“Ngeli”: Flowing together in a Gamelan ensemble

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the collective flow experiences of participants while playing in a Gamelan ensemble. Participants were 15 members of a Gamelan ensemble in Singapore who were prompted to articulate their phenomenological experiences through extensive semi-structured interviews. Their responses were then transcribed and analyzed for emergent themes with initial codes guided by flow and collective flow theories. Three themes emerged from the data: community, chemistry, and collective peak. The Javanese term “ ngeli” surfaced from the interviews as a parallel notion to the Western concept of flow. Implications for theory and practice were proffered in light of the findings.