Secondary 3 – Karawitan: Extracurricular
Every Thursday, Secondary 3 students take part in a karawitan extracurricular activity at Taman Balekambang, guided by Mr. Ferdan. They learn to properly play gamelan instruments such as the saron, bonang, kenong, gong and kendang. In addition to playing techniques, students also study traditional notation (titi laras) and musical symbols used in karawitan.
They also being explained about karawitan which is a traditional Indonesian musical art that combines instruments and vocals using a pentatonic scale system called slendro and pelog. The term karawitan comes from the Javanese word rawit, meaning subtle, gentle and intricate—reflecting the nature of gamelan music.
In this first session, students focused on getting to know the instruments and the pelog scale, a seven-note system in karawitan. They also practiced developing rasa—the ability to feel tempo and musical dynamics—especially when performing a piece like lancaran.
Students participated enthusiastically. Besides introducing them to gamelan, this activity helps build teamwork, concentration and artistic sensitivity. Through karawitan, students are encouraged to help preserve Javanese culture while enhancing their traditional music skills. ***
