Kenyon Sampler continues

Luce Assistant Professor of Asian Music and Culture Henry Spiller will share his passion for the music of the Indonesian island of Java and the culture of Indonesia during a talk at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, 201 North Mulberry Street. In a program entitled "In Search of...Authentic Indonesian Music," at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 13, Spiller will introduce listeners to the exotic and mysterious music of Indonesia and look at the notion of authenticity. The talk, intended for a general audience, is free and open to the public.

One of Spiller's particular interests is gamelan music. In Indonesian traditional thinking, the gamelan, a group of instruments, is sacred and is believed to have supernatural power. It is believed that each instrument in the gamelan is guided by spirits. Thus, the musicians have to take off their shoes when they play the gamelan. They are also forbidden to step over any instrument in a gamelan, because doing so might offend the spirit. Gamelan is a way of linking individuals in social groups. Today, although gamelan music is still used for ritual ceremonies, it is also performed as concert music at social and cultural gatherings to welcome guests and audiences.