UNITED

In 2011, Playing For Change joined forces with the United Nations Population Fund and the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund for UNFPA 7 Billion Actions campaign. By the end of that year, the world population reached 7 billion, and that global campaign strove to bring awareness to the opportunities and challenges that the population growth would present. 7 billion people means 7 billion hearts, and music has always been the best way to speak to the hearts of the people. They traveled across the globe, put headphones on musicians, added them to the track, and created UNITED, which serves as a tangible example of something positive we can all do together as a human race.
-- original video here


"United" live in Lyon with Orchestre Confluences featuring Tal Ben Ari (Tula) | Playing For Change from Playing For Change on Vimeo.

WHY LEARN TO PLAY MUSIC

"The beauty of music..it doesn't have necessarily to be professionally for everybody.. my family did it for enjoyment.. I still do it for enjoyment, I got lucky.. I know for a fact that there was never an ounce of me wanting to play music to be famous"
Vincent Gill is an American country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the front man for several country music bands before going solo in 1983. Vince has sold more than 26 million albums and earned 18 CMA awards, and is tied for having won the most CMA Male Vocalist Awards. He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and has received 19 GRAMMY awards to date, the most of any male country artist. Besides being known for his talent as a performer, Vince is regarded as one of country music's best known humanitarians, participating in hundreds of charitable events throughout his career. Here he talks to the NAMM Foundation about what music means to him. Click on image below to listen to interview.
- Download NAMM's brochure "WHY LEARN TO PLAY MUSIC?"

Creative Arts in Education

For a long time, the creative arts were losing ground in schools and universities to skills considered to be more useful and lucrative in competitive global markets. However, that tendency is beginning to reverse and educational establishments are changing their approaches to learning, sometimes quite radically, by giving more room to arts, sports and creativity in the curriculum. It is now being realised that encouraging creativity contributes greatly to producing balanced citizens who are capable of thinking independently, challenging conventional wisdom and understanding others. Professor John Tarrant retired as Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) in June 2010.

The New Math Of Musical Education

Todd Rundgren (Spirit of harmony Foundation) pays a visit to Northwestern University's Auditory Science Lab, learning about ground breaking research being conducted by Dr. Nina Kraus, supported, in part by Dr. Margret Martin and her Harmony Project.

Make Music Day - June 21

Make Music is a free celebration of music around the world on June 21st. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries. Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.

JUST PLAY

Just Play is NAMM Foundation's Campaign to share the Power of Music.
Latest 2015 PSA campaign, "The Original Social Network" released on March 2015, encourages people to "Connect," "Share," "Comment," and "Like" by joining the original social network...MUSIC! The footage and music featured in this piece were created by NPR Music and Red Baraat on Make Music Day, June 21, 2014. 350 people gathered for the first time to play a song that Sunny Jain composed specifically for this NPR Field Recording. No one in the crowd had performed the song before. And these 350 people had never played together. No one knew if people would show up or how it would sound. But it did work and sounds great! The joy, community and energy you see in this video are from an authentic experience showing people truly connecting through music.

The Moral Imperative of Music Education

The Spirit of Harmony Foundation, Todd Rundgren’s non-profit organization, supports the moral imperative of music education and music performance for youth. They advocate for music education, beginning at the earliest age possible, offered in schools or as after-school programs. The Foundation weaves together the social, biological, economic, and academic benefits accrued to students who are involved in consistent instrument-based music education. They believe in providing opportunities for personal development and self-expression through the support of music and music education for young people regardless of socioeconomic status, geographic location, or ability.
Todd Rundgren is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. In nearly 50 years as a bellweather of the music industry, Rundgren has produced an abundant and diverse range of recordings, as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia and various collaborations including Ringo’s All-Starr Band.
Arkansas Educational TV produced the piece below about the Symposium for the Moral Imperative of Music Education, hosted by The Clinton School of Public Service with title sponsorship from The NAMM Foundation.

Music in Schools - Richard Page

"I can only say that music in schools really helped define me...concert choir, band, all these things were just such an inspiration, really gave me a direction, gave me a knowledge of what I wanted to do with my life, so I cannot say more of how important is to have music in schools"
As a member of Ringo's All-Starr Band, Richard Page shares his thoughts on music, the important role his parents played and his early music education.

Rehabilitation through the Arts

Rehabilitation through the Arts was founded in Sing Sing in 1996. Today, they work in five New York State prisons with innovative programs in theatre, dance, creative writing, voice and visual art. RTA is dedicated to using the creative arts as a tool for social and cognitive transformation behind prison walls. Originally Rehabilitation Through The Arts was the dream of a few men in Sing Sing who wanted to write and produce a play and needed help putting it all together. It was a play about subjects they knew only too well: gangs, violence, drugs and HIV/AIDS, but it was also about remorse, redemption and hope. It celebrated the human spirit and the goodness that is in each and every one of us. It became the foundation for RTA. The arts can change lives!

STEM and the Liberal Arts Were a Power Couple...

... Let’s Get Them Back Together!
In its ancient origins, the liberal education featured science as an abstract elective rather than a practical subject that would net you a job. Science was studied for stimulation, to attempt to grasp truths about the universe. The current mindset that science leads to a career while English and other liberal arts are subjects for stimulation is a very modern concept. Journalist Fareed Zakaria explains that we should continue to prioritize liberal arts and subjects such as English, history, and rhetoric for the same reasons why our predecessors valued science before it became practical or fashionable to do so (from Big Think)
Fareed Zakaria has been called “the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation” (Esquire). He is author of the new book "In Defense of a Liberal Education".

Rock in a hard place

While the EU was able to facilitate dialogue about the future of Kosovo at government level, the divide between local communities remains as rigid as ever. In TEDxTirana, Wendy Hassler-Forest, talks about how the Mitrovica Rock School has managed to connect hundreds of youth, from the two communities, in a city where countless efforts at reconciliation had failed before. The reason why this was possible, as she herself admits, is because, "at the Mitrovica Rock School, music is the only thing that matters". Wendy Hassler-Forest is the head of Musicians without Borders' regional office for South East Europe. With parents with careers in peace work and music, she decided early on to go in the opposite direction and aim for a career in law. Her interest in international relations pulled her back to the family business, and in 2008 she started at Musicians without Borders, co-organizing the start-up of the Mitrovica Rock School in Kosovo.

Musicians without Borders

"If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music."
- Jimi Hendrix
Musicians without Borders uses the power of music to bridge divides, connect communities, and heal the wounds of war. They work closely with local musicians and organizations to build sustainable projects in response to local needs. They believe music creates empathy, builds connection and gives hope. Their vision is to make the arts accessible through peace building activities. Currently two of their projects - in Rwanda and Mitrovica - are at serious risk of closure due to a lack of funding.
Mitrovica Rock School - In post-war Kosovo, aspiring young rock stars meet across divides at the Mitrovica Rock School, where it’s all about the music.
Rwanda Youth Music – Introducing music therapy, training and community music activities to empower youth and children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Please HELP if you can.

Robert De Niro's Commencement Speech

"When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense. You weren’t just following dreams, you were reaching for your destiny. You’re a dancer, a singer, a choreographer, musician, a filmmaker, a writer, a photographer, a director, a producer, an actor, an artist. Yeah, you're f***ed. The good news is that’s not a bad place to start"
"By the way, there will be times when your best isn’t your good enough. There can be many reasons for this, but as long as you give your best you’ll be OK."
-- Robert De Niro commencement speech at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts

Communication, Impact, and Empowerment in Music Education

"Education has to change, because in theory education needs to reflect the challenges of the society into which young people are entering...By nature over the last 30...40...50 years the world has changed dramatically, but actually education hasn't changed that much." 
Richard Gerver is the former Headteacher at Grange School in Derby, which won a UNESCO Arts Award. He is currently an educational speaker, author and broadcaster. He is author of Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today, where he argues that education is the platform for our success or failure and discusses whether the current system still fit for purpose.
"Music Education Days" at The 2015 NAMM Show featured Richard's keynote address. This talk conveys his view of leadership, change and innovation as related to education reform. “Education is not about content delivery, or preparing students to take tests” states Gerver, “It’s about helping to develop and empower them so they don’t just survive, but they thrive.” Through humor and personal stories, Richard emphasizes the influence that music education holds as a catalyst for improving our world, and shares his deep appreciation for Music Educators. “You are extraordinary people and what brings you here today, and what keeps you doing your job; through the obstacles, through all the things that are in your way, is a profound sense of higher purpose…Thank You” (source NAMM website)
-- Read/Listen to Richard interview on the Future of Education on 21st century Challenges
-- Read Richard's interview on dailyedventures
-- Watch Hot Management at The Grange School

The Power of Education #2

Zero Percent is a film documentary that takes the audience inside Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison’s college program inside Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison. From the outset of the film, we learn that Hudson Link sponsored students are men who have come to appreciate the full impact of their life-altering crimes, on others and themselves. And while it may be years before they see life outside the prison walls, we see first-hand their insight that their only hope for a redemptive, productive life is through the dedication they have shown in transforming their lives. The driving force behind Hudson Link’s creation and success is the men who were once incarcerated themselves; men who experienced first-hand the impact that mental and emotional rehabilitation can have on their lives, their families and their communities. The film’s title, Zero Percent, refers to the fact that not one of Hudson Link’s graduates has been re-incarcerated for a new crime once released (from Hudson Link website).
Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison provides college education, life skills and re-entry support to incarcerated men and women to help them make a positive impact on their own lives, their families and communities, resulting in lower rates of recidivism, incarceration and poverty.
-- go to Zero Percent website
-- go to Zero Percent Facebook
-- watch more videos here


Hudson Link Documentary "Zero Percent" Trailer from Hudson Link on Vimeo.


Hudson Link: Sing Sing Inmates Earn College Degrees from Hudson Link on Vimeo.

The Power of Education

"Being born a boy of the slums, society demands that I see myself as a loser, a person to remain poor all of his life. No. I see a different picture."
'The Backward Class' is a feature length documentary (winner of the Audience Award at 2014 Hot Docs) featuring the first class of dalit ('untouchable') caste students to attempt the Indian School Certificate exams & aspire for university after been given a European style education for the last thirteen years . One Class. One Dream. One Chance to beat the Odds.A first feature directed by Vancouver-based Madeleine Grant.
-- Read Canada’s The Backward Class is Hot Docs audience favourite
-- Read interview with Director


The Backward Class Trailer from The Backward Class on Vimeo.

How the Crowd Will Change Education

More than half of US public schools have at least one teacher who has requested classroom resources on DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit organization which provides a simple way to address educational inequity. Since 2000, citizen philanthropists and corporate partners have funded nearly a quarter billion dollars in projects for America's neediest classrooms. Listen to how the US most creative teachers are partnering with entrepreneurs to bring innovation to their classrooms, and how DonorsChoose.org is changing the way education is funded. This Keynote by Charles Best was given during the last SXSWedu® Conference & Festival on March 9-12, 2015 in Austin, Texas.
The SXSWedu® Conference & Festival fosters innovation in learning by hosting a diverse and energetic community of stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds in education. The event affords registrants open access to engaging sessions, interactive workshops, hands on learning experiences, cinematic portrayals, early stage startups and a host of networking opportunities. By providing a platform for collaboration, SXSWedu works to promote creativity and social change. SXSWedu is a component of the South by Southwest family of conferences and festivals that includes SXSW Music, Film and Interactive; SXSW Eco and SXSW V2V. Internationally recognized as the convergence gathering for the creative arts, SXSWedu extends SXSW’s support for the art of engagement beyond musicians, filmmakers and new media innovators to include society’s true rock stars: educators!

Teaching Kids to code in the UK

Starting September 2014 the UK has introduced a major change to the national curriculum - a computing revolution.  ICT – Information and Communications Technology – is out, replaced by a new “computing” curriculum including coding lessons for children as young as five.
-- Read "Coding at school: a parent's guide to England's new computing curriculum" on the Guardian
-- Read "A computing revolution in schools" on BBC News
-- Go to Code.org

Music Education & Me

Founded in 1945, Musica Viva is Australia's oldest independent professional performing arts organisation. They also run one of the largest music education programs in Australia, Musica Viva In Schools and have a diverse program across the country, including in regional and remote areas. Musica Viva musicians Mark Cain and Paul Tanner traveled to the mid west of Western Australia to present music education workshops for some of the most remote schools and communities in the world.


Music Education & Me - Mid West Western Australia from Musica Viva on Vimeo.

Musician Karen Kyriakou teaches music to special needs students at Rosamond School in Melbourne as part of Musica Viva In Schools' Equal Music program.


Music Education & Me - Karen Kyriakou from Musica Viva on Vimeo.

Multidisciplinary Learning - Norway

”We are not just developing calculators, we are developing human beings.” - Bjørn Bolstad, headmaster at Ringstabekk school
We have posted about Finland announcing that in their new national curriculum, they will emphasize phenomena-based project studies instead of traditional subjects. Today we will talk about the Ringstabekk school in Norway that has already been doing this for 40 years with great success. In the 1970s teachers realized that their students were not truly engaged in what they learned at school and since then the pedagogy of the school has been developing based on the main idea of learning through multidisciplinary studies.The school uses different cross-curricular methods, and is constantly refining methods like storyline, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, simulations, etc. The teachers pick up ideas from each other and share their experiences ensuring that although the school does not have a local specified curriculum, all students experience the same learning methods and multidisciplinary themes.
-- Read full article on QUARTZ