From Performance to Pedagogy: Transforming the Role of a Freelance Gamelan Teacher

This piece examines how a freelance Balinese gamelan teacher’s role was reimagined during COVID-19, shifting from in-person ensemble direction to creating pedagogical assets. When campus ensembles were halted, a grant was repurposed to fund I Gusti Nyoman Darta (Komin) to produce detailed transcriptions and multi-track recordings (via Ableton Live) of “Oyod-Oyod” and his composition “Gilacak.” The article outlines Komin’s stepwise method for teaching small beginner angklung groups—building from pokok to interlocking kotekan, angsel cues, and ensemble flexibility—and reflects on notation’s utility for remote learning despite Komin’s usual oral approach. The project illustrates a viable model for sustaining freelance artists’ livelihoods while enriching the instructional toolkit for future gamelan courses.