Al Zaytun Community Service Rekindles the Spirit of Angklung Music in Gantar
By Sri Wahyuni, S.Pd. (Al Zaytun Community Service Tutor)
The hot afternoon in Gantar, Friday, May 8, 2026, couldn’t stop the women who walked enthusiastically to the Balir Block, the residence of Hasnawati, a tutor at Al Zaytun Community Service. Amidst the stifling evening air, they arrived with one simple yet profound hope: to revive the previously dormant pulse of angklung music.
One by one, they filled the practice area. There were Winarsih, Umi Umutiah, Sri Wahyuni, other tutors, alumni like Indrawati and Karni, and even Partinah and her colleagues. They gathered not just to play the bamboo instruments, but to foster togetherness, build camaraderie, and preserve the nation’s cultural heritage.
That day marked the resumption of angklung music training after a break since Ramadan. The program, which falls under the PIP program, faced various challenges. Participant interest waned, training personnel frequently changed, and the expected formation of a fully formed angklung team had yet to materialize.
However, despite these limitations, the spirit to revive the program grew stronger.
Sri Wahyuni, a tutor and Chair of PIP, provided motivational guidance before the training began. She encouraged all participants to remain consistent in participating in every training program, including angklung music, which is considered to have high educational and collaborative value.
The discussion became lively. Various suggestions emerged to ensure the program’s effectiveness. Until now, information about the training had only been circulated among administrators. Therefore, participants proposed that the training be disseminated more widely to community blocks. The idea even arose for each block to send at least one representative to attend regular training.
Initially, the program was specifically designed to form a core team from among the administrators. Once the team was strong and solid, the training was expanded to the community. However, the response from the administrators was not optimal, resulting in the core team never being fully formed.
Nevertheless, hope never faded.
The journey of the angklung music program itself has an interesting story. About a year ago, a PIP donor provided financial support for the procurement of musical instruments. At the time, some administrators actually preferred marhaban or terbangan instruments. However, the program supervisor directed that the funds be used to purchase angklungs, a traditional Indonesian instrument.
This decision initially raised doubts. The angklung felt unfamiliar compared to the more familiar marhaban music. However, Sri Wahyuni tried to convince the administrators with the principle of sami’na wa atha’na (listening to and obeying the leadership’s instructions), believing that every decision has the best wisdom.
To strengthen her conviction, she then studied the angklung more deeply. From various sources, she discovered that the angklung is more than just an ordinary musical instrument. It teaches collaboration, discipline, harmony, and togetherness because each player plays only one note, so beautiful songs can only be created through cooperation.
The angklung is also easy to learn for anyone, from children to adults. Its bamboo sound creates a peaceful and calming atmosphere. In fact, playing the angklung has therapeutic benefits because it can train concentration, precision, fine motor skills, and self-confidence.
Moreover, the angklung is an Indonesian cultural heritage recognized internationally and a symbol of national unity.
This belief ultimately strengthened their resolve.
In the early stages of training, the participants brought in an angklung music tutor from Rumah Angklung Anjatan. Afterward, they practiced independently under the guidance of Winarsih, a tutor from the Al Zaytun Community Service Center (PKBM) who had previously attended basic angklung training. To broaden their knowledge, they also learned from YouTube videos.
The enthusiasm for training grew immensely. However, due to busy schedules and other activities, the number of participants dwindled, and training was finally suspended before Ramadan to find the best formula.
Now, that enthusiasm has been rekindled.
Although participant attendance has not been at its peak, the tutors, alumni, and students remain optimistic about building a strong, performance-ready angklung music team. They believe that something big always starts with small steps nurtured with patience and perseverance.
In the future, when the Paguyuban team matures, the tutors hope to forge broader collaborations with the Al Zaytun Community Learning Center (PKBM) so that angklung music becomes not just a training activity, but also a space for character education, culture, and social harmony.
From simple bamboo
as we swayed together, an important life lesson emerged: that beautiful music is never created by a single voice, but rather by a complementary togetherness.
Alhamdulillah.**
Indramayu, May 9, 2026
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