University of Richmond students explore other cultures through music
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Students in the University of Richmond’s Indonesian Gamelan orchestra sit on the floor or on small stools to perform. They play instruments such as metallophones, gongs, and a suling, a type of bamboo flute.
“It is very different from other forms of music, both in sound and technique,” said music professor Andy McGraw, who directs the orchestra. “For a lot of students, it feels like meditative or trance music.”
McGraw, a specialist in Southeast Asian music, spent 2024 in Central Java on a Fulbright Teacher Grant, teaching at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts. At Richmond, he leads the gamelan ensemble and directs the community group Gamelan Raga Kusuma.
Members of the group will join students to perform a Balinese temple offering dance at the Global Sounds concert on April 4.
The event highlights musical traditions from around the world, featuring Japanese taiko drummers, a Brazilian music ensemble, West African djembe drummers, and Indian sitar performers.
Students can earn academic credit for studying global music and participating in the ensembles.
“It is a welcoming way for students at any level to learn about new music and cultures while having fun,” McGraw said.
Global Sounds will take place on Westhampton Green from 3-4:30 p.m. on April 4. (Rain location: Camp Concert Hall).