The International Society for Music Education (ISME) to organize its first ever South Asia Regional Conference in India

With over 35 prominent speakers – including eminent musicians such as Bombay Jayashri, Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej, Bindu Subramaniam, Ambi Subramaniam, Sandra Oberoi and author/historian Vikram Sampath – the conference will be held in Bangalore from November 27-29, 2017 at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS).

The International Society of Music Education (ISME), the premier organization of UNESCO, is all set to hold its first South Asia Regional Conference. Hosted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), the conference will take place in Bangalore from November 27-29, 2017. Other partners include University of Queensland-Australia; the UK-based Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE); National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and India Foundation for the Arts (IFA).

The theme of the conference is: Learning to live together in and through music. A panel of more than 35 speakers – prominent figures in the field of music and education from around the world – will discuss the following topics related to the theme:

• Global challenges and opportunities with music in education programmes
• Customising educational practice to indigenous systems of learning
• Using and creating digital resources for the multicultural classroom along with the preservation and archiving of our Intangible Cultural Heritage

The conference’s larger goal is to create long-term, sustainable projects in these domains. The panel of Indian speakers includes – Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Carnatic musician Bombay Jayashri, Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej, Noted Author and historian Vikram Sampath, Dean, Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa) Bindu Subramaniam, Assistant Dean, SaPa, Ambi Subramaniam and Founder/Director of the Harmony School of Music, Sandra Oberoi, and an array of eminent international speakers from various countries, such as Prof. Lee Higgins (President, ISME), Prof Margaret Barrett (University of Queensland), Prof Graham Welch (SEMPRE, London),

Prof. Baldev Raj, Director of NIAS says:

“We are truly excited with the prospect of this collaboration, which we are looking at from a long-term sustainability perspective and not just this conference. Creating a regional cooperation, interdisciplinary studies, and building scholarship and research capabilities in the domains of music and music education through a coming together of various stakeholders is something that NIAS would be very happy to promote and this Conference is the starting point.”

Said Dr. Vikram Sampath on behalf of ISME:

“I have been delighted to be associated with ISME’s efforts in India over the last three years where we have built a coalition of partners within the country who are interested in music education for children with Special Education Needs (SEN) and its impact on them, as also the emergent field of digital humanities in music. However the South Asia Regional conference is one of the largest of it’s kinds and brings together practitioners from several countries such as UK, Australia, China, Macau, Japan, Norway, Finland, Dubai, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh etc. in a first of its kind interaction with India, Indian musicians and scholars. We hope to present a cogent set of recommendations to the Government of India on how music education could be a part of the New Education Policy of the country and how we can leverage the best practices from other countries even as we customize them to Indian realities.”

Added Bindu Subramaniam, Dean, Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts, and singer/songwriter,

“At SaPa, we’re working towards building a strong community of music educators since it’s central to everything we do. It’s an honour to be a part of the ISME Regional Conference and I hope that it brings people together to further the larger cause of high-quality music education for all.”

Sandra Oberoi, Founder of Harmony- The Music School and Managing Trustee of The Harmony International Music Foundation said,

“This collaboration between ISME, a world authority on the advancement of music education and several advocates in and around India, will surely bring about a change for the better, impacting thousands of children from all over the country. Our broader aim, through the ISME South Asia Regional Conference, is to connect policy makers, music educators, visionaries, musicians, who are focused on providing excellent music for all! We aspire to put into place a framework that serves those interested to further their skills in music teaching, music learning and performance.”

About ISME

The International Society for Music Education (ISME) is the premiere international organization for music education. Founded by UNESCO in 1953, ISME is affiliated to the International Music Council and has members in over 80 countries. ISME respects all music and cultures and believes that every individual has a right to music education. ISME seeks to build a worldwide community of music educators, foster intercultural understanding and promote music education worldwide through research and advocacy of the benefits of music to children and young adults.

The International Society for Music Education (ISME) believes that lived experiences of music, in all their many aspects, are a vital part of the life of all people. ISME’s mission is to enhance those experiences by building and maintaining a worldwide community of music educators characterized by mutual respect and support, fostering global intercultural understanding and cooperation among the world’s music educators, and promoting music education for people of all ages in all relevant situations throughout the world.

Please write to [email protected] for registration enquiries and other details.