“Kirtan’s Role in Creativity, Education, and Spiritual Development”

Dr. Luis De La Calle (Aka Bhadra Rupa Dasa) presents his research on music/kirtan education based on his Ph.D. degree in Educational Sciences awarded by the University of Geneva in Switzerland and his two master’s degrees in Education and Educational Sciences awarded by Lund University in Sweden. His research focuses particularly in the area of basic skills development for children and the youth. He does this by focusing on how music education impacts the cross-curricular learning of mathematics (e.g. three-digit multiplication), languages, social-emotional intelligence, and creativity. The successful development of these skills is measured through, the performance of different instruments while singing in ensembles/bands composed by the student, where each composition includes lyrics in three-four different languages Additionally, maths skills were assessed through the ability to perform percussion instruments. Dr. Bhadra Rupa’s research is based on his life experiences of a multifaceted integration of ancient Eastern and modern Western cultures in the fields of music education, composition, and singing/performance on different instruments. For the last thirty-five years, Dr. Luis De La Calle has been deeply involved in the mentioned music fields by living and studying in South America, Japan, India (based on oral traditions), and Europe under their topmost masters. He has successfully established original links between these oral traditions (based on observation, listening, and imitation) and the written traditions of Western European music culture.

Through his life’s cross-cultural translation across these cultures, he has developed an innovative and accessible approach to anyone’s teaching/learning processes for playing instruments and composing music/lyrics by expressing the student’s emotions based on the poems by the Vaishnava Acharyas and Vedic scripture

Goals:

1. To promote ISKCON´s 4th purpose, “To teach and encourage the sankirtan movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God, and to reveal the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
2. Scientific presentation on the power of sound and its uses, for example, for character building for realizing the student’s full potential.
3. To Empower the youth generation to become spiritual ambassadors.
4. Unity in diversity: integration of artistic expressions from ancient wisdom within modern Western contexts.

Requirements:

1. Age range: children (between 5 and 11), youth (between 12 and 30), and adults (from 31 years sold).
2. Level of Education: it does not require any skill in music, only a keen interest in music/kirtan and interculturality.