Selamat datang di rubrik ACI WITH ACCENT, di mana saya membagikan pikiran-pikiran pribadi terhadap semua situasi di mana budaya-budaya berbeda berbenturan dan bertabrakan. Ini adalah satu-satunya kolom media se-Indonesia yang meliputi ragam pengalaman interkultural. Lewat kolom ini saya mencoba untuk berjodoh dengan identitas pertama atau kedua saya (masih belum yakin) sebagai orang Indonesia, dan mencoba untuk menggenggam Bahasa Indonesia tanpa ragu berbicara dengan aksen. Inilah ACI WITH ACCENT!

Edisi kali ini menjadi edisi spesial. ART CALLS INDONESIA bertemu dengan George Harliono, seorang pianis yang masih muda, tetapi sudah memiliki riwayat karier yang luar biasa cemerlang. Baik dalam resital solo piano maupun diiringi ansambel orkestra, George telah berpengalaman manggung di seluruh penjuru dunia. Pada awal bulan Juni pertama kalinya George mempertunjukkan permainan jari-jemarinya di Bali dan Jakarta. Manggung di Taman Ismail Marzuki, lebih dari seribu pemirsa mendengarkan George menekan tuts-tuts pada papan piano.

Musik yang diinterpretasi oleh George meresap ke dalam hati pendengar. Konser di Jakarta ditutup dengan ‘standing ovations’ oleh seisi teater. Talenta George melintasi dan melebihi ekspektasi resipien musik terhadap seorang pianis. Ketika George bermusik, ia ibaratnya menyemarakkan musik klasik dan meluweskan nya untuk pendengar baru pun. 

Pria asal Cambridge ini baru berusia 22 tahun. Terakhir kali ia berkunjung ke Indonesia sudah lama. ‘12 tahun yang lalu,’ George menimpali. Sang ibu kelahiran Indonesia. Kala George masih kecil, saban libur sekolah George menghabiskan waktunya berkunjung ke Jakarta. ‘I like the fried tofu with the peanut sauce,’ imbuh George yang merangkum makanan khas Indonesia ia sudah kenyam. 

Seniman-seniman keturunan Indonesia yang berbasis di Inggris tampaknya terdukung oleh fasilitator yang cukup peduli dengan pengayaan budaya dan seni Indonesia dan Inggris. ‘Hilang Child’ adalah salah musisi indie dan pop asal UK yang pada tahun 2021 meraih dukungan oleh British Council untuk menciptakan beberapa lagu berkonteks Indonesia. Begitu pun dengan George Harliono, yang telah akrab dengan Duta Besar RI di Inggris, Desra Percaya. Seorang sosok diplomat yang tampaknya sangat berkenan mempererat tali silaturahmi dengan semua manusia kreatif yang menjembatani UK dengan Indonesia. – Baik dari YouTuber receh hingga seniman-seniman piawai dan rendah hati seperti George. 

Baca juga: Apakah mengagung-agungkan bule adalah hal yang terinstitusionalisasi?

Foto oleh George Harliono 

Pengakuan dari luar negeri tampaknya bisa mengendarai karier seorang seniman Indonesia. Ketenaran Anggun, Niki atau Rich Brian punya kualitas sendiri berkat mereka tidak hanya berlintas secara domestik saja. Bunda Corla juga tergolong dalam kelompok itu. Begitu pun Putri Ariani dari Bantul, seorang penyanyi yang tiba-tiba digemari satu negara usai ikut ajang bakat di luar negeri. Berselancar pada gelombang perhatian, Menteri Pendidikan Nadiem Makarim tak menunggu lama untuk memberi beasiswa sekolah seni pada Putri. 

Selaras dengan asumsi itu, banyak media lainnya telah meliput konser George Harliono dengan menyoroti keturunan Indonesia ia miliki. Dalam wawancara berikut, saya mengeksplorasi bersama George apakah Indonesia terasa tak kalah ibaratnya ‘rumah’ bagi dia, selayaknya piano mana pun di dunia yang ia mainkan. 

MARTEN: I just had a look at your Instagram-Story-Reposts. Your fans in Indonesia appreciate you big time!

GEORGE: I want to interact with my audience, because without my audience I'm not a performing musician, but just a musician. Essentially, I’m not playing music for myself, but for them. 

MARTEN: Audience-Development in a very literal way!

GEORGE: Yeah it is, unlike pop musicians we play music that was written 200, 300 years ago. The great challenge of classical music is to introduce the composer's intentions. But I think while the composer is very important, the people listening to it are just as important. We need to be nice to the audience, because they take the time to come to listen to me. And I want to program music that is appealing to young audiences. I take the time to meet as many as I can after the concert. 

MARTEN: I could well imagine you standing at the exit door after your performance sincerely thanking every single guest – almost like a flight attendant!

GEORGE: After my concerts there are a lot of people wanting to say hi! Lots of selfies. I enjoy meeting people and I take the time to see them. 

MARTEN: You’ve got many fans coming all the way to Jakarta for your concert at Taman Ismail Marzuki. 

GEORGE: Some were coming from Bandung, some people flew from Bali to watch my Jakarta-concert. I even have people from Australia. Because I don’t give performances in Australia, so they have to come to Indonesia. 

MARTEN: Would be cool though – at the Opera House in Sydney!

GEORGE: Yeah, that would be an interesting performance! One day perhaps. Next month I’m going to play in Singapore at Esplanade. And people from Indonesia who now see my Jakarta concert will go to Singapore to watch me play there. I mean, they traveled a long way, of course I'm gonna try and say hello to as many as possible. To me it's the polite thing to do. It makes them happy to see me, it makes me happy as well. 

If music were a bigger part of education, it would offer a lot of benefits: Learning to collaborate for instance. There’s only benefits to having better music education. 

MARTEN: You’re very conscious about your own audiences! 

GEORGE: Yeah I try to! I mean, I can't please everyone. That's impossible. But I'm gonna try my best. 

MARTEN: Classical music often has quite another image than the image you convey.  

GEORGE: One of the problems with classical music is that it has this image that it is elite, for upper class people. I don’t think that’s the case. Although tickets for classical music concerts are often very expensive, which is a shame. Many people can't afford it, which also reinforces this image of being elitist. However, in order to make things work, there are some things that need to change. One is education. The more people you have learning classical music when they are kids, the more young people you have, who take part. If music were a bigger part of education, it would offer a lot of benefits: Learning to collaborate for instance. There’s only benefits to having better music education. 

MARTEN: Do you see yourself as a dude who just happens to be gifted – or as a ‘correspondent’ for classical music who brings this very spirit of yours to every country you visit?

GEORGE: I just see myself as who I am. I enjoy playing music. Right now I have the opportunity to share music with people from around the world. I hope I can inspire more young people to go to classical music. – I guess I see myself just as someone who loves to share the joy of music. 

I’m pretty British but then there's just some things that are totally not British, that come from my mother. I love both cultures. It’s a shame I don't speak Bahasa. Because my mother didn't teach me when I was younger.

'Anak Bawang'

MARTEN: So much perhaps on my polite questions and the standard stuff that you usually get asked. I should perhaps reveal my actual intention to ask you to sit down together. I came across several articles from other media anticipating your concert in Jakarta. Many of these articles would mention your roots in Indonesia. And I got curious to know if there is perhaps a bit more behind it; how you would see and reflect on your ‘Indonesian side’. It’s a reversed story of what you usually see in Indonesia. There’s lots of mixed kids here who usually grow up with an expat as their parent, not a 'migrant’. They get famous in the entertainment industry. That’s the sort of scale here. There's not many stories of this reversed way. Of ‘Indonesia-infused’ kids growing up abroad, coming (back) here and trying  to connect. 

GEORGE: I used to go to Indonesia every year for like two or three months until I was like ten, eleven years old. But actually it's my first time back in 12 years. I’m really happy to be back. My mother’s family is from Surabaya but they lived for a long time in Jakarta. There’s this place called Kidzania here. Do you know Kidzania? We used to go there a lot. I don't know if you can measure how Indonesian someone is, I don't think there’s a scale to measure. 

MARTEN: It depends on your chili tolerance! 

GEORGE: In terms of chili tolerance, I have a much higher one than most people here! I live in the UK, I don't speak Indonesian. But then, my comfort food is rice with fried onion shallots. That's my go-to food when I'm hungry and tired, I can't be bothered to cook anything. I have rice with – what's it called again…? 

MARTEN: Baked beans?

GEORGE: Who would put baked beans on rice! That's the most horrific thing I've ever heard! (while googling) Bawang Goreng! 

MARTEN: Aaaah! So you top that on every meal!

GEORGE: It’s literally my go-to topping. I think that’s common with mixed kids. I’m pretty British but then there's just some things that are totally not British, that come from my mother. I love both cultures. It’s a shame I don't speak Bahasa. Because my mother didn't teach me when I was younger. I only speak one language. One-lingual. But yeah, with my Indonesian sort-of side, I want to get more in touch with. I want to spend more time here. I want to do more here with music and get more in touch with my mother’s side.

Baca juga: Ruwetnya belajar bahasa asing

MARTEN: You do speak a very universal language anyway – music!

GEORGE: Well, I talk to people from Luxembourg and they speak seven languages. George, how many languages do you speak? One... 

MARTEN: Is Harliono your real name or a stage name?

GEORGE: Oh, you thought it's not my real name?! My last name is Harliono-Evans.

MARTEN: You didn’t take your father’s name?

GEORGE: It's so boring! Evans. I don't know if anyone would notice me as George Evans. Harliono has always been the part of the name I used. George Evans, that could be anyone. Harliono is the part of my name that identifies me the best I guess. 

MARTEN: Are you alone during your stay in Indonesia?

GEORGE: I’m with my mother. She's helping me pack. I had a bunch of interviews so I didn't have time to pack. I got a lot of gifts. 

MARTEN: You’re taking all the flowers with you, air-drying them?

GEORGE: It’s not the flowers, it’s everything else I got. Lots of soft toys. I want to take them with me. 

MARTEN: Did you get any naughty gifts as well?

GEORGE: No, Indonesians are too polite for that. Maybe in Europe I would. But here, everyone is just so nice. 

MARTEN: Did anyone give you bawang goreng as a present?

GEORGE: Yes, the best present I got!

MARTEN: Do you have any Indonesian store or supplier you or your mother would go to in the UK? 

GEORGE: Asian stores. Cambridge has a very large Asian population and there’s a lot of Asian restaurants and shops, which is good for me.

George bersama 'Filarmonica Ploiesti' di Rumania

Piano pertama

MARTEN: Did you grow up with a piano at your parents place?

GEORGE: I got my first piano when I was six. My mum bought us this really bad piano, I think it cost 100 pounds. It was untunable. 

MARTEN: How did you get piano lessons eventually?

GEORGE: My mum was the first person to teach us piano, she always taught us nursery rhymes. I was six years old and no one actually wanted to give us piano lessons. They said come back when you're ten years old. That's when you should start piano. Because in the UK, there's this culture when you start with your kids too young, then you're like a tiger parent. Especially when you're Asian. 

MARTEN: Very stereotypical!

GEORGE: Very stereotypical! And I managed to find a teacher who started teaching me when I was seven. It just started from there, I guess. 

MARTEN: Was there ever any moment where you got discovered or spotted by someone influential? 

GEORGE: No, I was just really good at piano and progressed fast. I started doing local piano competitions and I gave my first concert a couple of months before I was ten years old. When I was ten, I auditioned for Purcell Music School, a specialist's school for musicians. They wanted me and offered me a full scholarship. You don't go to a specialist music school unless you want to become a musician.

MARTEN: Did you finish High School?

GEORGE: When I started (to pursue my career, ed) I left school completely (at the age of 13, ed). So I could focus on music. I wasn’t able to keep up with school while doing piano, so I took the decision to leave school. 

MARTEN: Such a classic artist career as a ‘drop-out’. Did you have any plan in mind? 

GEORGE: Well, the thinking behind leaving school is that if I fail, if I decide I don’t like piano later; if I break my fingers in a door accident, that I still can take my A-levels later. However, you can't take your A-levels first and when you're aching for it, suddenly become a pianist. Then it's much too late. You need the technique, you need to develop, the training needs to be done at a young age. 

Well, my parents aren't musicians, so it's difficult for them to know what directions a kid that wants to be a professional musician has to take. But I think me dropping out of school was a good choice. Two years later I auditioned for–

MARTEN: –Britain's Got Talent?

GEORGE: No way, no, no, no! I auditioned for a music university. I auditioned at 15 and I started the year after. I made the right choice. 

Socially anti-social 

MARTEN: Do you do after-parties?

GEORGE: I’ve never been to a club in my life. I don’t drink alcohol. I was homeschooled and then I went to university right away at 16. I'm a very boring person to be honest. Maybe one day I'll have a midlife crisis and in ten years time I’ll decide to go clubbing every night. But for now, I don't feel the need. Musicians drink much, too much. The longer I stay off alcohol the better. It's just common sense in music – essentially the more successful you get, the more concerts you have, the more you drink. 

MARTEN: When all the other orchestra members you play with would ask you to go out…

GEORGE: … I’ll just drink sparkling water. I’m a pianist. I'm very antisocial, that's the way we work. 

MARTEN: Anything Indonesia-related you’d want to share? 

GEORGE: I’m very happy to be back here after so long and to give a performance here is a big honor for me. It’s important to me to play in my mother’s home country. It's a big deal for me, and to be so warmly received by the audience and to see so many people wanting tickets is really nice. – I had this fried tofu with peanut sauce!

MARTEN: For your next trip to Indonesia would you rather come here professionally or in-cognito, eating fried tofu with peanut sauce again?

GEORGE: Why not both!

Jadwal Konser George Harliono:

Singapura | Esplanade | 19 Juli, 2023