Tyagaraja celebration at Gandhi Centre The Hague

In true music there is no place for communal differences and hostility. True music is created only when life is attuned to a single tune and a single time beat. Music is born only where the strings of the heart are not out of tune.

Mahatma Gandhi – A unique musician” by Namrata Mishra >>
Lighting of the lamp by H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Carnatic flute recital by Usha Ramesh & Ludwig Pesch accompanied by Mieke Beumer (bamboo tambura)

Dealing with life’s challenges with the help of music – and understanding it better, to begin with: “Why we love music”, a book by John Powell

“The effect of music on our body chemistry is particularly fascinating to me. Our bodies effectively contain an internal pharmacy that dispenses various chemicals to help us deal with life’s challenges.” – John Powell

More about this book

In “Why You Love Music,” John Powell, a physicist who has also studied musical composition, offers an array of answers that mainly reflect his scientific background. He conveys some basic musical information painlessly, including tuning and scales, the construction of melodies, and elements of timbre and key. His writing is chatty and unpretentious; he is informal and down-home, at times quite funny. If you have ever felt intimidated by music and its terminology of whole and half steps, scales and chords, this book will put you at ease. – Peter Pesic, Wall Street Journal (£)Buy the book

Why We Love Music is published byJohn Murray at £9.99 and is available from the Guardian Bookshop for £8.49

Source: The science of songs: how does music affect your body chemistry? | Books | The Guardian
Address: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/16/the-science-of-songs-how-does-music-effect-your-body-chemistry
Date Visited: Wed Oct 25 2017 17:39:52 GMT+0200 (CEST)

With chapters on music and emotions, music as medicine, music and intelligence and much more, Why We Love Music will entertain through to the very last minute. A delightful journey through the psychology and science of music, Why We Love Music is the perfect audiobook for anyone who loves a tune.

Source: Why We Love Music: From Mozart to Metallica – the Emotional Power of Beautiful Sounds (Audio Download): Amazon.co.uk: John Powell, Phil Fox, John Murray: Books
Address: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Love-Music-Metallica-Emotional/dp/B01BW3SYDI
Date Visited: Wed Oct 25 2017 17:45:28 GMT+0200 (CEST)

No complacency in the search for creativity: Manickam Yogeswaran (The Hindu)

Review by Garimella Subramaniam, The Hindu, January 05, 2017 | Read the full review >>

“The many dimensions of the musical persona of Berlin-based Manickam Yogeswaran of Sri Lankan origin are not easy to fathom just from hearing him sing at one recital. […]

However, a conversation over coffee at Chamiers, days after a performance for Tamil Isai Sangam at Raja Annamalai Mandram, gave a glimpse of the different facets of the disciple of T.V. Gopalakrishnan and his exposure to Hollywood. […]

Yogeswaran’s forays into western classical ensembles, and his key role in global music forums for nearly three decades is a career graph, perhaps, typical of the wider scene in the performing arts these days. At the same time, it is the emotional need to stay anchored to the cultural milieu of one’s roots that probably explains Yogeswaran’s crucial engagement with Carnatic music. […] The challenge now, he says, is to nudge current generation of South Asians from a false sense of security about the future of this traditional art form. The conveniences afforded by technology, in terms of access to the treasure trove of recordings of great masters, ought not to breed complacency in the search for creativity, he argues. The key lies in continued reliance on the rigours of relentless individual ‘sadhana,’ a hallmark of classical music.”

http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/Revelling-in-his-classical-roots/article16992760.ece

Contribution to the world conference of the International Society for Music Education in Glasgow – ISME 2016

“Yours figuratively: Indian music in intercultural education”

  • Date: Thursday 28th July 2016 (17:15 – 18:15)
  • Venue: AGOS Studio
  • Paper Number: 704.00 | Submission Category: Demonstration/Workshop
  • Special Interest Group (SIG): Practice & Research in Integrated Music Education
  • For more details, kindly check the  isme2016glasgow.org website during the conference  (24-29 July 2016)

Abstract

Music counts among the proverbial “64 arts and skills” of ancient India where it became synonymous with “leading a fulfilled life”. Thus, having evolved along with other pursuits, Indian music is an interdisciplinary concept that connects people irrespective of age and cultural background. It is in this context that we explore the world of musical figures: figures that convey subtle meaning while symbolizing the very joy of participating in music making of a high order.  Rather than borrowing sounds from a supposedly exotic culture, we apply the building blocks of Indian music for several good reasons: for their accessibility in the context of intercultural education and, of course, for their intrinsic value and beauty.

Learners tap into the mind-boggling world of India’s musical ideas. Tiny musical figures are adapted in a manner that has stood the test of time. While being fun on first hearing they also lend themselves to being visualized and analyzed for non-musical purposes.

This teaching method lends itself to classroom and lifelong learning across the entire social spectrum: it adds colour to other school subjects like maths, languages, geography or physical fitness; and requiring no more than voices, hands and open-mindedness, it kindles communication where there is a lack of time and resources, or even a common language. Figuratively yours, ours truly!

Ludwig Pesch studied at Freiburg University from where he went to India in order to be trained and perform as bamboo flautist. Since then he develops intercultural activities that suit the needs of children, music students and teachers; and also for museum education (e.g. family programmes for Museum Rietberg Zurich in conjunction with Indian art exhibitions).

He authored The Oxford Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music and among other writings, contributed to the journal of the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung (Goettingen University “Music | Musics. Structures and Processes“) and to Integrated Music Education. Challenges for Teaching and Teacher Training by M. Cslovjecsek and M. Zulauf, forthcoming). Among his research projects are “Sam, Reflection, Gathering Together!” (Bern University of the Arts in collaboration with Natanakairali, Research and Performing Center for Traditional Arts in Kerala). His ideas on collaborative work are summarized by the acronym AIUME for “Adapting Indian Universals in Music Education”. (www.aiume.org)


Find publications by Ludwig Pesch on worldcat.org >> >>

Unity in Diversity, Antiquity in Contemporary Practice? South Indian Music Reconsidered – Free download

Musik_Politik_Identität_Cover-2016

“Unity in Diversity, Antiquity in Contemporary Practice? South Indian Music Reconsidered” by Ludwig Pesch (Amsterdam) in Gardner, Matthew; Walsdorf, Hanna (Hrsg.). Musik – Politik – Identität / Music – Politics – Identity. Göttingen: Universitätsverlag, 2016 (Musikwissenschaften) | Abstract and contents >>

ISBN13: 978-3-86395-258-7

Softcover, 17×24, 218 S.: 24,00 € Online Ausgabe, PDF (3.681 MB)

To download this essay (PDF 500 KB) for free, click here >>
(Creative Commons licence Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International)

Other publications, book chapters and articles by Ludwig Pesch: WorldCat.org list >>