Friends of the Gamelan

Description

Friends of the Gamelan, affectionately know as FROG, traces its roots to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, held in Chicago. In the late 1970s, a group began to meet regularly at the Field Museum to play on those very instruments. FROG formed in 1980 as a not-for-profit educational organization with the purpose of purchasing a Javanese gamelan for pedagogy and performance. FROG's vision is to expand the audience for Javanese culture and gamelan performance.

Work Sample

Friends of the Gamelan performed at Epiphany Center for the Arts on October 16, 2021

Friends of the Gamelan performed at Epiphany Center for the Arts on October 16, 2021.

Friends of the Gamelan performed a virtual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 15 at 7pm CST.

The work samples are a great example of FROG's overall sound and performance. Pieces range from 5 minutes to as long as 20 minutes. FROG's performances bring a unique musical form to the Chicago area, one that was first heard at the Java Village on the Midway during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. FROG is a reminder that Chicago is a cultural crossroads, and the ensemble is part of a global network of gamelan communities.

History

FROG's mission is to inspire enthusiasm, curiosity, and appreciation for Javanese gamelan performance and culture. The organization provides quality individual and group instruction, performs world-class public and private concerts, and presents engaging hands-on workshops to students, families, and gamelan appreciators of all ages and abilities throughout Chicago and beyond. In the late 1970s, the Field Museum of Natural History offered classes in Javanese gamelan using the instruments it had acquired after Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. In 1980, after the museum archived the instruments, a group of enthusiastic class attendees incorporated Friends of the Gamelan, Inc. (FROG) to continue gamelan instruction and performance. Today composed of 16 musicians that rehearse twice a week throughout the year, the organization has been affiliated with various educational institutions in Chicago throughout the years (Old Town School of Folk Music, Roosevelt University, University of Chicago) but is now fully independent. Its rehearsal studio, shared with sister organization Chicago Balinese Gamelan (CBG), is located at MANA Contemporary in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.

Artistic Vision

A gamelan is a uniquely tuned melodic ensemble of metal percussion instruments, xylophones, a two-string fiddle, a zither, a flute, and singers. A set of drums completes the core ensemble. The music is accessible to musicians of all levels, and playing the gamelan promotes a feeling of community and togetherness.

As the only organization in Chicago solely focused on Javanese gamelan music, Friends of the Gamelan (FROG) provides both instruction and performance opportunities. FROG's vision is to expand the audience for Javanese culture and gamelan performance. While many gamelans in the United States are associated with universities, FROG is an independent community ensemble that accepts volunteer ensemble members and rehearses and performs regularly throughout the year.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

FROG's artistic director Alex Yoffe has years of experience teaching children and adult groups. In addition to FROG, Alex currently teaches gamelan at Northern Illinois University.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

FROG's performances help educate all audiences about traditional arts from Java and Southeast Asia. FROG's public engagement ranges from public concerts, toworkshops designed for grade school students up to advanced musicians, such as seminars for college-level composition students.