Gamelan

I go ding and dong and clink and clank. My voice is made of shiny metal that glimmers like gold. I am not just one thing. I am a whole family of instruments playing together. We sing a song that sounds like shimmering water and happy bells. I am a Gamelan, and my music comes from the beautiful islands of Indonesia. I am a beautiful, ringing sound. I love to sing for you.

I have been around for a very, very long time, since before your great-great-great-grandparents were born. People carved pictures of my oldest relatives into the stone walls of a great temple called Borobudur way back in the 9th century. I was made by many caring hands in places like Java and Bali. People shaped my big, round gongs and my rows of bronze keys. I also have drums that go thump-thump and tiny cymbals that whisper. To play me, people sit on the floor and use special soft hammers to gently tap my keys and gongs, making me sing my happy song.

My music is for happy times and special ceremonies. I play for dancers who tell stories with their hands and for puppet shows that make everyone giggle. When people hear my gentle, ringing music, it makes them feel calm and joyful. My song is about working together, because each of my instruments has its own part to play. I am a sound of friendship that you can still hear today, connecting people all over the world with a happy, shimmering tune.