Flowing Waters

Building a Musical Bridge Between Your Orff-Schulwerk Ensemble and the Javanese Gamelan

by Lillian Holtfreter, with F. X. Widaryanto

Flowing Waters is a unique hands-on introduction to the music and culture of Java, for Orff-Schulwerk Ensembles. It includes everything you need to add the wonderfully rich sound of the gamelan to your school, using the Orff instrumentarium. Students learn not only to appreciate, but to understand the unique and very beautiful sound of the gamelan through hands-on experience. Seeing the instruments through the eyes of a master Javanese musician, students are led into a respect for the gamelan and the revered place it has in the lives of the Javanese people.

The 35-minute video first introduces your group to Java and the instruments of the gamelan, demonstrated by FX Widaryanto, then shows you clearly and methodically how to teach "Ritjik-Ritjik" to your students, guided by master teacher Lillian Holtfreter. The 24-page manual is an easy-to-use guide that supplements the video with detailed lesson plans, cultural background, and other information.

The 35-minute color DVD includes:

• Sounds and scenes of Indonesia
• An in-depth introduction to the instruments of the Javanese gamelan - the "village orchestras" with Javanese dancer, musician and teacher FX Widaryanto
• A step-by-step approach to the structure and performance of the the piece "Ritjik-Ritjik" ("Flowing Waters") demonstrated in a classroom setting by Lillian Holtfreter and an upper elementary student ensemble
• A student demonstration of "Ritjik-Ritjik" on the gamelan at the University of Michigan

The 8.5" x 11" manual includes:

• The video narration plus extra information on the music and instruments of Indonesia
• Copy-OK map of Indonesia
• Copy-OK illustrated chart of gamelan instruments
• Copy-OK scores for "Ritjik-Ritjik" and "Udan Mas" ("Golden Rain" - a more challenging piece)
• How to simulate gamelan instruments using the Orff instrumentarium
• Detailed lesson plans for eight classroom sessions leading to a performance of "Ritjik-Ritjik" on classroom instruments
• Information on shadow puppets, including Copy-OK templates for making your own. Use them behind a lighted sheet as a backdrop for a concert performance of the included pieces
• Selected resources list
• List of Gamelan ensembles in the United States that welcome visits