On Friday, 11 September 2015, Darmasiswa and Developing Countries Partnership students joined their first culture class. In this class, they learnt and practiced Angklung, one of traditional musical instruments from West Java, Indonesia. The class was given by Panca Putri Rusdewanti, M.Pd, a lecturer of Music Education, Faculty of Languages and Arts, YSU. To facilitate the participants in learning and practicing Angklung as well, the students were grouped according to each musical scale.

In conducting the class, Panca was assisted by 3 BIPA (Indonesian for Non-native Speakers) tutors whose duty is to assure the success of every class and to become a facilitator during the class.
Those foreign students seemed enthusiastic in playing Angklung. Sadera, a student of Darmasiswa program from Madagascar, commented “This instrument is interesting and fun to play, I love it”. The song they played is “Rasa Sayange”, a tradisional song of Moluccas.

Seven, a student of Developing Countries Partnership from Rwanda adressed a question regarding the meaning of the song, as it contains pantun or a Malay poetic form inside. Students here do not solely come to learn languange, but they are supposed to be familiar with Indonesia in-depth. The second song to play is ‘Gundul – Gundul Pacul’, a traditional, playful song from East Java. Unlike the first song, the second one is much more easier because the tone is full of repetition. The class ended at 12.00, and was closed by saying a pray together and testimony-giving, which reveals the students’ impression of Angklung. (Umi)