The New Role of Java']Javanese Traditional Performing Arts: A Case Study of Educational and Socially Transformative Gamelan Music Programs in Prisons

In this present study, I examine the benefits of a Javanese Gamelan program conducted over two months at a juvenile prison in Central Java. The participants were 40 teenage prisoners between 13 and 19. Many of them exhibited dramatic changes in behavior, sociability, and self confidence during the course of this gamelan program. I also compare this program with a similar one at a prison in England. Through this comparison, I explore the significance of using a traditional performing art, the Javanese Gamelan in a case where it is a local tradition and one where it is not. In present day Javanese society, due to the effects of globalization, the decline of traditional performing arts is a matter of concern. However, I demonstrate that it is possible for this type of program to add new value to traditional performing arts and re-invigorate this traditional art while simultaneously empowering local society.