What crosses your mind when you think about a teacher? Books, assignments, exams, lessons, conservative looking? Being a teacher is definitely not a glamour occupation. But what do you think if your language teacher in high school is a rocker?
Kusuma Prasetyo Putro is a 24 year-old vocational school teacher. He teaches bahasa Indonesia for 12 classes in two different vocational schools in Sleman and Yogyakarta. In his spare time, he plays guitar and sings for the punk rock band, The Frankenstone. He also owns a recording studio in his home in Karangjati, Sleman, Yogyakarta.
How could this clumsy punk figure become a bahasa Indonesia teacher in two distinguished vocational schools in DIY?
Putro determined a musician career since Junior High School. He started learn to play guitar and listened to Green Day and The Offspring. In the age of 16, he made friend with local punkers and turned into a walking disaster. With blue hair, dog chain in his neck, lousy looking, and cheap liquor smell, he was distinguished as one of the most corrupt student in his high school, SMA PIRI 1 Yogyakarta.
“It was a dark age, my high school times. My parents didn’t allow me to go to SMM. They sent me to the lousy school. So, well. I ruin it.” He said.
After graduating from high school, his parents sent him to UNY. “UNY is the cheapest state university. That’s why they sent me there. Because it’s the cheapest, and it’s a state university.” His parents are somewhat private school phobic.
“They also didn’t let me to learn music in UNY. They thought music bring bad influence to me. So I was cast away in the Indonesian Education Program.” He said. Because he studied in the Education Department, the punk outfit had to go. Now, Putro looks like the other ordinary men you can see everywhere in his conservative T-shirt and jeans.
Despite the parents’ negative view about music, Putro kept his music works continued. He joined some local bands and his name was known as a remarkable guitarist ever since. In 2007 he established The Frankenstone. The band is all about him. He composes the music, arranges the lyrics, and he highlights his guitar tones in the entire songs.
In 2008, he graduated from college. In the same year, The Frankenstone released their full album, Don’t be Sad, Don’t be Gloom, The Frankenstone is Ugly. The album was released by For the Dummies Recordings and Yes No Wave. The band then speeds to the peak of their achievement. Putro and his guitar have had music shows all over the town, and played in the neighboring cities like Semarang and Kebumen.
A rock star onstage, Putro has another responsibility related to his graduation from college. His parents don’t like seeing him idling around with his guitar. “So I need a real job. The real one. With collar shirts on and all.” So he seek a job vacancy for a bahasa Indonesia teacher in the papers. He ended up in SMK Muhammadyah 1 Sleman, and in SMK PIRI 1 Yogyakarta. “On Monday, Tuesday, and Wdnesday, I teach in Muhammadyah. Thursday to Saturday I teach in PIRI. On weekends I’m with my band!”
In 2010, he determined to have his own recording studio. He bought a good microphone and an interface with the money he got from teaching. He put those in his bedroom. His fellow musicians can come and record vocals, guitars, bass, and other instruments in the room. “I am determined to reach my dream. I am dreaming to work in music as my daily basis.” He said. “I am now a school teacher. But it’s just the thing that will be a part of my past. In the future, I will be a full time musician.”
He said, being a teacher and all of this bahasa Indonesia things are just the phase he has to go through. “I do my best as a teacher. Seriously, I don’t have the heart to neglect my students. However, I believe this is just the part of the path to my dream. I just fulfill my parents’ demands. After my recording studio is fully established, I promise to myself that will run after my real passion and give up teaching.”
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