds of stately Javanese Gamelan. At the time of the great Rajas of Bali, this Gamelan had the function, interestingly enough, of lulling the Raja to sleep, with its long, wavering melodies and sweet, limpid sounds.

l attempted to learn the lead instrument, called terompong, which comprises of a long row of around sixteen bronze kettle gongs. These are hit with two beaters or sticks, one held in each hand. Playing the terompong involves mastering a difficult ' almost improvisatory technique, which can be learmt, but l think better absorbed over a period of years of observing an expert player.

To study this music l went to the small village of Pagan Kelod in east Denpasar. This village possesses one of the few remaining seven tone Semara Pagulingan orchestras left in Bali (most these days are only five tone).
The repertoire for this Gamelan is extensive and the tunes are often very long, up to half an hour in some cases. So the challenge to learn this music, especially for an outsider, was quite bewildering in the beginning. Just finding a teacher was hard enough! After enquiring at the local Bale Banjar (village community meeting place), l was introduced to a gentle, elderly man named l Ketut Cekig,
a senior musician who was to become my Guru and close friend. Being one of only two elderly men in Bali that knows this repertoire of ancient music, he indeed possesses a unique knowledge and skill.

An antique Gamelan set is housed at the temple in his village, a remnant of the time of rule of the Badung Raja of the Pemecutan Palace. There he taught me twice a week in a very relaxed. manner between cigarettes and sweet tea and stories. Patiently he would repeat the long melodic fragments perhaps a thousand times until they had truly entered my soul - his natural musical spirit was, to say the least, inspiring. l would always return home singing with the phrases spinning  around in my head, nagging me to remember a l the subtle nuances that my Guru would give he music.

Kakek (grandfather) Cekig was a very encouraging teacher and l think proud to have a foreign student - to my knowledge l am the first foreigner to have ever studied in this village. After a couple of months of studying it came about that there would be an Odalan (temple ceremony) at the large village temple in Pagan Kelod. My Guru told me that l should be brave enough to play at this ceremony, so l accepted the challenge - what did l have to lose? The day of the ceremony quickly arrived and l gave it a go - being the lead melodic instrument, my job was to keep the melodic contour as well as judge the mean feat, but despite hundreds of stares and endless questions from locals, l somehow pulled it off. Not being the sort of person i who enjoys being in the public eye, l fail to understand why l put myself in the limelight like this! Having said that, l feel that my
musical journey here would be incomplete without the performance aspect of  Gamelan. For sure, after years of learning Western music and the theory associated with it, this type of learning experience is a welcome change.
All performing musicians in Bali are well respected, Balinese and foreigners alike. The position of musician however,
traditionally, has been an inferior one, as with the majority of traditional artists in Indonesia.

It became evident after a short time that Balinese Gamelan musicians are in fact some of the most undervalued musicians l know of. This could be due to the caste position Gamelan players have historically had - usually from the jaba/sudra (outside) caste. Their role in the days of the great Rajas was to serve and entertain the King. Nonetheless, due to their specialist knowledge, they were considered indispensable members of the court. Due to this fact they were well fed and looked after by the kingdom.

Nowadays, with the fall of the courts, there is a new breed of Raja in Bali - the tourist. Hotels often commission performances, but the competition is great, and generally the cheapest offers are taken.  The result being that quality not so high and the performance duration is cut down. Either this, or the middle man (not necessarily a musician himself) gives the musicians a token share (maybe enough to buy a plate of rice) and takes the rest of the profits for his own pocket.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Balinese young people are becoming reluctant to learn their musical traditions. Certainly, something like a professional traditional musician is unheard of in Bali. You are better off learning Eric Clapton style blues guitar and singing in a local Kuta cafe!

 This problem aside, those, like myself, who play Gamelan for the sheer pleasure of it are still around, and will always have time for a "jam session" (unplugged??), or simply to compare different village styles or techniques over clove cigarettes and strong black coffee. It is strange, you know, because hours and hours can drift past without realising it. Showers of dense rhythmic melodies float by, produced by only four hands, leaving any nightclub techno beats for
dust. (You can make the flashing lights yourself). No drug is better than this, although the after effects are often cramp and a really sore back!

Most of the I&cal music traditions here are still alive and well, and l am always warmly welcomed when l approach a musician with questions, or want to learn a new instrument. The people are so encouraging, and are pleased if you make an effort to be interested in their culture and arts. As far as l am concerned, as with rock and reggae bands,  people of any skin colour can play Gamelan music, as long as they are committed to the cause - how many talented Bob Marleys and Whitney Houstons are there already in Bali?

Hopefully, the future for the less popular or near extinct ensernbles will be a positive one. This might come about due to increasing foreign interest in Balinese arts, or simply local self-realisation that each generation of  Balinese has the opportunity to inherit this wonderfully unique and exotic music. Long live the Gong!

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