Hon Prime Minister, of Great Britain, Rt Hon Mr. Rishi MP, endorses the 7th annual World Music Conference on Music and Intelligence…writes Sruthi Ramakrishnan FRAS
The British Carnatic Choir hosted the 7th Annual virtual World Music Conference on 15th December 2023 under the esteemed patronage of the United Kingdom Commission for the UNESCO.
It is the flagship music conference in the Midlands, which aims to bring together artists and musicians of all ages, faiths, races, and cultural backgrounds, with the hope of sharing intercultural values, practices, knowledge, commonalities and to promote peace, harmony, and togetherness.
The conference is supported by the conference Chief Patron- His Excellency Dr. Shashank Vikram, IFS, Consul General of India in Birmingham, Cllr Chaman Lal, Lord Mayor of Birmingham and the Patron of the British Carnatic Choir, Mr. Andy Street, CBE, Combined Mayor of the West Midlands, Sir John Crabtree OBE, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Dr. Paul Sabapathy CBE, Former Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands and Patron of the British Carnatic Choir.
James Ömer Bridge, Secretary-General and Chief Executive of the UK National Commission for UNESCO says:
‘We were delighted to offer Patronage to the 7th World Music Conference held in December 2023. The conference brings together music communities from around the world to celebrate, share and learn from one another, thus upholding UNESCO’s constitution by building “…mutual understanding and a truer and more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives”.’
The WMC strives to create a platform that allows individuals and communities to develop musical skills, enhance cognitive competence and creativity, and ultimately foster a deeper appreciation of music.
Dr. Chithra Ramakrishnan, MBE, FRSA, FRAS, Founder, Director of The British Carnatic Choir, Founder, Curator of the World Music Conference comments on the theme of this year’s conference:
“The endorsement from our Hon Prime Minister, Rt.Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP is a tremendous honour and a testament to the significance of our most recent event. The Prime Minister’s recognition underscores the importance of exploring the intersection of music and intelligence, and we are grateful for the encouragement to continue our mission.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Right Honourable Prime Minister for supporting our cause. The endorsement not only adds prestige to our conference but also highlights the commitment to fostering discussions on the transformative power of music in enhancing intelligence and creativity. A Heartfelt Thank You to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP.
“It is our intention that this conference could springboard the redefinition of educational curriculums, positively impacting the way we currently go about teaching music to the younger generation. our conference seeks to explore the synergistic relationship between music and intelligence, with focus on world music. The WMC seeks to respect intercultural variation and promote appreciation through music.
“This theme is topical at present, especially with the rapid growth of AI and its proliferation into various fields, from manufacturing to healthcare. This year, the conference vowed to examine the utilisation of AI into music practice and performance, considering how these situations can be enhanced for all stakeholders involved.”
MUSIC AND INTELLIGENCE
This year’s goals were centred around the theme of “Music and Intelligence”.
Identifying and establishing the relationship between music and intelligence in various cultures, considering the following key themes:
- The psychological and neurological impacts of music on the brain.
- How practicing music can be modified to increase intelligence.
- The role of Artificial Intelligence in music composition, appreciation, and understanding.
The conference aimed to achieve these through a series of interactive, hands-on workshops, performances, keynote speeches, by renowned global experts and professionals.
Some of the featured keynote speakers/presenters at the conference were
Professor Francisco Tigre Moura, Professor of Marketing, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany,
Professor Nassim Aissa Belbaly, Empathetic AI Founder, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Australia
Dr. Shantala Hegde, Additional Professor (Neuropsychology) National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
Professor Islah Ali-MacLachlan, Associate Professor, Audio Engineering and acoustics, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
Dr. Lakshmi Balraj- Indian classical vocalist, Chief Officer and Head, Indian Dental Association, Mumbai.
Diamond Duggal, British-Indian music producer, composer, musician and AI researcher. London.
Dr. Ramya Palacholla, Director, Digital Science and AI, AstraZeneca, U.S.
The conference featured a special highlight called ‘Global Young Trailblazers’, a segment by young musicians from different continents showcasing how they embraced AI in their music.
British Carnatic Choir Awards 2023-Celebrating Excellence in the Arts.
The 7th annual World Music Conference hosted the virtual awards ceremony of the 9th annual British Carnatic Choir Awards for arts and culture -2023.
The British Carnatic Choir (BCC) Awards for Arts and Culture honours individuals and organisations that have made a positive impact on society through their creativity and commitment.
The distinguished awardees for 2023 were-
1. Professor Linda Merrick CBE- Principal of the Royal Northern College of Music.
2. Mr. Vibhaker Baxi- Chairman and Managing Director of UK-based Navras Records Limited
3. Professor Adam Palma- Professor of Jazz Guitar and a Voting member of The Grammy Recording Academy
4. Lucas Pedrosa – Guitarist, producer and arranger at Igreja Batista Nações Unidas – United Nations Baptist Church, São Paulo, Brazil.