At the General Assembly 2016, held during the 32nd World Conference in Glasgow, three further honorary life members were announced. Honorary life membership is bestowed upon individuals who are recognised for their dedication to the Society and to music education.

Please congratulate these worthy recipients and their full citations are in the ISME member newsletter, November 2016.

The three new honorary life members are:

Gary McPherson

Professor Gary E. McPherson is a long-serving member and former president of the International Society for Music Education and the Australian Association for Music Education (ASME).
As a multi-faceted music professional with an outstanding career as a musician, music educator and researcher, he has played a leading role in advocating for the power of music in people’s lives and in children’s education. Gary’s research has provided a deeper understanding of how individuals develop wide-ranging musical skills. Investigating the cognitive and social process involved in acquiring and applying musical competencies, and the personal and environmental factors that affect musical development, ability and identity more generally, his work has had very considerable impact on both music education theory and, not least, its everyday international practice.

Gary has served and continues to serve on many editorial boards for research journals in music education and as well as being co-editor and co-author of several books.
In addition to being a former president, Gary has served ISME in many roles and is currently the chair of the Review Committee that is charged with the task of reviewing ISME’s constitution, bylaws and policies to ensure that they are fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Wendy Sims

Professor Wendy L. Sims has been a member of the University of Missouri faculty since 1985. She is a specialist in early childhood and elementary music education, and teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate music education courses, advises bachelor and master's degree students, and supervises doctoral student programs and research.. She is the recipient of several prestigious teaching awards.

Dr. Sims is an active researcher and writer, publishing articles regularly in national and international journals. In July 2014, she completed an 8-year term as Editor of the Journal of Research in Music Education. She regularly presents research sessions and workshops at national and international conferences.

Dr. Sims has held national offices in NAfME’s Society for Research in Music Education, including Chair, and serves as the state Research Chair for the Missouri Music Educators Association. She has been a continuous member of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) since 1982, attending every World Conference, except for one. She also presented at every Early Childhood Music Education (ECME) Commission Seminar from 1984-2004, except for that same year.

Dr. Sims has been an active leader within the International Society for Music Education since 1986, serving on many committees including the Board of Directors.

Graham Welch

Graham Welch is a renowned professor of music education and currently the Established Chair of UCL Institute of Education, London (formerly Institute of Education, University of London) since 2001. He is a past president of (ISME),elected chair of the internationally-based Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE) and past co-chair of the Research Commission of ISME. He has been a specialist adviser to government agencies and research centres in England, Australia, Argentina, Ukraine, Italy, Sweden and the US. Graham has had extensive experience of supporting education in community contexts, including music education. His research interest in music education focuses on deepening aspects of children’s singing behaviour and development. Most recently, Graham has been working with colleagues to provide advice on developing the music education culture and research in India.

Through his leadership in ISME and SEMPRE Graham has continually supported music education projects and endeavours for development in low HDI countries with the most significant of needs.