This weekend, the 32nd International Society for Music Education World Conference will be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland. Researchers, practitioners, and performers will gather to present concerts, talks and discussions. We asked Alice Hammel, co-author of Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-Free Approach; Gary McPherson, co-author of Music in Our Lives: Rethinking Musical Ability, Development and Identity; Janice P. Smith, co-editor of Composing Our Future: Preparing Music Educators to Teach Composition; Maud Mary Hickey, author of Music Outside the Lines: Ideas for Composing in K-12 Music Classrooms; William I. Bauer, author of Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music; and Norm Hirschy, Senior Editor at Oxford University Press for their pre-ISME thoughts and plans.
What are you looking forward to at the conference?
Alice Hammel: I am very excited about attending ISME in Scotland. I will be presenting two projects at the Commission in Edinburgh the first week and then another presentation in Glasgow. This will be my very first international conference presentation. I plan to visit Lochness, Loch Lomond, and perhaps the Highlands of Scotland while I am there. I am also looking forward to meeting many other music educators from around the world.
Gary McPherson: Seeing so many wonderful friends. I love ISME conferences because they allow me to catch up with people I know and admire and often only see every second year at these world conferences. The keynotes are always superb and we get to hear and learn from many young and emerging music educators who will become the next generation of leaders within the world of music education.
Janice P. Smith: I am mostly looking forward to meeting up with old friends, making new ones, dining, and hearing wonderful music.
Maud Mary Hickey: I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new. ISME allows me to connect with my international friends and researchers.
William I. Bauer: I am very much looking forward to conversations with colleagues from around the globe during the 2016 ISME conference. The program looks fantastic and it will be a pleasure to learn about the myriad of interesting projects conducted by individuals who are are shaping the future of music education. I am also looking forward to experiencing the natural beauty of Scotland, its music, and other cultural traditions.
Norm Hirschy: One of my favorite parts about ISME is the opportunity to meet people in music education from all across the globe. I am energized by the cross-cultural dialogue; we all have so much to learn from one another. I also look forward to attending panels and clapping, chanting, and even yes singing along.
If you’ve attended before, what were some of your favorite memories?
Gary McPherson: We get to hear performances from the finest young musicians worldwide, and experience music in ways that we could never experience in our home country. The Finish and South African choirs, musical performances from first national ensembles, and styles of music that I didn’t even know exist. Such wonderfully rich concerts are the hallmark of ISME World Conferences. These leave memories which last a life time.
Janice P. Smith: My only other ISME conference was in Thessaloniki and my favorite memories are of the music from many areas of the world, the wonderful yogurt and olive oil, swimming in the Aegean Sea, and showing a cab driver my iPhone to get me to the concert hall.
Maud Mary Hickey: I just love meeting new researchers from all over the world. I especially enjoy meeting people who I have read but never met in person! I also love trying out new food in whatever country ISME happens to be!
What else do you plan to do or see in Glasgow, time permitting?
Gary McPherson: Because I love Thai food, I’m on a mission to have a Thai meal with my friends in every cite across the globe where ISME has its world conference. I’ve still got a bit to go, but I’m getting there! And because of my Scottish heritage (my ancestors came to Australia in 1848) I want to get out and about in Glasgow – listen to the locals talk in the pubs and restaurants, and learn more about the Scottish way of life. This will surely be one of the most enjoyable ISME Conferences ever.
Janice P. Smith: Looking forward to seeing Glasgow Cathedral, Rouken Glen, National Piping Centre, George Square, Botanic Gardens (and tea room), vegan restaurants for me, and Venison Haggis for my companion. Maybe a Clyde River Cruise as well.
Maud Mary Hickey: My husband and I plan to golf four days in Edinburgh before going to Glasgow for the conference. Can’t wait!
If you’re attending the conference, we hope to see you by the Oxford University Press booth! You’ll have the chance to check out our books, including our new and bestselling titles on display at a 20% conference discount, and get free trial access to our suite of online products. To learn more about the ISME conference, check out their official website and follow along on Twitter @OUPMusic and with the #isme2016 and #ismeglasgow2016 hashtags.
Featured Image: Glasgow Cathedral by Michel Curi. CC by 2.0 via Flickr.
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