by Rivaldi Ihsan
The development of the music ecosystem in Batam City is monotonous, with no change from year to year, and only serves as entertainment for locals, workers, and travellers who come to Batam City. This shows that music is still a secondary choice for local residents, so it is not uncommon for musicians to come and go from time to time, only making music in coffee shops and other nightlife venues.
When examined, these musicians have a variety of song creations either solo or in musical groups. They also use various methods to become popular through social media accounts in order to have income from music, but fate says otherwise. The musicians did not become top music artists, but became cheerful cafe musicians paid for one music performance of one hundred thousand, up to one hundred and fifty thousand rupiah for their survival.
It could be that the songs are not popular with the people of Batam and Indonesia. In the end, the musicians look for permanent jobs to fulfil their primary needs for their daily survival. This system has been patterned for a long time in the world of music in Batam City, it is commonplace for a musician because there is more important than just a musical performance on stage that sometimes there is a call and also sometimes there is no call.
Such is the fate of musicians only be mere entertainment for humans, because there are more urgent needs other than music, namely how the daily economic needs must be met so that the stomach of the child, the wife remains filled and calm when at home. I often meet musician friends in Batam City, almost all of them have permanent jobs such as government employees, private sector, and business, while the music profession is only as a side job of channelling hobbies.
Batam could have hosted local, national and international musicians for a grand scale music concert. We all know that various national and international music concerts are often held and watched by the people of Batam every year. Such as Asian Jazz, Batam Jazz and Fashion, and so on. The music concerts held in Batam City show that it is not far behind the big cities that hold national and international music concerts. The question is how long will Batam host national and international musicians, while its local musicians rarely get the space for national and international expression.
Meanwhile, we often find local musicians who are competent in their respective fields but not popular nationally or internationally. It seems that an effective strategy is needed to revive the music ecosystem in Batam City so that the musicians can prosper in their daily social life. This music ecosystem can live if there is awareness and cooperation from various parties, including individuals, government, communities, and so on. Of course, this ecosystem will develop if it has criteria.
Firstly, awareness of the potential and diversity of music. Batam has a heterogeneous population with diverse cultural backgrounds. This musical diversity should be a strong foundation for the creation of unique and innovative musical works. For example, coastal Malay ethnic music, a local cultural heritage, can be integrated with modern genres to create a distinctive musical identity of Batam. However, the lack of attention to the preservation and development of this ethnic music makes this potential has not been fully utilised. This is where the role of the government is to open spaces for workshops, continuous workshops inviting human resources who are experts in the field of music, not just a formality ceremony to fulfil obligations.
Second, the lack of infrastructure and support for musicians. If there is any, it is only musicians who have a network with the local government, while there are still many local musicians who do not have a network with the local government. Creative spaces such as recording studios, concert venues and music training centres are still very limited. In addition, local government support for the music industry is still suboptimal. There are not many programmes or policies that specifically aim to encourage the growth of local musicians' knowledge and music activities. This is due to the absence of human resources who are experts in the field of music graduates working in the relevant agencies, if any, they can still be counted on the fingers.
Third, the lack of local awareness and appreciation, Batam residents tend to be more focused on the industrial economy when compared to the field of music. This has an impact on the low appreciation of the works of local musicians. Many residents prefer music from outside the region or abroad, making it difficult for local musicians to get a stage to show their potential. Lack of awareness of the importance of art and culture in building the identity of Batam City is also a big obstacle. Therefore, there is a need for public spaces for art organisations that can accommodate the aspirations of the Batam art community, such as the Batam City Arts Council, to also provide musical knowledge for Batam residents.
Strategies for efforts that can be made to stimulate the Batam music ecosystem are; cooperation between various parties needs to be done in order to work together in building a better music ecosystem in Batam City. The government can play an important role by providing adequate facilities and infrastructure, such as concert halls, recording studios, and music training involving members of the Batam Arts Council as facilitators to conduct joint meetings with representatives of all musicians in Batam. Recall that the Indonesian government supports the arts, especially music, through the 2017 The Law on Advancement of Culture.
In addition, programmes to promote local music are conceptualised through self-branding created by musicians or music groups with their own characteristics to be popular among Batam residents. In addition, the support of musical expression spaces that embrace all ethnic and modern musicians in Batam, not just the well-known ones, through monthly and annual festivals can help increase public appreciation of local music. On the other hand, local musicians need to be more proactive in exploring their musical identity through the use of digital platforms to promote their respective musical works.