Today, June 21st is World Music Day

Music is the most beautiful sound that can pass through our ear. Music is a natural medicine and gives stress relief and boosts your spirit. Today, June 21st is World Music Day. In 1976, an American musician, Joel Cohen, employed by the national French radio station, France Musique thought of a day dedicated to celebrating music. in 1982, the thought became reality with the French Government blessing Fete' de la Musique. Two of the caveats to being sanctioned by the official Fête de la Musique organization in Paris are that all concerts must be free to the public, and all In Paris and Ile-de-France, the return of summer is celebrated in music. 

The music day was created in 1982. This nation-wide party of the people has become so important that it has even been exported to over a hundred foreign countries. On 21st June, both amateur and professional musicians take to the streets to let their creativity run wild.

In squares, public gardens and alleyways improvised stages are erected and sound systems blossom at the windows. Electro DJs, classical, jazz or accordion groups, choirs, French chanson, pop rock or traditional bands...everyone dances and sings with their family and friends in a joyful cacophony. Bars, concert venues, festivals (and also museums, churches, conservatoires etc...) take the opportunity to remain open until all hours, with free concerts both indoors and on their terraces. Exceptional free shows are performed by French and international stars, notably in the Place de la Bastille, the Champ de Mars and La Défense. And to help people get around, public transport services are provided all night long.

Few celebrations in India today : http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/06/18/world-music-day-2012/

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Panel Discussion about Online Management Education - Emerging Trends

Jay Cross - India has to Democratize Learning Now

Informal Learning guru Jay Cross says, "India needs to train 500 million people in the next ten years. Some have proposed building thousands of new schools and colleges. Yet if the building program began in earnest tomorrow, there still wouldn’t be enough time to build the required classrooms — some six times what India has today.

What would those schools teach? The half-life of a professional skill is down to five years and is shrinking fast. It makes no sense to train people on skills that will become obsolete in short order. I’ll suggest that people need to learn meta-skills, such things as:

• learning how to learn
• critical thinking and conceptualization
• pattern recognition
• design thinking
• working with one another
• navigating complex environments
• software literacy

India has neither time nor resources to prepare teachers to transfer these skills to hundreds of millions of people. The answer? Flip Indian education. Delegate the delivery of content to electronic means, and focus teachers on coaching, leading discussions, helping people over hurdles, and relating lessons to real life. Also, teach students and workers to help teach themselves. The time is ripe for India to democratize education, to help students to think for themselves and realize their potential. "