2010-2011
News Release
REF NO.: 129
SUBJECT: Memorial University to host international gathering of traditional music makers and shakers
DATE: February 22, 2011
Memorial University’s Research Centre for Music, Media and Place along with the School of Music will welcome the world of traditional music makers and shakers this summer.
The 2011 World Conference for the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) will be touching down in venues on the St. John’s campus for seven electric days in the month of July, bringing a kaleidoscope of singers, instrumentalists, dancers and scholars of international calibre with it. A biennial event, the world conference is the leading global venue for the presentation of new research in music and dance.
“When Memorial and St. John’s were selected to host the world conference, we were pretty chuffed,” said Dr. Beverley Diamond, conference co-chair and the Canada Research Chair in Traditional Music (ethnomusicology) at Memorial University. “When more than 650 proposals from more than 60 countries poured in this past fall, we realized that this first Canadian meeting in 50 years has the potential to be more significant than we initially thought. It will break new ground and forge scholarly alliances that will continue for years to come.”
From July 13-19, 2011, music and movement researchers from places as far flung as Brazil, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea and as close as Memorial’s own resident faculty members and graduate students will immerse themselves in the discussion and exploration of traditional music and dance. Members of the public are also welcome to register for daytime presentations and workshops.
And if that’s not enough to whet local – and visiting – music connoisseurs’ appetites, ICTM is opening its doors and inviting everyone to experience a festival featuring the finest in music and dance from this province, Canada and beyond.
SOUNDshift: A Time for International Music and Dance, will take place on three separate evenings at the Arts and Culture Centre throughout the week, and will showcase three specially-themed concerts. One of them, Canada’s Many Voices, will present a diverse range of talent from east to west.
“We are featuring everything from Arabic traditional music to Taiko drumming to the instrumental traditions of Québec,” said Jean Hewson, artistic director of SOUNDshift. “I’m personally thrilled to be able to bring Raynald Ouellet and his band Club Carrefour to St. John’s. Raynald is one of the top button accordion players in North America. The accordion is practically the national instrument of Newfoundland and Labrador, so I know that people here will relate to his music.”
In addition to national and international performers taking the stage at SOUNDshift, local musical luminaries such as Anita Best, Pamela Morgan and The Flummies will be included in the star-studded bill.
“It’s a world music festival in the making,” said Dr. Diamond. “We called it SOUNDshift because we’re certain it will indeed transform the audio experiences of all those lucky enough to get tickets.”
To view the ICTM website and review the conference’s preliminary program, please visit www.mun.ca/ictm2011/. For more information regarding SOUNDshift, please visit www.soundshift.ca.
REF NO.: 129
SUBJECT: Memorial University to host international gathering of traditional music makers and shakers
DATE: February 22, 2011
Memorial University’s Research Centre for Music, Media and Place along with the School of Music will welcome the world of traditional music makers and shakers this summer.
The 2011 World Conference for the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) will be touching down in venues on the St. John’s campus for seven electric days in the month of July, bringing a kaleidoscope of singers, instrumentalists, dancers and scholars of international calibre with it. A biennial event, the world conference is the leading global venue for the presentation of new research in music and dance.
“When Memorial and St. John’s were selected to host the world conference, we were pretty chuffed,” said Dr. Beverley Diamond, conference co-chair and the Canada Research Chair in Traditional Music (ethnomusicology) at Memorial University. “When more than 650 proposals from more than 60 countries poured in this past fall, we realized that this first Canadian meeting in 50 years has the potential to be more significant than we initially thought. It will break new ground and forge scholarly alliances that will continue for years to come.”
From July 13-19, 2011, music and movement researchers from places as far flung as Brazil, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea and as close as Memorial’s own resident faculty members and graduate students will immerse themselves in the discussion and exploration of traditional music and dance. Members of the public are also welcome to register for daytime presentations and workshops.
And if that’s not enough to whet local – and visiting – music connoisseurs’ appetites, ICTM is opening its doors and inviting everyone to experience a festival featuring the finest in music and dance from this province, Canada and beyond.
SOUNDshift: A Time for International Music and Dance, will take place on three separate evenings at the Arts and Culture Centre throughout the week, and will showcase three specially-themed concerts. One of them, Canada’s Many Voices, will present a diverse range of talent from east to west.
“We are featuring everything from Arabic traditional music to Taiko drumming to the instrumental traditions of Québec,” said Jean Hewson, artistic director of SOUNDshift. “I’m personally thrilled to be able to bring Raynald Ouellet and his band Club Carrefour to St. John’s. Raynald is one of the top button accordion players in North America. The accordion is practically the national instrument of Newfoundland and Labrador, so I know that people here will relate to his music.”
In addition to national and international performers taking the stage at SOUNDshift, local musical luminaries such as Anita Best, Pamela Morgan and The Flummies will be included in the star-studded bill.
“It’s a world music festival in the making,” said Dr. Diamond. “We called it SOUNDshift because we’re certain it will indeed transform the audio experiences of all those lucky enough to get tickets.”
To view the ICTM website and review the conference’s preliminary program, please visit www.mun.ca/ictm2011/. For more information regarding SOUNDshift, please visit www.soundshift.ca.
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