Once again, ISME provided funding and sustenance for a number of members to enable them to attend the world conference in Baku. Here those recipients talk about their first impressions. More information about the awards can be found on the Grants and Awards page.
World Conference Award recipients
The ISME World Conference Awards are intended to enable music educators with demonstrated financial need to attend the ISME biennial world conference through meeting the registration costs and contributing towards the costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence. This award is for first time presenters.
Lisa Burrell, USA:
I am so grateful to have been a recipient of one of ISME’s World Conference Awards for first time presenters. To say that this conference was life-altering would be an understatement. More than any other experience as an educator, this conference impressed upon me the importance of global connections in working towards the common goal of improving music education AND the full circle implications of investments in arts education to build unity in a complex world. In my own field of practice and study, health and wellness in instrumental music education, I derived tremendous inspiration from new colleagues from around the world, brainstorming, researching, and experimenting in ways that I have, up until now, mostly approached in my personal exploration, private teaching laboratory, and school clinicing in the US. Within the context of the conference as a whole, I was blown away by the work being done in all areas of music education globally, sometimes facing great personal risk, as in establishing community music initiatives in Afghanistan, and in work in Syrian refugee camps, and others involving sacrifice of time and resources to build programs in Cyprus and Nepal, for example, against great odds, and, finally, the beautiful displays of culture and artistry representing our host country, Azerbaijan. I appreciate the way in which ISME has organised to bring educators together in specialised groups to learn and share ideas and brainstorm over the course of a week together, and this truly global commitment to using education in the arts to further our connections as a human race.
Kyna Elliott, USA:
Coming soon
Gillian Howell, Australia:
For me, ISME in Baku was a whole package of experiences - inspiring and thought-provoking keynotes, wide array of presentations that challenged and stimulated my thinking, loads of great conversations and connections, mind-blowing performances and an extraordinary and welcoming city to explore at the end of each day. ISME introduced many of us to the Central Asian world. The virtuosity and intimacy of the performers that were part of Professor Dusen Kaseinov's keynote were a highlight for me. I could have listened to those artists all day. Also the children from Yakutia - fine performers and (as we saw in a beautiful video shared by ISME on Facebook) skilled and thoughtful teachers. How many highlights are we allowed to have??
Kushal Karki, Nepal:
Attending the ISME 33rd World Conference at Baku was quite an experience for me as an music educator, student and a learner. I got to listen to speakers from around the globe, their knowledge, future ideas to which I am very thankful to ISME for such an interesting event. My sincere gratitude towards the ISME Team, Baku Organising Team for making this event a successful one. Thank you.
Katharina Loibner, Austria:
At the 33rd ISME world conference I was amazed by the huge number of attendees from all over the world and along with it the professional and smooth organisation. Everything was clear from the very beginning - where to go and how to find places. It was an amazing experience for me to meet so many colleagues from all over the world - it was a pleasant feeling of a worldwide family gathering with me being a member of that family. Thank you so much!
Avril McLoughlin, Ireland:
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to ISME for giving me the opportunity to attend the World Conference in Baku. This was a very special and inspiring week with so many high points including Ahmad Sarmast’s and Gary McPherson’s keynote speeches, and performances by Mugham ensemble and Yakutia students and teachers to name just a few. It was fantastic to talk to and make connections with so many leading academics in the field of music education, and of course to present my paper at ISME World Conference; hopefully the first of many! This wonderful opportunity was made possible through the ISME World Conference Award and for this, I am very grateful; thank you!
Angie Mullins, South Africa:
As a first time attendee and presenter at the ISME conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, I was overwhelmed by the number of dedicated, passionate and innovative music educators conducting interesting and thought-provoking work around the world. The inspirational keynote addresses, numerous exciting lectures, beautifully presented concerts, and opportunity to engage with other music educators made this conference an incredibly worthwhile experience. I can't wait for the next conference in Helsinki in 2020.
Celeste Romulo, Philippines
This prestigious global connection of music educators who presented their research surely made an impact to various cultures of the world; thanks to ISME World Conference 2018! It has been an extravaganza of instructional competence, creating a platform to spotlight the educators’ efforts to combine research and music education. Listening to other presenters and networking with them will likewise help me adopt additional knowledge to innovative and apply new strategies. The opportunity also be at the ISME World Conference has a long-lasting impact to myself as educator. I can’t wait to share all the wonderful experiences to the teachers back home! I feel grateful for receiving the conference award. Thank you ISME!
Iman Shah, Nepal:
As music educator to present in ISME world conference itself is an achievement in one’s carrier. I’m very grateful to ISME 33rd World Conference Baku 2018 committee for selecting me as one of the recipient of the ISME conference award. Hearing and learning about new research findings and ideas of fellow music educators has been very inspiring and fruitful for my work here in Nepal. Thank you ISME.
Riju Tuladhar, Nepal:
Attending ISME Baku 2018 has been very rewarding in so many ways for me. I got to observe wide prospects and subjects being incorporated by the music educators around the world. I was very much inspired and overwhelmed by such extensive, intriguing and interesting works as well as learning about new research findings and its idealogies. All these ideas and thoughts that I carried back from ISME has and will always help me to grow as a better music educator and a researcher. I am very grateful to have been a recipient of one of ISME's World Conference Awards for the first timers. Thank you very much ISME!
Sponsored Delegate Award recipient
The ISME Sponsored Delegate Awards are intended to enable music educators who have made significant contributions to their local community to attend an ISME biennial World Conference for the first time. Awarded to applicants who demonstrate a need for financial assistance, the award meets the conference registration costs and contributes towards the costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence. This is for a first time attendance.
Shahriyar Jamshidi, Canada:
Attending the ISME 33rd World Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, was out of my imagination until the last hour of the conference registration deadline when I heard the positive result of the Award I applied for. In the remarkable five days of multidisciplinary music education conference which was held in the gate of Central Asia just in the North of Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, the young country with ancient culture, I found countless events from traditional to modern performances in a wide range of stage activities including educational meetings, several productive speeches and community engagements. I am thrilled to be granted the World Conference Sponsored Delegate award 2018 from ISME board. As a Kurdish-Iranian-Canadian, I was the only person from Kurdistan and Iranian music community attending this significant music education conference in Near East. I performed the Kamanche (Four-Stringed-Spiked-Fiddle) recital at the Baku Music Academy, there was a reunifying moment to concentrate on my long-life exploration on Kurdish ethnic music on Kamanche.
Steve Dillon Award recipient
Steve Dillon (20 March 1953 - 1 April 2012) was a well-respected figure in the Australian and international music education communities, widely known for his enthusiastic approach to numerous projects around the globe, for his kindness and his eternal optimism. The Steve Dillon award celebrates Steve's many interests and seeks to advance research and scholarship investigating the connections between music, wellbeing and social justice.
Joanne Gibson, UK:
Coming soon
