Asia

 
The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.

The Baithak Foundation Works to Measure Impact

12-11-2024

As in many countries around the world, education has become a machine in India. This machine does a good job of building left-brain capabilities, but as Yale scholar Iain McGilchrist argues in his book The Master and His Emissary, our left brain is an exceptional servant but a very poor master. At the Baithak Foundation, this sentiment was more important than we ever realized. When we started working with traditional Indian music as a tool for holistic development of children, we were totally unaware that we were addressing the lack of stimuli and opportunities to develop the right brain in our educational system.

Digital Music Platforms Cross the ‘East-West Divide’

12-11-2024

There are many ways that music builds bridges across cultures, and technology is playing a big role in accelerating those connections. Here are a few recent examples we’re seeing that may be of particular interest to readers in Asia and the Middle East.

Apply for the Mekong Cultural Hub Curated Conference Fellowship

11-06-2024

Arts and cultural professionals from across Asia are invited to apply for the Mekong Cultural Hub’s Curated Conference Fellowship, part of their Meeting Point on Art & Social Action in Asia.

Growing Arts Education in India, No ‘Artist’s Touch’ Required

11-06-2024

In a city like Mumbai, India’s financial capital, 300 out of the 400 public schools do not have a designated art teacher. Many schools rely on academic subject teachers to handle “art classes,” despite their lack of formal training or experience. While working in rural and remote regions, we realized that the situation worsened outside of Mumbai, reflecting a nationwide trend that affects over 250 million children in government and low-income private schools. Recognizing that hiring specialized art teachers was not feasible for many schools, we developed the “Art for Educator” (AFE) program to empower existing teachers as facilitators of visual arts and SEL.

Young Performing Artists Gather in the South Korean Mountains

10-02-2024

In August 2024, the Festival of Dreams brought together young artists from across South Korea to a camp held in the mountains of Pyeongchang province. The camp brought together members of the Youth Orchestra of Dreams and the Youth Dance Team of Dreams for the first time, and they united to form the Arts Group of Dreams. The three-day camp culminated in a joint performance that showcased their collective talents.

World Orchestra Week at Carnegie Hall

09-04-2024

Carnegie Hall’s World Orchestra Week festival in August was a week of one “WOW!” after another, as seven youth orchestras from five different continents joined forces in and around Carnegie Hall to play for and with each other, to share singular musical works and ethos from their countries, and to show us all what the next generation’s Wishes for Our World might be.

Arts Educators in India Drop Old Habits, and Their Kids Flourish

07-10-2024

In 2016, Jigyasa Labroo was teaching in the conflict area of Kashmir, India. She brought a poetry exercise to her class of 60 girls that called for them to express their emotions. Jigyasa expected the regular childhood emotions of joy, wonder, and friendship to emerge; what came out instead was mostly pain, anger, isolation, and sadness. The room that day held a great deal of tension and hurt—but also some catharsis. At the end of class, she realized how important it was to create spaces for children to express themselves safely through the arts.

At Manzil Mystics, Ancient Language Offers Timeless Truth

06-05-2024

There are not many music programs in the world with the word “Mystics” in their name. But it serves us well. Like many Ensemble readers, we are a passionate group of musicians working toward creating social inclusion and happy childhoods through music. And we find inspiration in the all-inclusive and peaceful messages of mystic poets like Kabir Das and Mahatma Gandhi.

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