Let me start off by saying that it was a really wonderful concert. What made it even better was that the entire class was able to play the instruments that we saw on stage last week. Knowing how difficult it is to sound as good as the orchestra did certainly made me appreciate the sound more, despite how unfamiliar it is to me. It is certainly unlike any of the other music we have explored this semester; it is completely unique to Bali.  There were two dancers, who danced in seemingly traditional dances (although one would be led to question how “authentic” any of this performance is, considering Bali’s musical history). The costumes of the orchestra members, who were barefoot as well (a sign of respect in Bali culture) completed the uniqueness of this event. Something striking about the instruments is that they look quite ancient. In reality, they are a modern creation, much more modern than the instruments found in a classical orchestra. The history of the Gamelan Orchestra is not as glamorous as it seems to be: instead of being traditional and spiritual, the Gamelan style of music was created because the Indonesian government pushed for it in order to entertain tourists at hotels. It’s amazing how great the orchestra sounded, when most of the orchestra was percussion. There were only two flutes to complement the percussion. The sounds were quite new and refreshing. The gong, which I got to play in class actually reminded me of the bells attached to ocean buoys. Alone the instruments do not sound so great, but put together, they sound quite impressive. This was evident in the segment of the show where the conductor pieced together the orchestra, part by part, before they played the full song. I know the music makes sense on a theoretical level, but only because the music majors in the class told me so. This concert and the classroom session on the Gamelan Orchestra was quite an interesting topic, and it explored a side of music that I previously knew very little about.