​​Welcome to Music & the Earth International, a multicultural academic initiative which fosters environmental consciousness and dialogue across borders through deep, rigorous engagement with diverse styles of world music.  Music & the Earth is animated by a deep cry: a cry to listen to the Earth, to love all living beings, and to reform our political systems and cultural norms in ways that make true balance and harmony possible. M&E is guided by a planetary vision in which, through music, people can traverse persistent boundaries, heal from historical injustice, and connect to the ecosystems which support us all. 

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M&E combines original music and scholarly research, to uniquely address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Our four interwoven areas of focus are as follows: 

 

• Music in island/coastal contexts: music as an energizing and therapeutic medium for students and activists living on the frontlines of climate change

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• Songwriting as a practice of kindness: the ways in which different musical influences, combined with contemporary lyrics, can depict a more loving world (with particular focus on the global vegan movement)

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• Environmental music as pedagogy: how bringing environmental music into the classroom can deepen ecological and eco-cultural consciousness and solidarity among students of diverse backgrounds

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• Decommercializing and decolonizing music: two separate but interwoven processes which allow music to reach its true potential and power as an environmental and spiritual medium 

 

Rooted in these subjects, M&E offers live shows, talks and workshops which integrate environmental history with original music, as well as a one-of-a-kind Immersive Experience called VIVA.

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M&E harnesses the power of music to inspire a wiser and kinder world, in which the world's smallest and most vulnerable voices are heeded and honored. ​We are propelled by three goals: 1) to raise awareness about the needs of the biosphere; 2) to foster consciousness of the links between humanity and nature, which have been severed by anthropocentrism; and 3) to celebrate humanity’s cultural capacity to live sustainably, which can be reclaimed through the choices we make.​​​

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Music & the Earth International has earned widespread international recognition for building vibrant, vital bridges between music and diverse forms of environmental thought and action. 

 

- Dr. Priya Parrotta, Founder & Director