An Ethnographic Study of Didong: Body Music and the Enculturation of Gayo Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21009/jpud.v20i1.66096Keywords:
Didong, body music, cultural transmission, Gayo children, ethnomusicologyAbstract
This study aims to investigate the practice of Didong as a form of body music and its role in the enculturation process of Gayo children in Central Aceh Regency, Indonesia. It focuses on informal social spaces where children play with their peers. To analyze how body-based Didong becomes a medium of enculturation through musical experiences and spontaneous social interactions, an ethnographic-based qualitative approach is used. Data were collected through participatory observation and informal dialogue with children aged 5-10 years who practice Didong. The results reveal that rhythmic elements such as tepok tulu, tingkah, and geretek are produced through the technique of clapping both palms together in a collectively organized manner. Through peer imitation mechanisms, children can reproduce musical patterns, which internalize the Gayo cultural identity in an embodied way. Theoretically, this study contributes by deconstructing the understanding of traditional music from merely a formal performance into an autonomous system of enculturation in children's daily lives. These findings confirm that body music functions as a crucial informal pedagogical space for the sustainability of local traditions outside formal educational institutions.
References
Abduli, Sukri, Pependy, Riansa Ariefa, and Binta Maela. 2023. Didong Ciptaan Sali Gobal. 1st ed. edited by Y. U. Al-gayoni. Tangerang: Mahara Publishing.
Abril, Carlos R. and Brent M. Gault. 2022. General Music Dimensions of Practice. Vol. 32. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Addessi, Anna Rita. 2023. “Creativity in and through Music.” Archivio Istituzionale Della Ricerca 59694(2).
Beller, Sieghard, Andrea Bender, and Fiona Jordan. 2020. “Editors’ Review and Introduction: The Cultural Evolution of Cognition.” Topics in Cognitive Science 12(2):644–53.
Campbell, Patricia Shehan. 2011. “Review: Songs in Their Heads: Music and Its Meaning In Children’s Livers.” Brock Educasion Journal 21:98–100.
Cannon, Alexander M. 2021. “Awakening the Soul with the Left Hand: Narration and Healing in Vietnam’s Diasporic Traditional Music.” Ethnomusicology 65(1):62–85.
Corsaro, William A. 2017. The Sociology of Childhood Sixth Edition. New York: SAGE Publications.
Daniah. 2019. “Nilai-Nilai Kearifan Lokal Didong Dalam Upaya Pembinaan Karakter Peserta Didik.” PIONIR: Jurnal Pendidikan.
Dewantara, Ki Hadjar. 2011. Kebudayaan. 3rd ed. Yogyakarta: Yayasan Persatuan Tamansiswa (Anggota IKAPI).
Dinh, Lam Nguyen. 2023. “Preserving Folk Music in Community Cultural Events as a Method of Preserving Traditional Heritage: A Case Study of the Ta Oi Ethnic Group in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam.” Malaysian Journal of Music 12(1):34–47.
Erlinda and Abdul Rozak. 2025. “Eksplorasi Extended Technique Vokal Aceh Dengan Sentuhan Musik Elektronik Dalam Upaya Memperkuat Rasa Identitas Budaya Lokal Aceh.” 14(1):104–13.
Green, Luky. 2002. Haw Popular Musicians Learn. london: Ashgate Publishing.
Greenfield, Michael D., Henkjan Honing, Sonja A. Kotz, and Andrea Ravignani. 2021. “Synchrony and Rhythm Interaction: From the Brain to Behavioural Ecology.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 376(1835).
Herna, Hirza. 2018. “Kesenian Didong Banan Pada Masyarakat Gayo, Aceh Tengah.” Bahasa Dan Seni 29.
Higgins, Lee and Patricia Shehan Campbell. 2010. Free to Be Musical: Group Improvisation in Music. Londen: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Ilari, Beatriz. 2020. “Longitudinal Research on Music Education and Child Development: Contributions and Challenges.” Music and Science 3:1–21.
Kaeppler, Adrienne L. 2014. “Dance Ethnology and the Anthropology of Dance.” Cambridge University Press 32(1):116–25.
Marsh, Kathryn. 2009. The Musical Playground: Global Tradition and Change in Children’s Songs and Games. New York: Oxford University Press.
Maulidha SA and Habiburridho. 2024. “Kesenian Didong Sebagai Media Komunikasi Dan Pelestarian Pendidikan Karakter Masyarakat Gayo.” JUMPER: Journal of Educational Multidisciplinary Research 3(1):14–26.
Merriam, Alan P. 1964. The Anthropology of Music.
Nettl, Bruno. 2012. Teori Dan Metode Dalam Etnomusikologi. Jaya Pura Center of Music Jaya Pura.
Nguyen, Trinh, Erica Flaten, Laurel J. Trainor, and Giacomo Novembre. 2023. “Early Social Communication through Music: State of the Art and Future Perspectives.” Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 63:101279.
Nijs, Luc, Melissa Bremmer, Dylan van der Schyff, and Andrea Schiavio. 2023. “Embodying Dynamical Systems in Music Performance.” Music Performance Research 11:58–84.
Sagala, Mastri Dihita, Aria Widyatama, and Zakarias Putra. 2022. “Video Body Percussion: Pembelajaran Ritmik Bagi Siswa Sekolah Dasar Body Percussion Video: Rhythmic Learning for Elementary School Students.” Journal Anthology of Film and Television Studies 2(3):49–57.
Schippers, Huib. 2009. Facing the Music: Shaping Music Education from a Global Perspective. london: Oxford University Press.
van der Schyff, Dylan, Andrea Schiavio, Ashley Walton, Valerio Velardo, and Anthony Chemero. 2018. “Musical Creativity and the Embodied Mind: Exploring the Possibilities of 4E Cognition and Dynamical Systems Theory.” Music and Science 1:1–18.
Shaumiwaty, Shaumiwaty. 2022. “Peran Didong Gayo Dalam Menanamkan Nilai Agama Dan Moral Pada Anak Usia Dini.” Inteligensia 9(2):1–22.
Sosrowijaya, Kerso Manunggal. 2023. “Transmission of Local and Traditional Music in Indonesian Popular Music, Case Studies of Indonesian Music Groups.” Harmonia : Journal of Music and Arts 1(1):55–66.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JURNAL PENDIDIKAN USIA DINI work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
