Sunday 20 November 2011

IMC award

IMC Musical Rights Awards
Thanks to the nomination by ISME, the Project titled "Teaching
Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong Schools" was selected by an international
panel of the International Music Council (IMC) to receive one of the
Musical Rights Awards 2011. The Awards aim to encourage international
organization to promote the five musical rights advocated by the IMC,
namely:
the right for all children and adults
     - to express themselves musically in all freedom
     - to learn musical languages and skills
     - to have access to musical involvement through participation,
listening, creation, and information
. the right for musical artists
     - to develop their artistry and communicate through all media,
with proper facilities at their disposal
     - to obtain just recognition and remuneration for their work
The Presentation Ceremony was held at the 4th IMC World Forum on Music
held in Tallinn, Estonia on 27 September 2011. Judy Thönell, ISME
Secretary General and Bo Wah Leung, Project Leader attended the
ceremony and received the award.

Thursday 17 November 2011

Important news from UNESCO

The 36th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO agreed to:

 

1.       Adopt and support the The Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education

2.       Designate the fourth week of May as International Week of Arts Education

3.       Support a Third World Conference on Arts Education.

 

The full resolutions as recorded at the UNESCO General Council are outlined below (Thanks to Canadian and German Commissions for UNESCO)

 

The World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE: International Drama Education Association, International Society for Education in Art, International Society for Music Education and World Dance Alliance) has been active in developing and advocating for these initiatives.

 

Thanks go to the Korean Arts and Culture Education Services (KACES) and the Korean delegation at the 36th UNESCO General Conference for their advocacy for arts education during the conference in Paris. A statement from KACES re the announcement may be found at  http://www.artezine.kr/english/view.jsp?articleldx=1498

 

2012 will see the inaugural celebration of the International week of Arts Education

 

Item 5.13 – Implementation of the "Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education", outcome document of the Second World Conference on Arts Education

 

The General Conference,

 

Recalling 35 C/Resolution 40 on the promotion of arts education,

 

Taking into consideration 185 EX/Decision 44,

 

Having examined document 36 C/55,

 

1. Welcomes the positive results of the First and Second World Conferences on Arts Education (held in March 2006 and May 2010) which highlighted the importance of high-quality arts education for all and of strengthening cooperation among various stakeholders (national authorities, local governments, teachers, artists, researchers associations and NGOs) and through the network of UNESCO Arts Education Observatories and Chairs to the development of best practices and the reinforcement of the position of arts education in schools and in societies;

 

2. Invites Member States to ensure the follow-up to the Second World Conference by employing the strategies proposed in the Seoul Agenda and by implementing in a concerted manner the action items set out therein for the renewal of education systems;

 

3. Requests the Director-General to provide support for the mobilization of extrabudgetary resources for the holding of the Third World Conference on Arts Education and to ensure appropriate intersectoral cooperation between the Culture and Education Sectors of UNESCO in promoting and integrating arts education, in particular in the context of the education for all (EFA) and education for sustainable development (ESD) plans;

 

4. Decides to proclaim the fourth week of May as the International Arts Education Week and to encourage all Member States, civil society, professional organizations and communities to organize relevant activities on that occasion at the national, regional and international levels.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

2012 ISME-GIBSON Awards

Announcement: 2012 ISME–Gibson International Awards for Music Education

This announcement can be downloaded here. [help]

Aims of the Award

On the occasion of the 30th ISME World Conference on Music Education, Thessaloniki, Greece (July 15-20, 2012), the International Society for Music Education and Gibson Foundation are proud to announce the 2012 ISME–Gibson International Awards for Music Education.

Eligibility

These prestigious awards are open to educators and institutions that have particularly distinguished themselves in the field of music education within Greece. The awards recognize outstanding achievement and service in the discipline, thereby providing acknowledgment for exemplary music educators and or institutions whose work enriches music education in Greece and serves as an exemplar for the ideals of music education internationally.

Number of Awards

Up to two awards will be presented at the 30th ISME World Conference on Music Education.

Nomination Details

All nominations must contain the following information:

  1. first and last name, title, contact details (home address, e-mail and telephone number), as well as a short Curriculum Vitae of the candidate or institution proposed;
  2. reasons for presenting the nominee;
  3. reference to precise examples of the work carried out by the nominee in the field of music education (possibly supported by audiovisual recordings, testimonies, etc.);
  4. names and contact details of those presenting the nomination (who must be regularly paid-up members of the Greek Society for Music Education for the year 2012); and
  5. other relevant information that may support the nomination.

Nominations for candidates should be e-mailed no later than February 1, 2012 to the Chair of the ISME–Gibson Awards Committee, Gary McPherson (g.mcpherson@unimelb.edu.au) who will duly confirm receipt. All supporting papers and multimedia documents must be submitted online using the same email address.

Award Procedure

The preliminary assessment of nominations will be made by the Awards Group for Gibson Awards (AGGA) who will liaise with the Greek Society for Music Education (GSME) to make a final recommendation to the ISME President and Nina Miller (Gibson) on the two awards, reserving the right to assign no awards should the suitable requisites be lacking.

The two awards will be presented during the 30th ISME World Conference on Music Education, to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece (July 15-20). Each recipient will be eligible to receive funding of US$10,000 for an approved project that provides opportunities that would not otherwise exist for children to learn, experience and actively participate in music. Funding applications will be considered after the award has been conferred.

The International Society for Music Education believes that lived experiences of music, in all their many aspects, are a vital part of the life of all people. Established in 1953 under the auspices of UNESCO, the Society leads and supports music education worldwide.

Founded in 2002, the Gibson Foundation is committed to making the world a better place for children by creating, developing and supporting programs and other non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance education, music and the arts, the environment, and health and welfare causes. For further information, visit the Gibson Foundation at www.gibsonfoundation.org

Monday 3 October 2011

Uncommon Rhythm, by Aaron P. Dworkin

The long-awaited inspirational memoir by White House Champion of
Change Aaron P. Dworkin

Uncommon Rhythm is a harrowing yet moving account of Aaron's personal
journey through social isolation and discrimination to found one of
the nation's cultural jewels. The book is a tapestry of stirring
narrative, precious photos and poignant poems. A MacArthur Fellowship
recipient, Aaron is driven by a single vision—inclusion for all.
Uncommon Rhythm will inspire all who have ever felt like outsiders to
nurture their own gifts and make valuable contributions to society.


Aaron is the Founder and President of the Sphinx Organization, the
leading national arts organization that focuses on youth development
and diversity in classical music.

AQUARIUS PRESS
www.aquariuspressbookseller.net/uncommonrhythm.html (to order directly on-line)

Monday 5 September 2011

Call for papers: SPECIAL ISSUE Journal of Music, Technology and Education

Journal of Music, Technology and Education

Special Issue

An examination of affordances of the application of 'open source' to music education.

Guest Editors: Ketil Thorgersen (Sweden)  Lauri Väkevä (Finland) , Mikko Myllykoski (Finland) Steve Dillon (Australia), Alex Ruthmann (USA)

Call for papers

Brief description

This special issue of JMTE (http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-journal,id=152/) will examine the affordances of the application of 'open source' to music education. Each article will focus on one particular aspect and context.

The publication of this special issue follows on from an international symposium presentation at the Research in Music Education conference in Exeter in the UK in April 2011. The symposium revealed significant aspects of the need to apply development of philosophy and practice around the concept of open source in music classrooms.

 

Proposals

Music practitioners and researchers are invited to contribute research articles (6,000 words) or project reports (3,000-4,000 words) that look beyond open source a set of licenses and to consider the ideas and ideals that constitute what can be considered the open source movement and possible implications for music education research. What is it that makes masses of people spend their skills and time to produce software for free, which anyone can make use of and continue to develop freely and what constitutes such a generative society? The aim is for articles to elaborate on this from philosophical, pedagogical and practical technical points of view in an open atmosphere where the hope is that knowledge will be generated collectively through the session in an open sourced mode.

 

Articles could address, but are not limited to the following questions that arise for music education:

 

1) How should music educators relate to different arguments for and against creative recycling in the digital music culture?

2) Is it possible to teach music taking seriously the argument for Music 3.0, and if it is, how can we support creativity full-scale in music education recognizing this possibility?

3) How can we offer versatile musical content and tasks with educational open source applications?

4) How to maintain people's individual rights to their own musical content in open shareable software environments?

5) Might "Music" be the original "open source" project? What might we gain or lose by looking toward technological models for music education?

6) What might be afforded by providing students with the tools to design and build theri own musical environments?

7) What are the relational pedagogies needed for this approach?

8) How can we apply the philosophy of 'open source' technology in music education?

 

A Prezi outline of the RIME symposium can be found at: http://prezi.com/cm0vnmiayfq-/open-source-and-music-education-rime-2011/

 

Proposals for research articles and project reports should be e-mailed to Ketil Thorgersen (Sweden)  Lauri Väkevä (Finland) , Mikko Myllykoski (Finland) Steve Dillon (Australia), Alex Ruthmann (USA)

no later than 31 October 2011, and include a 250- 500 word abstract, the title of the proposed article, a brief biography (200 words max), and the contact details of the author. Authors will be notified of the outcome of their proposals by the end of December 2011. If successful, the full articles would need to be submitted by the end of January 2012.

 

For more information, contact:

Dr Ketil Thorgersen ketil.thorgersen@utep.su.se

Dr Steve Dillon, Queensland University of Technology: sc.dillon@qut.edu.au

Dr Lauri Väkevä lauri.vakeva@siba.fi

Dr Alex Ruthmann alex.ruthmann@gmail.com

Dr Mikko Myllykoski mikko.myllykoski@campus.jyu.fi

Tuesday 2 August 2011

IFCM World Summit and 11th China International Choral Festival

http://ifcm.net/

The World Choral Summit is a unique initiative that will bring
together thirty choral leaders from throughout the world. The Summit,
a joint project under the sponsorship of IFCM, the China Chorus
Association, China Entertainment and Arts Group, and China Cultural
International Tours Inc, will be held simultaneously with the 11th
China International Choral Festival.

Five choirs, each from a different continent, as well as many choirs
from throughout the world, will join with their Chinese counterparts
to participate in the Summit and Festival. The focus of the Summit
will be on ideas, concerns, and ways to enhance communication and
cooperation within the global community, as well as the exploration of
choral traditions . . . especially that of China.

Appropriately, the theme will be Voices in Harmony. The host city of
Beijing offers an ideal setting for choral leaders and choirs to
experience the hospitality and rich cultural tradition of the Peoples
Republic of China. The Summit and Festival will be events not to be
missed!

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Monday 25 July 2011

Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools

The White House has recently released a report from the President's
Committee on the Arts and Humanities:
Re-investing in Arts Education: Winning America's Future through
Creative School.

These reports may be found at:

The Whitehouse summary is at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/12/reinvesting-arts-education-winning-america-s-future-through-creative-schools

The full report is at
http://www.pcah.gov/sites/default/files/photos/PCAH_Reinvesting_4web.pdf

photo credit:
President Barack Obama drops by the President's Committee on Arts and
Humanities meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 11,
2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

1st Annual Conference of the Society for Music Education in Ireland

CALL FOR PAPERS
1st Annual Conference of the Society for Music Education in Ireland
www.smei.ie
An Chéad Chomhdháil Bhliantúil de chuid Cumainn Ceoil Oideachas na hÉireann

The Society for Music Education in Ireland (SMEI) will host its first annual
conference at the School of Music, University College Cork 11-13 November
2011.

Keynote Speaker: Phil Mullen, Goldsmiths University London
The conference organisers invite paper, poster or workshop proposals that
address one or more of the following general areas:

* Music learning and teaching
* Music development
* Music, community, culture
* Music education policy
* Music, education, society
* Music education and theory

Proposals should include:

a) a cover page with presenter name(s), institutional affiliation(s), an
email address for correspondence and a biography for each presenter of no
more than 50 words; this page should also indicate clearly whether the proposal
is to be considered for inclusion as 'Paper only', 'Paper or Poster', 'Poster
only' or 'Workshop';

b) an abstract of 250-300 words for papers or posters; submissions for
practice-based
workshops should include a detailed proposal of up to 500 words

The conference organisers welcome individual, joint and group submissions.


Proposals should be submitted electronically on or before 15 September 2011
to Michelle Finnerty at finnerty.michelle@gmail.com

All proposals will be subject to a blind review process. Notification of
the status of paper/poster/ workshop proposals will be made by 30 September
2011

Papers will normally be allocated twenty minutes for presentation followed
by 10 minutes for questions. Workshops will be normally be one hour in duration.

Posters will be allocated a maximum space of 3? x 4? (90cm x 120cm)

SMEI Conference Organising Committee:
Michelle Finnerty, Mairéad Berrill, Daithí Kearney, Gráinne McHale, Gwen
Moore, John O'Flynn

Further details on the conference will be uploaded later on www.smei.ie

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Graham Bartle receives a Medal of the Order of Australia.

A Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) was awarded to academic and
music educator Graham Bartle 'for service to music education'
Queen's Birthday honours list:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197710
Graham Bartle on the ISME website:
http://www.isme.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109:honorary-life-members&catid=45:honorary&Itemid=20#bartle

NEW KABUL MUSIC CONSERVATORY PERFORMS IN PARLIAMENT

Nicola Blackwood MP and British Council Welcome the New Afghanistan National Institute of Music to the Centrepiece Event of their Visit to Britain

On 27th June, from 4-6 pm in the Jubilee Room of the Houses of Parliament, visitors from the new Afghanistan National Institute of Music will perform for MPs and members of the public. The event is hosted by Nicola Blackwood MP, Member for Oxford West and Abingdon, by kind permission of the Speaker.

In its first year in Kabul, the Institute has set aside fifty per cent of its new pupil spaces each year for war orphans and street children, who receive bursaries to cover their musical education.

The Afghanistan National Institute of Music is founded and directed by Dr Ahmad Sarmast, son of Ustad Salim Sarmast, a well-known late Afghan composer and conductor. It exists, under the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan's jurisdiction, to promote both western classical and traditional Afghan music, and is at the moment the only conservatory in Afghanistan.

Professor John Baily, leading British expert on the music of Afghanistan, will offer historical context on the destruction of the Kabul musicians' quarter, in 1992, and the subsequent journey of many traditional Afghan musicians to Peshawar; and he himself will perform with the visitors.

The parliamentary concert will be followed by a charity dinner in the ballroom of the Lansdowne Club, at which a collection will be taken to fund the Institute's bursaries. Travel costs for the Afghanistan National Institute of Music are met by the British Council, and the costs of their accommodation in London by a private donor.

Miss Robin Ryczek, 'cello instructor at the Institute (who has formerly toured with Jethro Tull) will perform several original arrangements of traditional Afghan melodies for 'cello.

Paul Cheater, senior master of Summer Fields School in Oxford, assisted in devising the Institute's curriculum based on the UK national curriculum and music grade examinations, and will share the story of his involvement.

Shaharzad Akbar, the first female Afghan student at the University of Oxford, will describe her own visits to the Institute.

Cathy Graham, director of music for the British Council, will describe links between Britain and the new Kabul conservatory.

In the remainder of their British tour, the members of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music will perform in the Chapel of Trinity College, Oxford (12.30, Sunday the 26th) and for the British Afghan Women's Society and Afghanaid (7 pm, Wednesday the 29th). They will also meet with the heads of music at Harrow and Dulwich College, the head of music at the South Bank Centre, the deputy principals of the Royal Academy of Music, musical staff from the Barbican and Guildhall School of Music, and the principal and director of music from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Together with other lasting institutional collaborations with the UK, the Institute's staff will discuss a gap-year programme in which British school-leavers and music graduates may spend time assisting with music instruction in Kabul.

The British magazine Classical Music covered the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in its 20 November, 2010 issue (offprints available on request). The visit is organised by that article's author, journalist Pádraig Belton, who concluded his last interview by inviting the Institute to visit Britain.

Dr Sarmast is happy to give interviews in Dari, Pashto or English. The organisers are able to give interviews in Urdu and Hindi. Footage and rushes are available if helpful from previous BBC and ABC Australia visits to Kabul.

Friday 10 June 2011

NAME: musical pathways

The National Association of Music Educators (N.A.M.E.) is undertaking
a survey in connection with its forthcoming National Conference on a
theme of 'Musical Pathways'. Anyone with an active interest in
music-making at any level is invited to answer a few questions about
their early influences and significant musical events in their lives.
Answers will be treated in confidence. We are hoping to get a wide
range of responses and an analysis and commentary will be included in
the forthcoming NAME book, to be launched at the conference.

Please take part on the survey by going to
www.name.org.uk/publications where you can either download the
questionnaire or complete it online.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

In Pictures: Stringed theory

Researchers at Cardiff University reporting at the Acoustical Society
of America meeting have presented striking images of stringed
instruments made using "holographic interferometry", which allows them
to visualise precisely how and where the soundboards of instruments
vibrate.

Read the story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13573631

Monday 28 March 2011

IPS: Theatre For Development and Peace

http://www.ipsnews.net

Theatre For Development and Peace

A. D. McKenzie

PARIS, Mar 24 (IPS) - Some African playwrights say they want to
 use drama to promote development and peace, and they appealed to
world leaders to listen on World Theatre Day, celebrated
Wednesday.

"While nations spend colossal sums of money on peace-keeping
 missions in violent conflict areas of the world, little
attention is given to theatre as a one-on-one alternative for
conflict transformation and management," said Jessica Kaahwa, the
Ugandan playwright known for using theatre to foster community
development.

 Kaahwa presented the world premiere of 'Putting Words Between
 The Eyes', a 20-minute, one-act play that she created especially
for World Theatre Day, celebrated in Paris at the headquarters of
UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency.

 Set in the fictional republic of Sarkina, which has just gone
 through a protracted violent conflict, the play looks at how
people try to rebuild shattered lives.

 It also shows well-meaning ambassadors trying to overcome their
 despair in the face of failed peace resolutions, as both
civilians and peacekeepers get caught in the "dilemma of hope and
distrust", according to Kaahwa.

 Perhaps intentionally, the play evoked the current conflicts in
 Libya and elsewhere in North Africa and the Middle East, with a
sense of desolation and sound effects that included the screaming
of warplanes and the firing of guns.

 "Theatre subtly permeates the human soul gripped by fear and
 suspicion, by altering the image of self - and opening a world
of alternatives for the individual and hence the community,"
Kaahwa said in her keynote message.

 "Theatre can give meaning to daily realities while forestalling
 an uncertain future. It can engage in the politics of peoples'
situations in simple straightforward ways," she added.

 In Uganda, Kaahwa has used drama to raise awareness of human
 rights as well as gender rights, according to Tobias Biancone,
secretary general of the International Theatre Institute, a
non-governmental organisation associated with UNESCO that
organises the World Theatre Day.

 He said that theatre was effective and "will never die" because
 it was done "live by humans in front of other humans". In
Africa, as in other regions, this directness meant that theatre
could be used to promote development.

 Uganda's deputy head of mission, Philip Odida, said that the
 World Theatre Day focus on Africa showed that the continent's
creative arts were "rich and flourishing" and undergoing renewed
growth as a result of new information technologies for recording,
editing, storing and distribution of sound and images.

 The playwrights and performers showed that theatre "goes beyond
 entertainment, and also serves as an important means of
instruction, information and education," Odida said.

 Many attending the day's events seemed to agree as they
 commended the performances of actors such as Thembi
Mtshali-Jones who used humour, dance and song to convey the
painful experiences of a child growing up under apartheid in
South Africa.

 The 15-minute extract of her one-woman play, 'A Woman in
 Waiting', was also international in scope, as it highlighted the
problems of domestic workers who leave their children behind to
be raised by grandparents, sending home shoes and clothes that no
longer fit.

 "The play was powerful and extraordinary because through the
 performance she managed to get us back to South Africa and to
her childhood where the laws were such that domestic workers had
to be separated from their children, seeing them only once a
year," said Vanessa Mkhize-Albertini, a Paris-based South African
activist.

 "The child had to wait for the mother to return home, and even
 when she finally got to live in the city with her parents, she
still had to wait for the mother to come home from working,"
Mkhize-Albertini told IPS. "That's the reason for the title."

 In a different vein, an actor and writer from the Central
 African Republic, Modeste Nzapassara, had the audience laughing
out loud with his portrayal of the immigrant experience in France.

 In an excerpt from 'Black Bazaar', based on the novel by Alain
 Mabanckou, he showed how ignorance about immigrants' origins can
lead to some absurd encounters, as when people in the host
country confuse the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the
Republic of the Congo and lecture immigrants on what needs to be
done "over there".

 One downside to the UNESCO World Theatre Day event, however,
 was that a percussionist troupe invited from the Sudan was
absent because they were unable to get visas to enter France.
(FIN/2011)

Thursday 24 March 2011

the House Magazine: Professor Welch on the English Baccalaureate

Both our cultural history and our modern economy are a rich blend of
music and art to which the new English Baccalaureate pays scant
attention, argues Graham Welch

read the full article:
http://issuu.com/official_isme/docs/welch_the_house_magazine_21_march_2011?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Monday 7 March 2011

ISME 2012: Call for presenters

30th ISME World Conference
15-20 July 2012
Thessaloniki, Greece

The call for presenters is now available! Please visit the ISME website:
http://www.isme.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120:call-for-presenters&catid=43:isme-2012&Itemid=26

Wednesday 2 March 2011

EMC Strategy - Music and Politics, music education

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=41117&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

The Second World Conference on Arts Education

Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education

The Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education is a major outcome of UNESCO's Second World Conference on Arts Education held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on 25 – 28 May 2010. Convened at the initiative of UNESCO, in close partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Conference gathered more than 650 officials and experts in arts education from 95 countries. The programme included a Ministerial round table, keynote speeches, panel discussions, parallel workshops, regional group discussions, an encounter with NGOs and foundations, and a special session on Arts Education and the Rapprochement of Cultures.

Work on the Seoul Agenda began a year prior to the Conference during a meeting in July 2009 of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) at UNESCO Headquarters, and culminated in a presentation of the document to the participants during the closing session of the Conference. In preparation for the Conference, the IAC continued to refine the goals via e-mail exchanges in the months following the meeting in 2009.

An amended version, which took into account comments and proposals received from members of the IAC was prepared during a meeting immediately preceding the Conference. This version of the Seoul Agenda was circulated to experts during the Conference. Presentations and debates were monitored throughout the Conference by the General Rapporteur and revisions were made to the document to reflect priorities and insights offered by the Conference participants. Revisions of an editorial nature were subsequently completed by the General Rapporteur to reflect responses received from participants after presentation of the Seoul Agenda at the close of the Conference.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) gala concert

Dear Colleagues,
BBC has broadcasted a three-and half-minute story on ANIM and its gala
concert of the 9th of Feb 2011. Below is given the links.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2011/02/110216_l13_l13_music_school_vid.shtml
The story is also available from the YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/bbcpersian#p/u/3/Pn0vI3BEBVc
Regards

--
Dr Ahmad Naser Sarmast
Founder and Project Director
Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM)
Ministry of Education, Afghanistan
Research Fellow
Monash Asia Institute
Monash School of Music - Conservatorium
Monash University, Australia
Honorary Fellow
National College of Music, London
Tel: +93 (0) 796 54 29 52 + 61421981246 +613 9704 2784
Email: ahmad.sarmast@adm.monash.edu.au

Thursday 10 February 2011

Professor Welch on BBC The Other One Show (National Sing Up day)

School singing 'can boost children's well-being'


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12392742

Singing in school can make children feel more positive about themselves and build a sense of community, research based on 10,000 children suggests.

An evaluation by the Institute of Education of England's national singing programme, Sing Up, found a clear link between singing and well-being.

It also found that children who took part in the programme had a strong sense of being part of a community.

But it is not clear that the scheme will be fully funded in future.

The Sing Up scheme supports schools to increase singing in choirs, lessons and individually, and provides a range of resources to help.

The Institute of Education's independent three-year study, commissioned by the Sing Up programme, is based on data collected from 9,979 children at 177 primary schools in England.

It said: "A clear inference may be drawn that children with experience of Sing Up are more likely to be advanced in their singing development and to have a positive self-concept," the study said.

It also found that Sing Up children were up to two years ahead in their singing development than those of the same age who did not take part in the programme.

Composer Howard Goodall, the National Singing Ambassador, said: "These findings are gold dust for head teachers. We've always maintained that singing, alongside its brain-training benefits, can help children to grow in confidence and create stronger communities and now we're able to prove it with hard evidence."

The research comes just days after ministers said they were safeguarding the funding of music in schools at the present level for one year ahead of a major funding shake. But there are no guarantees on music funding after 2012.

And some councils could see music budgets cut by up to 10% next year.

The £10m a year Sing Up scheme was only funded until the end of 2011, but ministers said on Monday they would provide some funding to enable it to continue.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We know that schools and teachers value the resources provided by Sing Up, that is why the government will provide some funding for 2011-12 to enable a sustainable future for Sing Up to be developed."

However the Department for Education has not made clear how much it will provide.

The announcement on the future of the Sing Up programme was in response to the Henley Review of music which warned that music education in England's schools was still "patchy".

And it said there should be more opportunities for singing and playing musical instruments in schools, as well as efforts to bring professional musicians into the classroom.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Advocacy: Children's Voices

  • "When I am happy I like to sing those songs that I like."
    Age 8 Hong Kong, China
  • "Music makes me aware of who I am. Singing and dancing is a part of my life, so to be able to sing and dance at school makes my life complete."
    Age 17 Namibia
  • "Studying music is important because it gives you a good attitude. It gives you a high goal and gives you determination to work hard."
    Age 11 Canada
  • "When I hear some lovely music I feel that I can fly."
    Age 6 Hong Kong, China
  • "Music has definitely helped me understand myself better."
    Age 15 Australia
  • "Me gusta la música porque despierta en mi diferentes sentimientos, y me gusta hacer música con otros chicos porque todos dependemos de todos sea simple o complicada la parte que haya que tocar." [I like music because it arouses in me different feelings. I like playing music with other children because we all depend on each other, no matter how simple or difficult the part we have to play can be.]
    Age 12 Argentina
  • "Music is important because it let's kids' brains flow into new experiences and learn in new ways."
    Age 9 United States of America
  • "Ich kann ohne Musik nicht leben. Musik bedeutet für mich Spaß und Action. Wenn ich sauer auf meine Eltern oder Schwester bin, dann mach ich mir Musik an und reg mich wieder ab." [I can't live without music. To me music means fun and action. When I am angry with my parents or my sister, music is able to calm me down]
    Age 13 Germany

Sunday 6 February 2011

A review of ISME 2010 (August 1-6, 2010)

INTRODUCTION

The Beijing municipal committee of the CCP and the municipal government paid great attention to the conference, and established the conference leading team whose members were as follows: Municipal Deputy Secretary Wang Anshun and Deputy Municipal Mayor Huangwei as the team leaders, municipal CPPCC chairman and president of the National Theater Chenping as the permanent deputy team leader, municipal committee of CPPCC deputy secretary Li Fuxiang, municipal government deputy secretary Malin, Director Yang Guiren of the Physical Education, Hygiene and Art Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Director Liu Limin of the Committee of Education, and others. The government made great efforts to provide the means for hosting a colorful and varied ISME World Conference.

There were 711 Presentations in this Conference.

  • 59 Symposia and Workshops
  • 480 Spoken Papers
  • 4 Keynote Speakers from different parts of the world, including a Musicologist, Music Educator, Composer, and Politician. Each gave a brilliant and informative speeches

There were 103 concerts representing musics of many cultures from around the world.

There were 163 workshops and classroom demonstrations that were given by music educators and researchers from all around the world.

There were 4019 registered delegates.

  • 3000 Chinese delegates (with 74 delegates from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)
  • 1019 international delegates (913 regular delegates and 106 accompanying persons) from 65 countries and regions
  • 978 performers from 47 international performing groups
  • 2803 performers from 50 Chinese performing groups

In addition, there were:

  • 300 exhibitors
  • 668 volunteers
  • 310 primary and middle school students for classroom demonstrations
  • 203 working staff
  • 713 honored guests

A total of 9138 people participated in ISME 2010 World Conference. It was the largest ISME Conference ever held.

PERFORMANCES

The COG arranged a large and elaborate multimedia opening ceremony concert, “The Colourful Silk Road”, as well as a mid-week concert, called “Night of China—the Sounds and Images of the Tang Dynasty”. The mid-week concert was followed by a Chinese Folk Music Carnival, which used “silk” as a metaphor for friendship and combined traditional music with features of a Chinese carnival. All of these concerts presented different aspects of the rich stylistic heritage of Chinese music to the international music education community. The CCM designated a specific venue for a Traditional Chinese Music Festival, which included 12 performances in all. In addition, there were 53 world music expositions.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

SupportMusic Coalition Teleconference and Webcast Recorded "LIVE" from the NAMM Show

On Thursday, January 13, 2011, the SupportMusic Coalition teleconference and webcast was broadcast "live" from the NAMM Show.

If you missed any portion of the call tune in now to hear guest moderator Mike Blakeslee, Sr. Deputy Executive Director, MENC as he leads an accomplished panel of music educators in a discussion on "Building and Engaging Support for Music and Arts Education".

The panel includes:

• Ralph S. Opacic, Ed.D., President and Executive Director, Orange County High School of the Arts
• Robert Bryant, Executive Director of Fine, Arts, Katy I.S.D.
• Karen Childress-Evans, Visual & Performing Arts Director, San Diego Unified School District
• Graham Welch, President, International Society for Music Education (ISME)


http://www.nammfoundation.org/support-music/supportmusic-coalition-teleconference-and-webcast-recorded-live-namm-show

[Special] Music, Science & Medicine: Frontiers in Biomedical Research & Clinical Applications

Friday, March 25, 2011 | 7:00 AM - 5:45 PM
The New York Academy of Sciences

Presented by The New York Academy of Sciences

Music therapy — the clinical application of music to treat a wide range of diagnoses using physiological and medical approaches — has advanced dramatically over the past decade, proving to be an effective clinical tool for treating medical diagnoses. Music has been effectively applied to treat Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke and others, including autism, language acquisition, pain management, stress and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, coma, and more.
This landmark multidisciplinary 1-day conference aims at exploring the connection between up-to-date scientific findings and their possible application to clinical music and physiological function, including, not only neurocognitive mechanisms, but also other physiological processes such a hormonal and metabolic responses, pain control, motor functions, etc. The ultimate goal of this program is fostering dialogue among experts studying music in human adaptive function, physiological sciences, neuroscience, neurology, medical research, psychology, music education, and others disciplines of disease physiology, music physiology, and music therapy. It is expected that the broad and ongoing discussions originating from this symposium, will promote collaborative research, and a more effective communication, and translation of scientific research into music-based clinical treatments of disease.

http://www.nyas.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=b4303e70-29a1-478f-a839-42b5279bb25e

Music, Science & Medicine: Frontiers in Biomedical Research & Clinical Applications

Friday, March 25, 2011 | 7:00 AM - 5:45 PM
The New York Academy of Sciences

Presented by The New York Academy of Sciences

Music therapy — the clinical application of music to treat a wide range of diagnoses using physiological and medical approaches — has advanced dramatically over the past decade, proving to be an effective clinical tool for treating medical diagnoses. Music has been effectively applied to treat Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke and others, including autism, language acquisition, pain management, stress and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, coma, and more.

This landmark multidisciplinary 1-day conference aims at exploring the connection between up-to-date scientific findings and their possible application to clinical music and physiological function, including, not only neurocognitive mechanisms, but also other physiological processes such a hormonal and metabolic responses, pain control, motor functions, etc. The ultimate goal of this program is fostering dialogue among experts studying music in human adaptive function, physiological sciences, neuroscience, neurology, medical research, psychology, music education, and others disciplines of disease physiology, music physiology, and music therapy. It is expected that the broad and ongoing discussions originating from this symposium, will promote collaborative research, and a more effective communication, and translation of scientific research into music-based clinical treatments of disease.


http://www.nyas.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=b4303e70-29a1-478f-a839-42b5279bb25e

Tuesday 25 January 2011

The power of singing

Professor Graham Welch, President of the International Society for Music Education, reflects on the impact of singing on children
ABRSM Libretto, January 2011
http://issuu.com/official_isme/docs/the_power_of_singing_-_libretto0111?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed

Thursday 20 January 2011

Professor Kevin Thompson receives OBE

Professor Kevin Thompson, Director of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, receives Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Arts and to UK/Hong Kong cultural exchanges.

Honours list: http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_193482.pdf


Wednesday 12 January 2011

[Special] Energize and Harmonize Through Music Therapy

The Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association will
be holding our annual conference March 30- April 2nd, 2011 in Saratoga
Springs, NY.
March 31 - April 2, 2011
Pre-Conference Institute, March 20
Saratoga Hilton
Saratoga Springs, NY
more information available at: http://www.mar-amta.org/events/conferences/

Wednesday 5 January 2011