Whilst studying classical gamelan on a scholarship in Bali, Vaughan Hatch became aware of how negatively mass tourism was affecting traditional performing art forms. Few classical gamelan ensembles had been recorded and many gamelan were either no longer played or had been melted down. In the year 2000, Vaughan chanced upon purchasing and restoring a disused antique semar pegulingan gamelan and came up with the concept of Mekar Bhuana, with the aim of preserving endangered classical gamelan and its extensive repertoire. Over the past eleven years, he has been researching semar pegulingan and other rare types of Balinese gamelan.

In 2002 he met  Putu Evie Suyadnyani,  a talented Legong dancer and singer who is now his wife, who also shared the vision of preservation and reconstruction. Together they combined the music and dance aspects, forming the Mekar Bhuana Conservatory in 2004. As well as running the conservatory and their communications business, indOKiwi, they enjoy playing gender wayang together at ceremonies around Bali.