Ahmad Dhani and Musical Psychology

Published @ The Jakarta Post

Ahmad Dhani is a talented musician-cum-entrepreneur. He cofounded a legendary Indonesian band, Dewa 19. Either with a band or solo, he has composed a lot of memorable songs.

Having turned down borrowing money from a rising female singer he helped promote, he founded Republik Cinta Management (RCM), an artist management company. He envisioned a just and formal contract between a singer and a promoter. Later, he expanded his business to a school of music.

He has become a judge in Indonesia Idol, a reality TV show. He selects the contestants and gives feedback on their performances. His comments are often harsh, to the point, and sometimes contemptuous.

However, I see something different in his comments — high-quality advice based on a psychological theory.

Dhani said our highest ability would always be about one level below our favorite singer. Benjamin Franklin, an American founding father, adopted the same method to master writing skills. After reading an article he admired, he tried to emulate the article with his own words.

The judge also challenged contestants to name 10 international female singers.

If they could name them, they would secure golden tickets (to Jakarta for a further selection phase) without singing any song. It is about immersion — total involvement — in the search to acquire skills.

This method was inspired from language learning. Shinichi Suzuki observed that children can easily learn their mother tongue because they are exposed to that all the time. Later, Suzuki applied this method of immersion (and repetition) to mastering music — called the Suzuki Method.

Dhani suggested a participant learn one English-language song each week. It is about deliberate practice coined by K. Anders Ericsson, an American psychologist.

One aspect of deliberate practice is to practice beyond one’s existing capacity.

Lastly, Dhani commented to a contestant from Medan that she could really sing, but didn’t have the voice of a singer. A voice of singer denotes innate talent. It gives rise to the longstanding debate of nature versus nurture. Some experts believe hard work is the best predictor of success.

Research shows some great musicians or sportspeople have innate talent, but this view doesn’t completely defy the merits of hard work.

Success is the combination of inner talent and hard work.

Indonesian Military

1. We, Indonesians, exude self-confidence in country’s defense. It seems we believe that no country dares to attack or challenge us. Data shows Indonesia have relatively only a fraction compared to our neighbors.

	Population	Area	Personnel	Aircraft	Warship
Indonesia	247 million	1.9 million km2	460,000	444	150
Thailand	66 million	0.5 million km2	305,860	743	596
Vietnam	88 million	0.3 million km2	412,000	644	161
Australia	22 million	7.6 million km2	47,135	377	54

    Even though less likely, Indonesia looks unconvincing to         address any big warfare.  

2. Indonesia military power is too lean and we also cast doubt whether the equipments are modern or combat-ready. We hear many times accidents due to aging equipment. Of late, Australian boat crossed illegally and easily Indonesian territorial waters without any appropriate response.      

3. Since long time ago, Indonesia has established the strategic industries related to military. PTDI produces aircraft, PT PAL warship, PT. Pindad rifle and armored personnel vehicle, PT. Dahana bombs. But, Indonesia still buys military equipments from foreign producers.

4. Foreign-made weaponry will be the burden. Once, United States embargoed the spare-parts of aircraft on grounds of Indonesian mishandling of demonstrators in East Timor. The equipments will also be disadvantage, because the foreign producers know well the weakness. Hence we hardly win the war against the allies of producers. If most of our weapons coming from United States, we can’t wage war against Australia. Because Australia is the ally of United States, then Australia will know how to anticipate our weapons.   

5. Fortunately, this has been realized by the military commanders. Recently they have signed agreement with local institutions such as National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) and Surya University to develop indigenous weapons system.

6. Once, military might means a large number of skilled soldiers. Roman Empire, Mongolian Empire and Ottoman Empire wielded this power. Later, military might means aerial power. In six-day war, Israel paralyzed all Arab countries with fierce aerial strikes. And now the era of drone and long-range guided missile in which Western power and its allies rule the roost. With this, they can launch surgical attacks any target anywhere.

7. Indonesia’s self-sufficiency in military is a must. And the state-of-the art weaponry of modern warfare must be locally made.
                      

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Fighting Against Mother Nature

published @The Jakarta Post

Singapore is well-known with her rigorous administration managing people’s lives in the city state. But in 2010 Singapore was stricken by flood inundating the famous Orchard Road.

More recently, in December 2013, the United Kingdom saw a flood caused by high tide of the North Sea, which resulted in the loss of lives and more homeless, as did the Alberta flood in Canada in June 2013. These instances show us that nobody can fully control the flood waters.
Every Jakarta governor has the headache of the yearly flood caused by heavy rain during November to February. The public blames them for their incompetency. Here are some insights raised for fair and better judgment.

First, water flows from upstream to the downstream from high ground to low ground. This implies that to prevent flooding as much water as possible must be kept in the upstream. The solutions have been discussed and some have even been done, namely: keeping water in upstream (outside Jakarta) through reforestation and building dams and controlling water in the downstream through reservoirs and infiltration wells (in Jakarta).

Water management in the upstream will reduce water flow downstream. The Jakarta administration has signed the cooperation agreement with the State-Owned Enterprise Ministry to build four dams at Ciliwung upstream. Besides, the Jakarta administration has financed Bogor regency administration to demolish illegal villas in the upstream area to improve water catchment.

Reservoirs and infiltration wells will absorb water run-off into the ground rather than adding more burden to the drainage channels and rivers. Moreover this will preserve underground water. The Jakarta administration has shown us their incredible work through the rehabilitation of reservoirs.

Especially, the relocation of illegal squatters from the Pluit and Ria-Rio reservoirs. And recently, they have also constructed about 2,000 infiltration wells.

Second, some victims of flood live on the river bank. Technically, the river bank is part of the river. If someone lives on the riverbank, the right description of is that he lives “in” the river. Accordingly, no one or thing is to blame if flood waters inundate their houses. Another vertigo-inducing problem is the uncivilized culture of throwing trash in the river and the Jakarta administration spends billions of rupiah to excavate the garbage.
Again, this problem also has been well identified and there has been solution, since Fauzi Bowo’s stint. The residents of the Ciliwung riverbank will be moved to low-cost rental apartments, with Jokowi, as usual, executing the idea. Last year, he has commenced the development of the apartments that are scheduled to be completed by the middle of 2014.
All in all, the Jakarta administration has done well. However, the problem might only be mitigated, hardly eradicated. Man proposes, God disposes.

Third, we can’t fully control natural disasters in spite of any efforts made. Even the most advanced countries cannot. Sometimes the rain is so heavily that it overwhelms any control system. So disaster management must be well developed in the first place.

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