Live at the GSJ Banjar!
Apply to live at the banjar!
Gamelan Sekar Jaya is now accepting applications for our on-site student liaison (OSSL) for 2027. The OSSL is an opportunity to live and study with our Balinese guest artists in GSJ's Berkeley California home. Apply here!
The OSSL has the opportunity to be in an immersive experiential environment, benefiting from close contact with our guest artists and easy access to our rehearsal spaces. You will become a member of GSJ (if not one already). One of our founding principles is Gotong Royong, which means to working together for the good of the group. This is not a work-study job, rather is a chance to experience what it means to be a member of this community. The OSSL will be responsible to help maintain the banjar environment, assisting with the care of the guest artists and the building. Off-site members are also responsible for tasks that help maintain the community, so the OSSL will not be solely responsible for the care of the artists and the building.
This program may be of interest to a number of different people, including: college or graduate students; those recently out of school; current or former members of GSJ; members of other Balinese performing arts organizations; and experienced musicians and dancers who wish to study these art forms.
There is one OSSL opening for the period beginning in January, 2027 and continuing through December, 2027. The program fee includes living accommodations in the banjar and membership contributions to GSJ's programs. Qualified applicants will be interviewed. There is a preferred 12 month duration to the position but an applicant may apply for just 6 months (January to June). After a year, preference may be given to new applicants to give other students the opportunities that the program offers. There is no guarantee that the accepted OSSL will be selected for additional terms.
Fluency in Indonesian is not required but a desire to learn and improve your Indonesian language skills is highly preferred.
For more information and to apply, click here.
Applications will be accepted until August 15, 2026. Interviews will be scheduled during August and September. Notifications will go out by September 30th. Please submit 1-2 letters of recommendation via email to facility@gsj.org. Additional references may be requested during the review and selection process.
If you have any questions about the program or application process please contact facility@gsj.org
“It has been a truly unique and fulfilling opportunity to be the OSSL at Gamelan Sekar Jaya. Living at the banjar allows the days to be full of all kinds of gamelan music, discussions with world-class teachers, lots of Balinese food, parties with a wonderful, inter-generational community, immersive language learning, and access to many more opportunities across the Bay Area. I am grateful for all of the things that I have learned through this position, which is much more than just how to improve my gamelan skills! While it is a very one-of-a-kind living experience, part of the charm of being the OSSL is the unique access it allows to creating a 'choose-your-own-adventure' amongst the enormous gamelan community made up of Sekar Jaya and other groups around the Bay.”
— Graham Viegut, 2026 OSSL
