This promotional video for the Nihita Proyoga Adhikara program in Banjar Wani, Kerambitan, Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia demonstrates some of my newly acquired skills on the Balinese rindik--a bamboo instrument played with rubber mallets. This beautiful house and performance facility is home to Nyoman Suadin (Eastman School of Music) and his family (his brother, Pak Ilu, is featured in the video).  

In the summer and fall of 2014, I was fortunate enough to take a semester to research children's songs and games in Bali and live much of my four months on the island at Nihita Proyoga Adhikara.  Additionally, I have brought students here for a summer course I teach on language, culture, immigration, and music that meets the ELL requirements for music teacher certification in Pennsylvania. In this course, we 1) learn music from Balinese instructors whose primary language is Basa Bali; 2) experience how teachers negotiate cultural identities and language when working with people outside their own culture; and 3) reflect on ways we negotiate our personal cultural identities and language while learning in an unfamiliar environment; 4) consider which linguistic and cultural tools and resources we draw upon to become successful as learners; and 5) consider and develop strategies for assisting language learners in our own music classrooms. This facility and the wonderful family that cares for it has helped me to become a better musician, teacher, and person.