At ceremonies, why do gamelan orchestras often play at the same time?

I am often engaged as a cultural attaché to accompany tourists to temple ceremonies in Bali, and naturally they always ask me a lot of questions. People are curious about the meanings of the offerings; how people pray; temple etiquette and particularly about the music and dance.

One of the perplexing things is why gamelan orchestras play at the same time. A tourist will be happily videoing or recording a “performance”, capturing the moment and hoping that surface noise will be minimal; then all of a sudden another orchestra will start up nearby. Whilst this is frustrating, there is not much the tourist can do. One time, somebody even asked me: “Could you ask the other gamelan to stop?” Of course, this is both arrogant and unrealistic because the Balinese have a reason for what they do.

What many people don’t realize is that these music and dance performances are not purely for the pleasure of humans, but in fact for the gods. Balinese believe that the gods can see, hear and monitor everything and anything that is going on at any one time; therefore they can listen to and appreciate many sounds at one time.

This is not only confusing for the people listening but also for the gamelan musicians themselves. It often means that they can’t even hear what they are playing! Some musicians, however, actually like this because it means that others can’t hear their mistakes. This is totally fine because the musicians are devoting this music to the gods, who will not criticize their playing, but will praise them for their efforts.

So next time you come to a ceremony expecting a professional recording, forget it. Think of your documentation as a unique cacophony of musical devotion!