March 2023

The Lisa Sung Trio Indonesia Tour

Thank you John Stites Jazz Awards for making this tour possible! The goal of this project was to collaborate with local musicians and to learn Indonesian children’s and folk songs as I introduced to them similar songs from my own culture. I wanted to include Indonesia as one of the countries in my tour to find similarities amongst countries that have been colonized.

And what a rewarding time it was. I am so happy and thankful that the first leg of my international tour began in Indonesia! With me were Tom Knific on the double bass and Max Colley III on trumpet/drums. We were met with the utmost hospitality throughout our travels, and the amount of talent we encountered there was out of this world. Coming together with local musicians to play songs from both our hometown and theirs was exhilarating and magical.
This will forever be an unforgettable experience for me!

Our first stop was at Soundtrip Cafe & Studio (pictures above) in Jakarta, a small yet charming cafe with all the right vibes for a great night of jazz! Our trio was joined by Dion (@dionjanapria_) on the guitar and Robby (@eliezer.robby) on the drums. They made the first performance in Indonesia so comfortable and they were a blast to play with. The crowd was great as well!

Next, D’Jazz Music Indonesia was so kind to invite us to perform and teach a masterclass at their school. It was incredible how talented these students were and we invited a few of them onto the stage to try their hand at practicing the language of jazz together with peers they hadn’t played with before. They were all like sponges ready to absorb all the knowledge they could! For the first time, I felt like a celebrity as they gathered to take pictures with me and ask questions. I was even interviewed by a student for her project, and then CNN decided to come for
a surprise interview as well!

Our last destination in Jakarta was the Sekolah Pelita Harapan School at Lippo Village. There, we were blessed by music that the students had prepared, including “The Avengers” theme song and a very special playing of their Angklung which is an Indonesian instrument made of black bamboo, carefully crafted to play certain notes when shaken. We taught a masterclass for the students there who were an absolute joy to teach. What a special moment it was to have the whole room begin singing along when they recognized one of the songs we were playing. We hope that our time there has encouraged the students interested in music and rekindled their passion for it!

After Jakarta was Bali! In Bali, we met up with one of my former students from Calvin University, Denny Tawas, who owns and operates two music stores as well as a music school and recording studio (DeBeat Music). He introduced us to 3 amazing local artists: Gustu (@gustubrahmanta) on the drums, Reno (@renojoshua) on the electric guitar, and Mr. Subandi (@imadesubandi) on the gamolan. We spent a day rehearsing and another day recording music for my new album which comes out soon with video! I have to admit that I was nervous at first because I get super picky when recording, but everyone was so professional and easy to work with. Having Gustu, Reno, and Mr. Subandi with us brought so much more color into the music and I got to experience a version of the songs that I’ve never heard before! They truly made the vision of this trip come true as we mixed the music from our cultures together in beautiful harmony!
A big thanks to Nico (@nico_veryandi) as well for mixing our audio and all the lovely staff at DeBeat Music~

Denny also connected us with the Indonesian Institute of Arts, Denpasar, where we performed and taught a masterclass, much like we did at D’Jazz Music School in Jakarta. We felt so welcomed here. As we stepped into the auditorium, we found that they were playing music from my album! The students here were all college age, and had many insightful questions as they were preparing for their own futures in music. One of the students even surprised us by playing an arrangement to Arirang, a classic Korean folk song that I had an arrangement for in my set! I just love interacting with young passionate musicians and seeing their eyes shine when talking about music.

Immediately following our visit at the Indonesian Institute of Art, we visited Sekolah Dyatmika, an international school that Denny attended growing up in Bali. It was so fun seeing the sparkle in the students’ eyes as they saw a double bass for the first time in their lives!

And of course, we can’t miss out on a chance to jam with some more local musicians! The owners of Goro-Goro Cafe were simply phenomenal. A charming husband and wife, Yuri (@yurijazzguitar) plays the bass and guitar, and Astrid (@astridpiano) plays piano and sings like there’s no tomorrow. To top it off, this power couple heads the Ubud Village Jazz Festival every August!

For our final gig in Indonesia, we were invited by Gustu to play at the Ritz Carleton Mandapa Reserve. Believe me when I say that I have never been to another place as breathtaking as this. The scenery was incredible what with the lush mountains in the distance and the deep valley below. The majestic clouds with the setting sun put the cherry on top of the magnificent painting. That said, what a spectacular way to end our tour in Indonesia! We were joined by Diah (@diga_aja) who had such a soulful, beautiful voice. It was such a pleasure!
We ended the day with a debriefing at Denny’s home before retiring to our beds for the night. Thank you John Stites Jazz Award for making this journey possible!