Can you tell us more about your projects "Gulir Bunyi" and "Utas Gita"? What is the story behind it and what is the project's goal? Is it moving towards free jazz?
"Gulir Bunyi" is a concept to learn how to connect musical knowledge with mass public. In short, normally to be able to appreciate and create music we have some "barriers" in doing it, be that our understanding of music theory or technique. "Gulir Bunyi" tries to remove the barriers and reverse the process to a process which puts intuition or imagination first rather than logical thinking.
So, the main programs of "Gulir Bunyi" are Gulir Bunyi and Utas Gita, which are group improvisation workshops based on musical games. They are designed for an experience-based learning, not a systematic-formal learning. Methaporically speaking, if you want to know how high Eiffel tower is, you have to go up there yourself to feel the height. Gulir Bunyi method made this style of learning possible. Our participants come from many different backgrounds (many come the urban society with various profession from age 13-57). They got the experience of music making first hand -- from music improvisation, film scoring, learning harmonica, all the way to traditional music by doing collaborative and parcitipative activity.
Appreciation for music, building curiosity, and expanding creativity through music have to started from the roots. Don't complain about how music is not appreciated if there hasn't been an attempt to start conveying art to the society.
To make people start appreciating music, don't just tell them to go take music lessons and go to festivals. The willingness first comes from experience, which will grow an impression and then, appreciation
What is your reason and goal by doing Myspeakeasies?
myspeakeasies.com is not a project. It is a blog which I use to write about my opinion about music, art, and tradition.
Recently, I've been trying to write some album reviews, especially for jazz albums. We really need music reviews as a way to start building art appreciation space. We can't base our art review on likes and comments on social media. That would be really sad. As long as I have the time and ability to write reviews which can help the public to know and understand more about music, why not?
We heard that you are currently working on an "Indonesian jazz real book". Could you tell us a few words about it? What do you want to achieve by doing this?
Anthology of Indonesian Jazz and Popular Music is a project that I initiated with cooperation of the Music Comitee in Jakarta Arts Council and Irama Nusantara. It is now in the final phase and will be published in November. The book contains 176 sheet music from jazz and pop music genres ranging from 1950s until 2016.
In short, I see a need in the society for  a comprehensive Indonesian jazz and pop music book -- not just for academicians, but the "real book" format" will suit a wider usage from amateur to professional musicians.
