The Voice project: Vision On Innovation for Choral music in Europe

VOICE is a European project for the sustainable development and innovation of choral singing, a first-time major cooperation between choral operators, music educators and researchers.
It is a joint effort of 15 coorganisers, spread over 11 countries.

The aims of VOICE are:  

• To encourage new events and methods and the creation of innovative repertoire
• Promote the voice as universal instrument
• Improve the quality of vocal music
• Enable transnational mobility and circulation of (young) musicians and choral works
• Enhance the dialogue between cultures and generations as well as the exchange of expertise
• Develop new tools for the promotion of singing in music education.

Find more information about the Voice project and what happened between 2012 and 2015 here.

In Need of Key Changes: Recommendation on the status of composers, songwriters, authors and creators

Recommendation on the status of composers, songwriters, authors and creators of every form of music regarding the current lack of recognition of their role in culture and society and the discrimination, coercion, lack of equal opportunities and transparency in decision making processes to which they are subjected

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NAMM Elects New Executive Committee Member and Positions

The NAMM executive committee enjoys a seamless succession welcoming Joel Menchey and honoring outgoing Chair Morton during Summer NAMM. The changing of the guard started Saturday, July 11 during the annual summer board meeting held in Nashville, TN.

Mark Goff, previously NAMM's vice chair, will move into a new role as chair of NAMM's Board of Directors. Goff is president of Paige's Music, a school music retailer in Indianapolis, Ind., which was founded in 1871. Goff joined the company in 1985 and purchased the business in 1999. "Like so many of my colleagues, NAMM has played a significant role in both my business and personal growth throughout my 30 years in the industry," said Goff. "For that reason I am honored and humbled to be elected chairman of NAMM's board of directors and will work very hard to support NAMM's mission of strengthening the industry and promoting music making to people of all ages."

Read more here.

Call for proposals for the International Conference for Asia Pacific Society for Ethnomusicology (APSE) and Music Council of Asia and Oceania (MCAO)

Music Institute of Qingdao University and Music Institute of Fujian Normal University will hold the International Conference for Asia Pacific Society for Ethnomusicology (APSE) and Music Council of Asia and Oceania (MCAO) from Oct. 17 to 19, 2015 in Qingdao city, Shandong Province, China.

A call for proposals from APSE,MCAO members and interested scholars can be found and downloaded below: 

Call_for_Proposals

By August 1st , 2015, all the participants should send their receipts to the email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CERDOTOLA 2015 International Conference: Africa in Search of Culturally Sustainable Development

CERDOTOLA (International Centre for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages) organised an International conference about " Africa in search of Culturally Sustainable Development" This international symposium took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from the 18th to the 21st June 2015, under the distinguished patronage of H.E Paul Biya, president of the republic of Cameroon.

"The place and role of the African traditions in contemporary dynamics of emergence" were discussed by scholars representing prestigious universities and research and training institutes.

At the end of the symposium, a CERDOTOLA award was attributed to the American Harvard University, which actively took part in the preparation and the directing of the work.

Find more information about the symposium here.

News from the Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa

The Observatory is a Pan African international NGO created in 2002 with the support of African Union, the Ford Foundation, and UNESCO. Its aim is to monitor cultural trends and national cultural policies in the region and to enhance their integration in human development strategies through advocacy, information, research, capacity building, networking, co-ordination, and co-operation at the regional and international levels.

Their latest news:

• Cooperation with UNESCO under the Participation Programme for 2014 - 2015
• Cooperation with Africalia
• Meeting at the African Department of Unesco
• Participation in the Belgian Cooperation Ngos working in Mozambique seminar ( Maputo, 23-24 June)
• Audience with the Mozambican Minister of Culture and Tourism:  S.E. Silva Armando Dunduro

Find more information and news about OCPA here.

JazzCorner.com Continues Its Great Giveaway with 3-Day Passes to the Newport Jazz Festival July 31-August 2

Founded in 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival was the first annual jazz festival in America. It has been host to numerous legendary performances by some of the world's leading established and emerging artists. Referred to as the grandfather of all jazz festivals, the event draws thousands of people from all over the world to Newport, Rhode Island, a city which is famed for its spectacular coastal scenery and awe-inspiring architecture.

Read more about the 2015 edition and the 3-Day Passes here.

EMC Staff Exchange Programme

The EMC is currently offering a staff exchange programme for its members. Following the first successful round aimed at the National Music Council within its network, the programme is now being opened up to its International and European Music Organisation membership category.

The basic idea behind the programme is that one organisation sends an interested member of staff or Board to an EMC member organisation in another country and/or hosts a staff member from another organisation. The exchange should last between 5 and 10 days. This will allow for staff members to learn from each other, share their experiences and get an insight in to a foreign (working) culture.

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