Bamboo Angklung: Incorporating Indonesia into the Music Education Classroom

Abstract

This article discusses the bamboo angklung as a viable instrument to teach Indonesian music and culture in the music education classroom. It is based on research conducted in West Java and on observations made during a twelve-week period of teaching angklung to K–3 students in the United States. In particular, this article presents pedagogical models used in Indonesian schools and cultural centers and examines how the angklung can be used to teach not only music and Indonesian culture but also Indonesian social values and history. Suggestions for hands-on activities and transcriptions of folk songs are provided to help teachers introduce Indonesian culture and angklung in a way that also strengthens skills in audiation, matching pitch, and recognizing scale degrees.