Jody Diamond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jody Diamond
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Jody Diamond in 2008
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| Born |
Jody Diamond
April 23, 1953 |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley (B.A. Music, Communication, and Culture) San Francisco State University (M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies in Music and Education) |
| Occupation | Composer, performer, writer |
| Known for | Founder, American Gamelan Institute (1981). Artist in Residence of Harvard University 2007–2017. |
Jody Diamond was born in Pasadena, California on April 23, 1953. She is an American composer, performer, and writer. She also works as a publisher, editor, and teacher. Jody is an expert in traditional and new music for Indonesian gamelan. Gamelan is a group of musical instruments, mostly percussion, from Indonesia. She is active around the world as a scholar, performer, and publisher of this unique music.
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About Jody Diamond
Jody Diamond studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her first degree in 1977. Later, she received a master's degree from San Francisco State University in 1979. Her studies combined music, anthropology, and education.
In 1981, Jody founded the American Gamelan Institute. She still leads this group today. She also edits its journal, Balungan. With Larry Polansky, she also helped start Frog Peak Music. This is a group where composers work together.
Jody received special awards for her work. She got a Fulbright Senior Scholar award to study music in Indonesia. This was in 1988–89. She also received two National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships. These awards helped her study Indonesian composers and the gamelan music of Lou Harrison.
Her Music and Performances
Jody Diamond has created many pieces for gamelan. Some of her works are based on songs from different cultures. Her music has been performed all over the world. She often performs with a group called Gamelan Son of Lion. For example, they played together at the Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival in 1996.
In 1997, she performed her own music with other musicians. She also wrote an article about the "Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival 1997." A CD of her gamelan music is called "In That Bright World." Musicians from ISI Surakarta in Indonesia recorded it in 2001.
Teaching and Gamelan Instruments
Jody Diamond was an Artist in Residence at Harvard University. She worked in the Music Department from 2007 to 2017. There, she used gamelan instruments called Gamelan Si Betty. These instruments were built by Lou Harrison and William Colvig. She used them for projects and a performance group.
She also taught at Dartmouth College from 1990 to 2016. She directed the Indonesian Gamelan Ensemble there. She used a Javanese gamelan called Lipur Sih. She also used a Balinese Gamelan Angklung called Sleeping Fox. Jody has taught at many other colleges too. These include the University of California, Berkeley and Mills College. In 2017, she worked with Evan Ziporyn at MIT. They performed concerts to celebrate Lou Harrison's 100th birthday.
Jody Diamond was the gamelan teacher for the American composer Lou Harrison. She worked with him from 1976 until he passed away in 2003. Lou Harrison and his partner William Colvig gave their largest Javanese-style gamelan, Gamelan Si Betty, to Jody. She also owns another set of instruments called Old Granddad #4. This is the fourth set of instruments known as the American Gamelan.
Selected Musical Works
Here are some of Jody Diamond's musical compositions:
- 1981 In that Bright World: This piece is for voice and gamelan. It is based on an Appalachian folk song.
- 1982 Sabbath Bride: This piece is for gamelan. It is based on a Hebrew melody.
- 1984 Hard Times: This piece is for chorus, violin, mandocello, and gamelan. It is based on a Stephen Foster song.
- 1990 Kenong: This piece is for a Javanese kenong (a type of gamelan instrument) and 5–10 players. It has also been changed for other instruments.
Recordings
- In That Bright World: Music for Javanese Gamelan: This CD features Jody Diamond's compositions. Musicians from the Indonesian National Arts Institute in Surakarta performed them. You can find more information about this recording at "In That Bright World". This album was produced by New World Records.
