Paul Humphreys, professor of music, has for 25 years sat in the chair and at the desk of the late Gertrude Rivers Robinson, Ph.D., former associate professor and chair of the Department of Music. Their paths first crossed through a shared passion for world music, in particular Gamelan, the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia. In the early 1980s, they were featured as composers for the same concert at UCLA, where they each studied in different eras as graduate students. Years later, he succeeded her as director of world music at LMU.
Humphreys has been inspired throughout his career by Gamelan music, and points out that without Gertrude, Gamelan likely would not be a part of the music curriculum at LMU. To honor his esteemed colleague in ethnomusicology, Humphreys and his wife, Susan, have established the Gertrude Rivers Robinson Endowment for World Music through a bequest and immediate-use gift.
“When Susan and I began thinking about how we might give back, we considered creating an endowment in support of world music, ” said Humphreys. “It seemed like a very natural thing to name it after Gertrude. Among other things, Gertrude was one of the first to bring instruments and artists from Indonesia into an American university and build it into the curriculum; she was one of the very few doing this in the early 1970’s. Much of my own work as a composer attests to the time I have spent listening to Gamelan music, playing it, and in some cases, composing for it.”
Humphreys says that after a memorable initial encounter, he admired Gamelan from a distance for some years. It wasn’t until coming to LMU that its music and culture became interwoven with his life as a teacher, scholar and musician.
“An opportunity arose because of a private gift to LMU that enabled the department to purchase a gorgeous set of instruments, which arrived in Jan. 2000. In the fall of that year, a master musician named I Dewa Berata came from Bali as artist-in-residence for the semester, ” he said. “A few years later, I was able to travel to Bali to immerse myself in those traditions thanks to the generous support of former Dean Thomas P. Kelly Jr., of the College of Communication and Fine Arts. Some years later, LMU commissioned a piece by one of my teachers, I Made Lasmawan, another great living exponent of Balinese music, to commemorate the inauguration of President Snyder.”
The gift also grows out of Humphreys’ conviction that the study and performance of world music promotes diversity, equity and inclusion at LMU. “What we do in world music is very consistent with, and in fact proactive in relation to LMU’s commitment to international perspectives and studies. It turns out that when you open your ears to music from around the world, you’re that much more likely to open your mind.”
Looking back, Humphreys recognizes the important role LMU has played in his life. His daughter is a Class of 2006 graduate, and he credits the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises with broadening the perspective of his commitment to the practice of Buddhist meditation.
“The gift is an expression of Susan’s and my gratitude to LMU, ” he said, “for the privilege of sharing what I have learned as student of other teachers with my students in turn. Also, for the professional opportunities it’s made possible, including travel and research, and making new friends that we never could have known otherwise. LMU has been such a grand opportunity in all of those ways. This seems like the least we can do.”
To support student world music at LMU’s College of Communication and Fine Arts, visit here. To learn more about leaving a bequest to LMU, contact Carí Jackson Lewis, director of development for gift planning, at 310.338.2920 or cari.lewis@lmu.edu.