Graduated with the Best Honors, Aruma Elevates Local Wisdom Through Guitar Design

She acknowledges that this achievement has been her long-time dream and is an important milestone in her academic and creative journey.

Aruma's total commitment to completing the final project received praise from various parties. Professors and peers acknowledged Aruma's high dedication, always striving to deliver the best results in every task she undertakes.

"My friends and professors always believe that I have a great dedication to my assignments, because I always try to make the best work," she said.

Aruma's final project is a guitar designed innovatively with an environmentally friendly approach. She uses the main material of karuun rattan, a processed rattan unique to Indonesia known for its strength and lightness. This innovation not only highlights the functional aspect but also elevates the strong local value.

More than just aesthetics, this project has a deep research component. Aruma compares the acoustic characteristics of two guitar designs made from the same material but with different shapes and constructions. She uses psychoacoustic methods by gathering perceptions of sound quality from musicians and sound engineers. This data is then scientifically validated through technical measurements at the ITB Acoustic Laboratory.

The process of making this guitar involves a solid collaborative team. Aruma is accompanied by two supervising lecturers, Dr. Dwinita Larasati, M.A. and Slamet Riyadi, M.Ds., Ph.D. Not only that, she also collaborates with professional craftsmen such as Krisandi, who makes the guitar body, and Rikun, who works on the neck, headstock, and bridge.

With a mature concept and impressive final result, Aruma wants to prove that local materials like karuun rattan have great potential in the modern musical instrument industry. She hopes her work can be a first step towards sustainable design innovation that can compete on the global stage.