The Department of Music recently received a significant addition to its Ethnomusicology Instrument Collection: a historic kulintang gong-chime from the southern Philippines. Donated by the Filipino Association of University Women and formerly owned by Bayanihan dancer Inda Gage, the instrument once belonged to the late Ramon Obusan, a renowned authority on Filipino dance. It now serves as a valuable resource for students in the Philippine Ensemble course on kulintang led by Ron Querian.
Expanding the idea of what instruments can be, an exhibit at Hamilton Library invites the public to rethink sound itself. Kani ka ʻŌpala, on view through August, features instruments crafted from discarded materials such as SPAM cans, tin cans, and rice cookers.
Developed from Dr. Benjamin Fairfield’s Climate-Action-Artist residency with the State of Hawaiʻi and his work with UHM students in MUS 311 (Thai Ensemble), the exhibit transforms everyday “waste” into interactive musical experiences. Visitors are encouraged to see, hear, and play the instruments, discovering how creativity can give new voice to overlooked materials.