On Java…

What amazing synchronicity — I’ve been blogging this week about performing Javanese gamelan music from NYC to Oman and beyond, and then an article on gamelan and Java appears today in the New York Times. Today’s travel article showcases Yogyakarta — one of my favorite cities to visit when I was living next to a volcano in Indonesia on a Fulbright to study Advanced Indonesian, research Islam in Java, and practice gamelan and martial arts. While Yogyakarta is certainly a buzzing center of creativity, the true epicentre of Javanese gamelan and traditional performing arts is actually Solo — where I hope to return soon to study with my teachers…