JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

As indicated by the constant presence of street singers on public transportation, or guitar-hero wannabes at intersections or in almost every kampung, learning to play guitar is easy.

Violin, on the other hand is a no-go zone not only because it is physically taxing, but also because it is financially prohibitive.

But thanks to a growing local community of violin lovers, what you need to contribute now is only the physical preparedness that violin lessons demand, as members of this community are now willing to share their knowledge free of charge.

One of communities offering free violin courses is Sanggar Merah Putih (Red White Workshop) on Jl. Dewi Sartika in Cawang, East Jakarta. This group runs afternoon sessions between noon and 9 p.m.
The founder of the workshop, Tono, 49, who only gave his first name for this story, said there was nothing snobbish about providing violin lessons to the masses, adding that the workshop started off very modestly.

Tono started giving violin lessons in 2005 to poor children living in the slum areas on the banks of the nearby Ciliwung River. Tono thought the underprivileged kids needed to learn skills to get by in their future lives.

“I love violin and I want to share my passion with children,” he said.

And to the chagrin and heartbreak of those who have spent years languished in violin or guitar lessons, Tono says learning violin is not rocket science.

“Learning to play the violin is 1 percent talent and 99 percent perspiration. If you really work hard on it, you can master the violin in 10 sessions, or in about one month,” he said.

Initially, the violin lessons proved quite intimidating for the slum kids. When Tono first started his workshops, only two children showed up.

At first, he let his students keep the four-stringed instruments, but as the number of children grew to eight, they had to take turns in playing the fiddles he provided.

“After the children master the violin and perform at events, they usually buy their own instruments. The most expensive violin usually costs at Rp 700,000 (US$75),” he said.

As word has spread, more and more children from outside the neighborhood have been coming to Tono’s workshop. Some even come from places as far away as Ciputat in Tangerang and Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta.

“They know about my workshop from friends and some of these kids are not necessarily poor.

Sometimes they come from families that pay only a little attention music,” Tono said.

So rather than only acting as a violin teacher, Tono ends up being counselor to the kids’ families.
“After they master the violin, I usually take the time to tell parents that their children have skills,” he said.

Tono has been quite a liberal instructor by allowing his pupils to choose their own music and genres. Only sometimes, he tells the children what music they should play. In the month of August, his class focuses on national songs such as the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya, and Halo, Halo Bandung, and during the fasting month, the playlist would switch to religious songs.

Today, Tono’s workshop has 12 regular students, while others come when they have spare time.
“Sometimes they are busy with exams or have other activities. It’s an open community, not a school, so they have no obligation to be here every day,” he said.

The group have become consummate violin players and have made regular appearances at events and parties. You can catch their regular performances every month at Central Jakarta’s Car-Free Day on Jl. Thamrin. Soft drink giant Coca-Cola set up a stage for their performances, the first of which was held in December 2008.

Usually, after performing at the Car-Free Day, Tono takes the children to Suropati Park in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where another violin community called Suropati Park Chambers practices on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

However, the Suropati Park Chambers are in a league of their own. The club was established to do something of European origins.

The founder of Suropati Park Chambers, Agustinus “Ages” Dwiharso, said he was inspired to use Suropati Park for rehearsals after having an experience of seeing musical performances in parks in the Netherlands. He mentioned the idea to his friend Rio Hermindo and they soon were jamming at Suropati Park.

“A park is a good place to interact, and it’s also good for violin practice,” he said.

Perhaps it has also been a success because Suropati Park is one of the safest places in town. With rows of embassies and residences of prominent figures located in the park’s vicinity, security guards are never in short supply.

Ages said his community, which had four members when they started in 2007, now boasts 120 members, with 75 regulars. Its European origin notwithstanding, this community plays nothing but traditional Indonesian songs, such as Manuk Dadali from West Java and Kicir-kicir from Jakarta.

“Recently, we got a new inventory of traditional songs after a friend of mine visited a Catholic library in Yogya-karta and bought traditional song books there. The books have more than 1,000 songs, compiled by Jesuit Father Edmund Prier. It really makes things easy for us because the songs are broken down into themes, such as family and nature,” he said.

The community’s members have diverse backgrounds, ranging from students to street musicians.

Since the rehearsals take place in a public place, members often first learn about the group when they see other members doing regular violin practice at the park.

Ages said classes are open for eight different levels of players, from newbies to most experienced, with the progress of every students being monitored closely. Four instructors are assigned to give lessons.

“Starting March, on Sundays we have an opportunity to play at a park at the Ancol Art Academy from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. I think it will be good to familiarize people with the violin and to breathe life into the park. We will provide one class each week,” he said.

And even if you are not interested in learning violin, it is guaranteed that these people will soothe you with the heavenly sounds they produce with their four-stringed instruments.

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