(kapanlagi.com)Drummer Gilang Ramadhan is now busy managing the Indonesian Drum Academy, which opened in October.

Located in Pondok Kacang, Tangerang, the academy is not far from one of his Gilang Ramadhan Studio Drummer Center.

Establishing the academy, said to be the first in the nation, is another of his dreams come true, especially in providing a facility for talented high school graduates to study drumming in a three-year program.

“Studying drumming in the United States is now very expensive so we are offering a solution here,” said the husband of emcee and TV host Shahnaz Haque and father of three daughters.

He hopes the academy can receive accreditation from the education ministry to allow students to pursue degrees in other areas upon completion if they wish.

Although busy with the academy and collaboration projects with Iwan Fals and Iwang Noorsaid, the 49-year-old always finds time to spend with his family.

“We like doing outdoor activities such as rafting at weekends. We rarely go to malls except to eat at restaurants or watch movies.”

He explained that his first and third daughters are now showing an interest in baseball, and “on weekends if I am free I always take them to Senayan for practice”.

During school holidays, he always take his children to explore new places. “I want them to know that Indonesia is huge and very beautiful.”

Family’s favorite holiday destinations…

There are no places in particular. Bali is a regular choice and Yogyakarta is very relaxing. Recently, we visited an island near Bali Island whose crystal clear water allowed my kids to see hundreds of beautiful fish. They seemed to be transported to a different world.

Dream holiday…

It is a yacht trip to Thousand Islands and Ujung Kulon, because I love fishing. Unfortunately, the weather is not so good at the moment.

Our favorite foods…

We love trying different restaurants for new menus. At the moment, my kids love sushi. As a Sundanese, I used to tease them for disliking pete (a strong-smelling bean and a staple of Sundanese cuisine). They were so tired of being teased they tried eating pete and now they love it!

Drummers who inspire me…

It is not fair to name names because there are many great drummers out there. However, at present, I admire little children who are very talented and musicians who play traditional musical instruments.

Something people do not know about me…

My wife often criticizes me for having a reckless fashion sense, even when attending wedding events. I like wearing the same T-shirt, shirt or pants despite having many choices in my closet.

I also don’t like reading. It’s very ironic because my father (Ramadhan KH) is a writer. Fortunately I have a wife who loves reading so every time she finishes a book, if it has a good story, I tell her to tell me the story.

+Frederica Ermita Indriani

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