‘Click, Play and Save’: The iGamelan as a Tool for Music-culture Sustainability

Abstract

This article explores the potential for web-based interactive music resources to represent and sustain music-culture heritage via digital means. Our focus is the University of Otago's virtual Indonesian gamelan (iGamelan): an immersive online resource featuring interactive musical instruments, an audio-video gallery, and information archive. Designed in 2010 -2011 for use within the tertiary education context, the iGamelan stands alone as an innovative learning/teaching tool, and also enhances real-life instructional sessions with the University's pelog/slendro Central Javanese gamelan. This article illuminates the pitfalls and achievements of the iGamelan project and, at a broader level, demonstrates how contemporary technology can help sustain active music-making cultures.