Due to the rising anxiety in the world that seems to be impacting on all of us we are giving full free access to the MindHarp platform. Based on my personal experience of co founding the first Palestinian (From Gaza) Israeli 'rock, pop' band in 1998 I recognised the full power of music to create spaces for dialogue. I have been involved in music and peace building internationally since then. This ignited in me and my future business partner a desire to make it possible for anyone to immediately be able to engage actively with music, specifically those people who had never engaged actively with music at all. MindHarp is a web based platform that allows anyone to do that, seamlessly. At MindHarp we believe that the more people who engage actively with music will lead to a safer, gentler and healthier world. If you would like to know more please reach out to us (info@mindharp.world) or simply go to www.mindharp.world
"Come join us in Amsterdam every month, to sing, connect, and raise support for music projects around the world! Every second Monday of the month, Musicians Without Borders invites you invites you to come sing for social change! Experience the joy of singing: for yourself, as part of the group, and for change. You can join this vocal circle without any experience singing, without needing to know any songs beforehand, or being able to read music – if you like to sing, you’re welcome at Tolhuistuin! The events will be led by Nicoline Snaas, with years of experience as singer, teacher, workshop leader and conductor. Proceeds of the vocal circles will go to support the work of Musicians Without Borders. You can buy a donation ticket or make a donation after the event ends." December 11 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm CET
音楽でウクライナ避難者と平和活動: 2023年11月12日日曜13時 神戸元町ALWAS（神戸市中央区元町通１丁目８−４地下1階）078-384-3735 ・沖縄創価学会からお借りした沖縄戦の絵＋音楽から感じる平和 ・ウクライナの伝統衣装体験 ・みんなでウクライナの歌を歌い踊ろう ウクライナの人と一緒に音楽と文化で平和の瞬間を作ります
"CAP invites you to a regular “Jour Fixe”. In its work, the Foundation, as well as people involved in similarly structured projects at ZHdK, are repeatedly confronted with fundamental questions such as: “What are the specific qualities and possibilities of art in crisis areas?” “How can projects be realised that are conceived in a most multi-layered way?” and “Where is the limit of the feasible?” These and other questions will be discussed not only within the Foundation, but also with a wider group of interested people. The “Jour Fixe – Art in Conflict” is a hybrid event, held in English at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK or at the artasfoundation office, but also online. Each event starts with a question discussed in an input presentation with concrete approaches to “Art and Peacebuilding” (lecture and discussion at ZHdK and online; one – two times per semester) or sets the scene for a text that participants prepare individually and discuss with invited experts – or even the authors themselves (reading group at the artasfoundation office and online; three – four times per semester)."
"The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Cultural Heritage and Conflict (PECHC) is an interdisciplinary encyclopedia which critically analyses the relationship between cultural heritage and conflict as well as the tangible and intangible remnants, traces and spaces of competing heritages and memories of the past in the present. The encyclopaedia brings together leading and junior researchers and professionals from different disciplines across the humanities and social sciences to provide the state of the art and most comprehensive overview of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of cultural heritage and conflict." "Entries are welcome from academics, researchers, Postdocs, PhDs and postgraduate students and professionals in the field of cultural heritage and conflict or related areas and expertise."
"In this two-part series with Dr. Nina Kraus we examine the neuroscience of our hearing brains, exploring how we make meaning from our sonic worlds. In episode 1, we look at the afferent and efferent journeys as our brains construct meaning from sonic experience. Examining reading, we understand how reading is powered by the strength of our recognition of frequency, harmonics, FM sweeps, and other ingredients. We explore the impact of musical training and bilingual experience on comprehension, synchrony, abilities to hear sounds in noise, our belonging, and our empathetic capacities to respond to affect. The two-episode series concludes with an examination of the violence of noise and sound and the resulting impacts on our health and wellbeing."
Drott, Eric. 2023. “From Studies of Protest Music to Protest Music Studies: Mapping a Field That Doesn’t (Yet) Exist” Music Research Annual 4: 1–23. Abstract: "This article reviews recent literature on music, protest, and social movements. Its principal focus is on English-language research being conducted in North America and the United Kingdom, dispersed across such disciplines as music studies, social movement studies, anthropology, political science, sociology, and area studies, among others. Four recent trends are highlighted: work that stresses the importance of affect to music’s political efficacy; studies addressing the soundscapes of protest events, including the tactical use of noise and silence by activists; research on media ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on online and social media’s impact on protest movements; and work that throws into relief the contradictory and ambivalent effects of protest musicking. By drawing attention to these areas of common concern, the article aims to foster dialogue among scholars working in different disciplinary spaces, as a way of mapping the terrain where a future protest music studies might take root and flourish."
"The latest issue of Music and Arts in Action: an openaccess peer-reviewed journal published by the SocArts Research Group of the University of Exeter, UK. The first article of this issue, ‘Learning to Listen: Types of Musical Knowledge and Genre Preferences’, by Anna Michelson and Kat Albrecht, focuses on the relationship between musical knowledge and genre preferences... ‘Songs in the Canadian Women’s Movements: Messages Among Three Strands’, is co-authored by, William Danaher, Kelsey Kretschmer, Jason Eastman and Rachel Whaley. This article is a historical-comparative analysis of the importance of songs in three different strands of the women’s movement in Canada... ‘Obstacles to Justice: Examining the Relationships Between Arts Organizations and Probation Offices in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties’, by Jacob Cassman. Cassman shares a detailed account of correctional institutions and parole and probation offices in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in Southern California... We are delighted to introduce a new format to MAiA in which authors can reflect on previous publications in this journal. The final article of this issue is an opinion piece by Geoff Baker, entitled, ‘The Third Way is Not The Only Way: Interrogating a Centrist Agenda for El Sistema’..." [text from MAiA Editorial Team's Editorial]
"The International Music Council (IMC) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Music Rights Award is given to the Santuri Electronic Music Academy (SEMA) from Nairobi, Kenya. The project was nominated by the Goethe-Institut Nairobi. The IMC Music Rights Award is a symbolic and active recognition of the effort that is brought by each actor involved in the nominated programmes. With this Award, IMC encourages its members and other organisations to give active support to the Five Music Rights proclaimed by the organisation... Santuri is a music innovation hub which offers music production courses, workshops, showcases, panels, cultural preservation activities and community focused events and seminars."
On October 18, 2023 the Min-On Concert Association celebrated the 60th year anniversary of its establishment in 1963. On that occasion, the Min-On Music Research Institute (MOMRI) launched an exhibition called “Music in Peacebuilding” that will last until June 30, 2024 at the Min-On Museum in Tokyo. Numerous panels and short films invite visitors to explore the potential roles of music in the promotion of more peaceful societies based on principles of coexistence and respect for the dignity of life. Two television screens show videos produced by MOMRI on a loop, including the songs Far Away and We Are The Future. The exhibition features the very first walkman produced by Sony in 1979 as well as an original edition of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony score dating back to 1826, and a vinyl record of Strange Fruit sung by Billie Holiday, along with numerous unique objects integrated in a narrative linking people, music, peace, and society. For the more academically-minded visitors, there is a panel featuring some of the conceptual pillars of Music in Peacebuilding (ambivalence, musicking, non-universality and more), a visual interpretation of Gillian Howell’s renowned article on Peaces of Music linking various musical activities with peace outcomes, and a video with Japanese subtitles giving step-by-step explanations on how to use the MOMRI Hub most effectively to find articles, organizations, individuals announcements, resources and more.
"Festivals play important and diverse roles in communities and societies around the world. International music festivals which bring together performers from different places and cultural backgrounds have emerged in response to processes of mobility, migration, multiculturalism and transnationalism. This symposium explores the impacts of international music festivals and considers their implications for social inclusion, community, and belonging. We hope that participants will gain new perspectives on the issues affecting festivals today and share ideas about their future possibilities. The symposium will take place at the University of Sheffield, 13-14 JUNE 2024. It is hosted in partnership with Migration Matters Festival, which celebrates the diversity of Sheffield through the performing arts. This festival will provide a vibrant setting for our conversations on the significance of festivals locally and globally. Please send the following information to j.nissen@sheffield.ac.uk: · 200–300 words abstract for paper proposals; max 1 page outlining the aims, methods and duration of the session for workshops or other formats. Presentations should be delivered in either English or Spanish. · 50–100 words personal biography highlighting relevant activities and experience. · Institutional affiliation (if applicable) and contact information. · Please state whether you would prefer to attend in person in Sheffield or contribute online. Please note that online presentations will be required to record their presentations in advance of the symposium and be present virtually to take part in the discussion following their presentation. If you have any access needs, please let us know and we will do our best to meet them."
"The Nineteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society offers an interdisciplinary forum for discussion of the role of the arts in society. It is a place for critical engagement, examination, and experimentation, developing ideas that connect the arts to their contexts in the world – on stage, in studios and theaters, in classrooms, in museums and galleries, on the streets and in communities. The Nineteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society features research addressing the following annual themes and special focus: THEME 1: PEDAGOGIES OF THE ARTS THEME 2: ARTS HISTORIES AND THEORIES THEME 3: NEW MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE ARTS THEME 4: THE ARTS IN SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND COMMUNITY LIFE" Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea + Online
"60 passionate students [12-18 y.o.] from around the globe will connect virtually for three days of intensive music training, cross-cultural collaboration, and unique content creation, all at no cost to them. Under the mentorship of world-class musicians and producers, students will work together, across cultural barriers, to fuse their musical styles, make studio recordings, and perform a global virtual concert, featuring live solo performances from around the world and a collaborative grand finale."
"Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the leading organization for research and advocacy for the arts in the United States, announces the findings of its Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Study (AEP6), the most comprehensive economic and social impact study of the nation's $151.7 billion nonprofit arts and culture industry. In 2022, the arts generated $151.7 billion in economic activity and supported a staggering 2.6 million jobs nationwide. The study surveyed more than 224,000 audience members and arts and culture organizations in 373 diverse communities across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. AEP6 marks the most extensive data collection effort in the three decades of the study, demonstrating that arts and culture are a critical economic driver of vibrant communities of all sizes."
"On September 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of State launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which builds on existing music diplomacy efforts and delivers upon on the bipartisan Promoting Peace, Education, and Cultural Exchange (PEACE) Through Music Diplomacy Act that President Biden signed into law last year. This Act called on the Department to use public-private partnerships to support music diplomacy. In addition, at the September 27 launch, the Department announced the first Peace Through Music Award. The award recognizes and honors an American music industry professional, artist, or group, that has played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose musical work advances peace and mutual understanding globally."
"What was the impact of COVID-19 on arts participation? New research released today by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) notes that between July 2021 and July 2022, more than half of all adults created and/or performed art—similar to findings in 2017, the last time the survey was conducted. During the same time period, just under half of all adults attended in-person arts events, a significant drop from 2017. A separate survey shows that 82 percent of respondents watched or listened to arts activities through digital media between 2021 and 2022. These and other findings about in-person and virtual arts participation, and about adults’ reading habits, are available in two new NEA research publications: Arts Participation Patterns in 2022: Highlights from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and Online Audiences for Arts Programming: A Survey of Virtual Participation Amid COVID-19."
Stand for Art supports artists and cultural actors in the Arab region who are at risk. At risk means that they are threatened and in physical danger because of their artistic output or cultural activities or that they are in grave peril due to conditions in their environment (such as war or civil strife). Culture Resource launched this program in 2016 after conducting a study of the risks facing artists and cultural actors in this region and the types of support available to them locally and internationally.
"Exploring the research of Batja Mesquita and other cultural psychologists and social psychologists, this episode examines how emotions are enacted between humans. Challenging the US-centric worldview that emotions are only within an individual, Mesquita notes that emotions are continuously enacted within culture and relationships. Our podcast contrasts differences in Japanese orientations with amae, omoiyuri, and haji or shame. Drawing upon research on happiness, we examine how happiness has changed across time and how happiness differs across cultures. Within Latin American cultures, notions of simpatía and familísmo construct happiness as relational and go-with-the flow agreeablenes. The episode concludes with an examination of the relevance of emotions to conflict transformation and the importance of approaching emotional disconnects with a spirit of empathy, perspective taking, and curiosity."
"In the fall of 2021, one of the world’s finest string quartets, “The Danish String Quartet” (DSQ) and a large team of international researchers based at RITMO, University of Oslo, co-hosted “MusicLab Copenhagen” – a groundbreaking event where DSQ performed their best repertoire, while researchers experimented with, measured, and analyzed the experiences and behavior of musicians and audience: Do we become one grand “We” when absorbed in music together? How do we synchronize our bodily rhythms with the music? As an innovative musical and scientific format, the concert has been widely reported on and also won “Event of the Year” from the Danish national broadcasting corporation (DR P2). Now, the scientific results are in and we are excited to share them with you at this hybrid launch-event." Event will be streamed online on YouTube.
"Join the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and guest artists for a musical online gathering to lift up Palestinian and Israeli voices for peace. Join us online to lift up the voices of our Israeli and Palestinian young singers and other powerful artists using their music to foster dialogue, understanding, and empathy. Let us use the power of words and music to heal wounds and bridge divides, even in the worst of times."
The Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) has announced the Preliminary Program for its 2023 Annual Meeting, to be held in Ottawa, Canada (October 19-22, 2023). The following sessions may be of interest to those working in Music in Peacebuilding: - 1F "Environmental and Sonic Activisms" - 1G "Protest Music and the Central American Conflicts of the 1980s" - 2C "Sounding Solidarity: Can Ethnomusicology Bridge Academic and Activist Understandings of Politics?" - 2I "Datasets and Soundmapping" - 3H "Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East" -4C "Art, Protest, and Safety during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran" - 9H "Defiance, Resistance, and Rebellion" - 9K "New Directions for Musical Aid: Spaces, Discourses, Institutions" - 10G "Wellbeing and Healing" For abstracts, presenters, and details, please see here: https://www.conftool.pro/sem2023/sessions.php Of interest may also be meetings of the Applied Ethnomusicology Section and SIG for the Study of Music and Violence
Music and Arts in Action – Call for Papers. Thematic Issue: "Music education among refugee and migrant youths: sharing, belonging, including," Edited by Alix Didier Sarrouy (Nova University Lisbon) and Chrysi Kyratsou (Queen's University Belfast). "Forced migration and musical engagement In the global context of forced exiles, music is a significant artistic resource for promoting education among young migrants and refugees, which encourages the potential for social inclusion (Marsh, 2016; Odena, 2022; O’Neill, 2008). Music educators, and the organisations for which they work, attempt to ensure the efficiency of this resource. The actions and reactions that each musical setting accommodates are versatile, determined by the intersections among migrant populations, host cultures, caring organisations, and the socio-eco-political contexts within which these actions take place. Bearing this in mind, the pedagogical methods and the particularities of music may become crucial tools for education, inclusion, and citizenship."
"Please join the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) for a hybrid event exploring the impact of youth alienation and popular culture on effective peacebuilding, CVE, and DDR efforts. The event will showcase a new book by Marc Sommers, We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone. The book examines the extraordinary impact of reggae legend Bob Marley, rap luminary Tupac Shakur and the John Rambo action movies on prewar resistance, terror-based warfare and the postwar peace in Sierra Leone. A follow-on panel discussion will then surface challenges and opportunities concerning working with youth in our peacebuilding efforts, responding to terror-focused warfare by insurgent and violent extremist groups, and engaging with ex-combatants."
"The editors of Music & Politics are pleased to announce the release of Volume 17, Issue 2. The latest issue of this open-access journal is now available online, along with all previous issues" Articles: Audrey M. Wozniak, Orienting a Nation: The Turkish National Anthem Controversies Lena Leson, "No Anthem Linked to Russia": Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Olympic Games Ho-yan Tang, Dancing with Anthems, Godzilla and Laser Pointers: Performance as Protest in the Post-Umbrella Movement Era and the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw and Kip Pegley, "Disinclined to Politicize"? Music and Canadian Politics 2.0
Based on a partnership between Musicians Without Borders and Soka Gakkai, this program brings together musicians, social workers and teachers to organize activities for children, providing creativity, hope and joy through music for social inclusion.
"The International Society for Music Education (ISME) invites submissions for the 36th World Conference from July 28th to August 2nd, 2024. The 2024 ISME World Conference aims to foster global understanding and co-operation among the world’s music educators. By strengthening ties and sharing ideas about diverse aspects and issues within music education, the 2024 ISME World Conference helps to promote music education worldwide for people of all ages. The theme for the 2024 ISME World Conference is Advocacy for Sustainability in Music Education. Music education has a crucial role in advancing the wellbeing of the individual, community and society. The uncertain times further highlight the importance of envisioning, exploring, and advocating for the many opportunities music education can offer for enhancing a sense of belonging, equity, and inclusion as well as ecological sustainability. What can we learn from the other arts, Indigenous traditions, and past and emerging musical practices around the world in our efforts of advancing resilient societies and ecosystems? And how could we ensure equitable access to music learning opportunities and participation within the wide variety of musics? The 36th World Conference provides a platform that invites music educators and other stakeholders to ask novel questions, imagine ways forward, and create new partnerships for change. The conference will open avenues to explore a sphere of possibilities for pursuing and advocating for sustainability in and through music education."
Making Peace Everyone's Issue: How Peacebuilders Can Tell the Story of Peacebuilding in Action to Any Audience. "exploring how to reframe peacebuilding in a way that advances its integration with other sectoral efforts and promotes more effective policies and programs. The event will showcase several local civil society organizations and their innovative approaches to address drivers of violent conflict and build sustainable peace across sectors. A follow-on panel discussion will then surface challenges and opportunities to support integrative efforts, as well as collect and leverage data to tell the story of peacebuilding." September 26th, 2023 10am EST
"WHO and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab have announced a forthcoming Lancet Global Series on the health benefits of the arts. The research collaboration, which kicked off on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), builds on a 2019 WHO report that presented evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being. The report identified the contribution that the arts may have in promoting good health and health equity, preventing illness, and treating acute and chronic conditions across the life-course. These activities can range from dance programmes for people with Parkinson’s Disease, music therapy for pain management, and drama therapy to support social-emotional development, among many others."
"The Foundation is seeking a Research Officer who can collaboratively contribute to the development and implementation of learning agenda strategies in the arts, which encompass programs for public arts organizations as well as youth arts programs. This work involves managing a suite of research grants in the arts and participating as an active member of the six-person research unit to develop systems and strategies for supporting equitable and impactful research across the Foundation’s three focus areas."
This is an excerpt from an article in the Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2023/09/01/film/peter-barakan-music-film-festival/ Barakan is in his third year as curator and namesake of Peter Barakan’s Music Film Festival, which runs this year from today through Sept. 21 at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward. The three-week event will feature 31 films including documentaries, concert films and narrative films centered on music. The England-born broadcaster has been a fixture in Japanese music media for decades and currently hosts multiple radio shows such as the Sunday evening music program “Barakan Beat” on InterFM. Outside Japan, he may be best known as the host of the NHK cultural TV series, “Japanology Plus.”
"At the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), we believe that everyone from all sectors can play a role in peacebuilding, and that peace can be built in faraway places and in neighborhoods just down the street. In celebration of International Day of Peace 2023, AfP invites you to share a story of peacebuilding, why it matters, and what peace and peacebuilding mean to you. Building and advancing the peacebuilding field is what we do. But what exactly is peacebuilding? The field struggles to successfully communicate what peacebuilding is. Peacebuilding is often perceived as an intangible and passive end state rather than an active, interconnected, and vital part of global policies and laws impacting assistance and diplomacy. Knowing that peacebuilding comes in many different forms, we at AfP pose to you a simple, yet thought provoking question: “Peace is what?” In the leadup to International Day of Peace, AfP invites you to share a specific program, initiative, or story that embodies what peace means to your organization."
Together with the University of Leeds, The Centre for Cultural Value is launching a new, free-to-access online course: Evaluation for Arts, Culture and Heritage: Principles and Practice. This self-guided course offers the opportunity to hear from experts, develop new approaches and build your evaluation skills and confidence. Registration is now open on the FutureLearn website. Course content will be released on Monday 18 September 2023, with further content released the following week.
"Sounds of Saving (SoS) is seeking its inaugural Executive Director to help catapult the organization to the next level. We are a small and mighty organization founded on the belief that human connection to music can lead to a positive impact on mental health."
Excerpt from a CNN post available at https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/11/style/bidi-bidi-music-arts-center-dfi/index.html "The Bidi Bidi Music & Arts Centre was conceived by the developer To.org, which works with vulnerable communities and displaced people to improve their quality of life. To.org, which works on philanthropic and creative initiatives, surveyed the settlement’s residents on what they wanted in their community — and the response was “a place for dance, music and performance” (...) see also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LboLMRtGW8
"On 15 August 2021, the efforts to rejuvenate Afghanistan’s unique orchestral traditions from the 20th century were interrupted by the Taliban’s immediate and brutal censorship of music across the country upon gaining power. In exile, Afghan musicians and scholars have been collaborating with Dr Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey and international colleagues to document the historical and contemporary activities of Afghanistan’s orchestral practices, while working to support the continuing flourishing of the orchestral music of Afghanistan through new commissions and concerts. This one-day International Study Day brings together scholars and practitioners for the first time to present the research of the Orchestras of Afghanistan Research Stakeholders’ Group and to engage in a wider discussion about the future of Afghanistan’s orchestral traditions and the situation for the country’s musicians today. Individual papers and panel discussions will be followed by a roundtable discussion for all attendees and participants. Guest Speakers and Chairs Aryana Sayeed (Singer), Professor John Baily (Goldsmiths, University of London), Dr Razia Sultanova (University of Cambridge), Dr Ahmad Sarmast (Afghanistan National Institute of Music), Dr Waheedullah Saghar (Kabul University), Fraidoon Ilham and Travis Beard (Sound Central), Dr Mejgan Massoumi (Stanford University), Munazza Ebtikar (University of Oxford) and Darren Ferguson (Beyond Skin) Research Stakeholders’ Group Members Speaking Professor Islamuddin Feroz (Kabul University), Ghafar Maliknezhad (Kabul University), Fazila Zameer (University of Weimar), Mohammad Qambar Nawshad (Conductor and Composer), Arson Fahim (Longy School of Music), Mirwaiss Sidiqi (Aga Khan Music Initiative) and Qudrat Wasefi (Longy School of Music), Dr Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey (University of Sheffield) and Dr Lauren Braithwaite (University of Oxford). Conveners Dr Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey (PI, The Orchestras of Afghanistan, University of Sheffield) Dr Lauren Braithwaite (University of Oxford). For further information and the full programme for the day, please visit: https://www.orchestralmusicofafghanistan.org/conference Online registration (free): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/orchestras-of-afghanistan-international-study-day-tickets-698976205647?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl . Please email Dr Ponchione-Bailey at c.ponchione-bailey@sheffield.ac.uk if you wish to attend in person. The Study Day will be conducted in English and Persian (Farsi/Dari). Online AI automatic translation (captioning) will be used for spoken English to Persian and Persian to English."
"Revisiting the Field in Ethnomusicology: Where; Who; How Is the concept of the field still relevant to ethnomusicology, and if so, in what ways? Where are our research fields located and who are their constitutors? What kinds of practices do we engage in to encounter, understand and document our fields? And how do we write the field in ways that are meaningful both to us and our diverse audiences? Through such questions, this conference encourages us to rethink what we mean by the field as it is encountered through the processes of doing and writing research. By situating the focus on the construction of the field, this conference invites participants to think both about and beyond fieldwork. To consider how the field is constituted in 21st-century ethnomusicology, participants may wish to revisit old practices and tools and/or reflect on how recent disruptions and transformations (the pandemic, new technologies, environmental and humanitarian crises, political turbulence, funding shortages, academic precarity) have impacted field research and the writing of the field... We invite proposals for individual papers (20 mins + 10 mins questions), for panels of 3 related papers (90 mins in total including questions), as well as roundtables of 4–5 shorter papers (10 mins each + 20 mins questions)..."
"We explore the work of Taína Asili, her album Resiliencia, and the many voices that inspired her work in this album. As we explore notions of belonging, we explore Puerto Rican heritage, the alternative voice of punk culture, language of re-membering, and the work of dismantling frameworks of scarcity to find deeper forms of belonging to the land and each other."
The Lewis Prize for Music has released their 2023 video series, “Accelerating Change: Creative Youth Development Across the United States”. This series is comprised of short films highlighting organizations working in Creative Youth Development, including: Beyond the Bars, Hyde Square Task Force, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective (representing communities in Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Saint Louis).
"American Music: Special Issue on the Caribbean Call for Papers: American Music Special Issue on the Caribbean Deadline to indicate interest: Monday, July 17 Deadline to send preliminary submission information: Monday, August 14 The new editorial team of American Music is excited to invite submissions for a special issue that will explore topics, issues, and debates in Caribbean music studies. In particular, we hope for contributions to engage with one or more of the following themes: 1. Music genres and performance traditions in the Caribbean 2. Theorizing Caribbean music (taxonomies/genealogies of sound, geographical modifiers, etc.) 3. Music and social change in the Caribbean 4. Caribbean musics’ global resonances 5. Pedagogies of Caribbean musics 6. Relationships between music and other artistic practices in the Caribbean 7. Race, class, gender, and sexuality, as they intersect with Caribbean musics If you are interested in submitting to this special issue, please submit a brief statement of interest (ca. 50 words) to americanmusiceditor@gmail.com by Monday, July 17. Once you have indicated your initial interest, please send the following information to the same email address no later than Monday, August 14: • Preliminary title • Abstract (300–350 words) • Keywords (3–5) • Bio (50 words) Please direct any questions to americanmusiceditor@gmail.com. We look forward to your submissions. Best, Nancy Yunhwa Rao, Editor-in-Chief (2023–2025) Dane–Michael Harrison, Editorial Assistant Rachel Horner, Editorial Assistant"
"Stand for Sudanese Artists Action for Hope and Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy) are launching an emergency initiative to support Sudanese artists and protect cultural resources in Sudan. This initiative started two months after the war in Sudan broke out, causing the death, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, including a large number of artists and writers who lost their homes, properties, and livelihoods, besides those who got injured or killed. This war also led to the destruction of several cultural resources, including collections of artworks, libraries and archives featuring important materials; noting that a considerable number of these resources are still at risk of destruction and theft. This initiative includes different components, such as providing support to artists and writers who have been directly affected by the war, identifying and documenting the cultural and artistic resources at risk in Sudan and exploring ways to protect them, providing workplaces and meeting spaces for Sudanese artists who had to leave Sudan recently, and training a group of cultural actors from Sudan and South Sudan on protecting cultural rights in times of war and crisis. The initiative will announce the opening of its different components successively, and the relevant information will be published on both institutions’ websites and social media pages. This initiative is the result of solidarity among several organizations, including the DOEN Foundation in the Netherlands and PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection. It is also the result of a collaboration between a number of cultural organizations in the Arab region, including Sudan Film Factory, the Arab Digital Expression Foundation (ADEF), Ettijahat – Independent Culture, and the Sudan Artist Fund (SAF)."
"Music lovers will know that star drummers, and drumming in general, tend to divide opinions and, in some cultures, become symbols of teenage love, longing and angst. It is, however, less known that peace, in some cases, may very well begin with drums. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, is currently supporting a community-led initiative to restore harmonious relations between the two villages of Omoruo and Lohilai, with percussions hoped to play a key role. In December last year, members of the two communities, who used to coexist without frictions, were rocked by outbursts of violence as a result of both sides accusing each other of targeted killings and road ambushes. In a particularly memorable – for all the wrong reasons – attack, no less than 23 exquisitely handmade wooden drums belonging to Omoruo musicians were burnt to ashes. Now, following joint efforts to mend relations, the tide seems to have turned, in part thanks to a music-producing peace offering made by the UN Peacekeeping mission’s Civil Affairs Division. “We are experiencing real peace between our villages again, with women and men travelling to both areas without any problems or security issues. Last week they invited us for a traditional ceremony in Lohilai. This shows that we have finally achieved reconciliation,” said Ikeye Ihiju, a women’s representative living in Omoruo. During a recent peace dialogue facilitated by civil society organizations, the church, local authorities and other influencers, it was agreed that damages caused during the conflict should be compensated, drums included. UNMISS peacekeepers resolved to step in, by making a first installment. “We have handed over eleven drums to the Omorou village, with the rest to be delivered once we see those imaginary white flags of peace flap permanently in the wind. More peace, more music, you could say,” explained Civil Affairs Officer Hercules Ayahu Abalu, serving with UNMISS. So far, so good, according to Osman Anthony, a Lohilai community representative. “We have returned to our usual state of peaceful relations. What happened between us is history; now we need to focus on rebuilding and develop our area,” he said. An indication of prevailing goodwill between the two villages is the fact that some 1,500 people, mostly women and children, who once fled intense violence, have returned to their homes. Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of UNMISS." The post Peace begins with drums: The case of conflict resolution between Omoruo and Lohilai residents appeared first on African Media Agency.
"The new membership for musicians escaping famine, conflict and persecution means that refugees can now join the MU for one year for free, and access all the union’s advice and services to help build their lives in the UK."
Music in Common announces the release of the first single from Vol. 1, the debut album from the Black Legacy Project. What is the Color of the Soul of a Man? is a Jimmy Driftwood song from 1963 given a whole new neo-soul spin by our uber talented Black LP Ozarks musicians. https://www.musicincommon.org/home.html
Dr. Angela Impey recently gave a colloquium at the University of Cambridge on the topic, "Towards an Ethnomusicology of Peace Jurisprudence." Please see link for abstract.
The Institute of Austrian and German Music Research (IAGMR) is hosting a two-day conference on the topic ‘Music and Conflict: The Politics and Escapism of Wartime Culture’ in Austrian and German contexts. This conference explores the various relationships between music and war across historical and contemporary Austrian and German environments. It addresses issues of music and resistance or escapism, music and the sounding of violence, music and propaganda, music and the German political regimes of WWII, and music and the re-writing of political narratives. The papers, keynotes and lecture recitals thereby together investigate the deep involvement of musical composition, performance, criticism, and reception within zones and periods of conflict in Austrian and German culture and history.
"Three years since the launch of the Master of Music Education (MME) program at Elizabethtown College, six students from the inaugural cohort have completed the requirements for graduation and were recognized at the College’s 120th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 13... Elizabethtown College’s innovative MME program is the only one of its kind in the country to combine a focus on social-emotional learning, world music drumming, trauma-informed practice, and peacebuilding. Capstone projects: - Mattering in the Music Room by Sara Alipanah ’23 - Music is a Rite: Ritual Action and Identity Formation in the Music Classroom by Ian Davis ‘23 - The Music and Peacebuilding of Fred Rogers by Jared Johnson ’23 - Trauma-informed Toolkit for Music Educators by Michelle Kisner ’23 - Barriers to Music Education for Early Childhood Intervention Programs by Jamie Marrs ’23 - Utilizing Circle Processes for Whole Class Composition in a General Music Class: An Autoethnographic Study of One Teacher’s Experience by Emily Reep ’23" see full announcement: https://news.etown.edu/index.php/2023/05/22/elizabethtown-college-celebrates-inaugural-master-of-music-education-graduates/
Music in Common receives the 2023 SERFA (Southeast Regional Folk Alliance) Award at the 2023 annual conference.
On June 17, 2021, MOMRI Research Fellow Dr. Craig Robertson organised an online webinar on Music in Peacebuilding at the York Festival of Ideas in the UK. The webinar featured a talk and presentation by the Director of MOMRI, Professor Olivier Urbain, and a lively discussion from academics at the University of York and music in peacebuilding practitioners. The York Festival of Ideas began in 2011 as a partnership between the University of York, York Theatre Royal, York Museums Trust, the National Centre for Early Music and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The purpose was, and continues to be, to enhance York’s reputation as a city of ideas and innovation through offering high calibre public events to local, regional and international audiences. The webinar itself featured Professor Olivier Urbain (Director of MOMRI), Laura Hassler (Director of Musicians Without Borders), Darren Ferguson (Director of Beyond Skin), Dr. Jacob Eriksson (Lecturer in Politics, University of York), Professor Henrice Altink (Professor of History, University of York), Dr. Jonathan Eato (Senior Lecturer in Music, University of York), Professor Rachel Cowgill (Professor of Music, University of York), and Professor Paul Gready (Director of the Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York). The webinar had a global audience of several hundred and it can still be viewed on YouTube.
"Music, Race & Social Justice Visiting Artist Series Presented by the Metropolitan State University of Denver Department of Music with support from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the CLAS Dean’s Office. The MSU Denver Department of Music, with support from The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the CLAS Dean’s Office, presents the Visiting Artist Series on Music, Race, & Social Justice. Organized by Dr. Elizabeth McLean Macy, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, this series highlights the work of BIPOC musicians, performers, and scholars."
CANCELLED. OCT 25, 2023: Chicago: "This free concert will unite singers from Chicago and Jerusalem to explore the the far-reaching impact of sound and its power to transcend the barriers that divide us." with Nina Kraus and Uniting Voices Chicago. OCT 26, 2023: Wash. DC: "Palestinian and Israeli voices—singing for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality" https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-jerusalem-youth-chorus-live-in-dc-tickets-704861960097