MFLI's mission unfolds into four distinct categories:
H
Humanitarian Efforts
E
Education and Ideas
A
Artistic Innovation
L
Leadership and Community Building
HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS
Music for Life International presents concerts to raise awareness and support for humanitarian causes to create a global impact through music. Our global series includes large benefit concerts at major venues worldwide with large-scale broadcast possibilities via TV, webcasts, video and audio recordings. Our flagship Carnegie Hall global humanitarian concert series consists of 1-2 year collaborations with major social sector institutions to raise awareness of a specific humanitarian issue, including natural disasters, conflict survivors and refugees, public health, and environmental issues. We have presented local events in New York City, New Haven CT, Short Hills NJ, Maastricht Netherlands, New Delhi, Amman Jordan, Singapore, Melbourne, Australia and other venues to promote awareness for local organizations through special events, lectures, rehearsals and concerts, as well as performance and education residencies.
Education and Ideas
Music for Life International recently created the Ubuntu-Shruti Orchestra, a new professional training orchestra and community program focusing on immigrants, community, empowerment, and education through music. Ubuntu-Shruti seeks to express and practice the "cosmic truth of human interconnectedness revealed in musical sound" in our city of New York, which is a microcosm of human diversity. MFLI hopes to create access for New York City immigrant communities to classical music and opera, as well as high-level training and mentoring for young musicians entering the profession. It is an orchestral paradigm that takes its energies from the principles of chamber music, of leadership from every single chair front or back, and of sectional accountability and musical empowerment. Ubuntu-Shruti completed its testing phase to critical acclaim as the orchestra of the New Year’s Eve Concerts for Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in the New York under the direction of Artistic Director George Mathew.
MFLI also presents lectures, lecture recitals, corporate training workshops and presentations in business, higher educational, diplomatic, and conference venues around the world. We also publish articles, videos and interviews with our artists and leadership in local and worldwide media.
Artistic Innovation
Music for Life International’s methods generate artistic innovation spanning classical ensembles from orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles, to non-western ensembles and beyond. We support innovative new ways of approaching orchestral training including a new democratic model of the relationship between ensemble musicians – communicating with and energizing each other in a chamber music paradigm beyond the conductor-driven model with its inherent power hierarchies. Instead our conductors are facilitators. Our vision sees systematic section coaching as a central focus in ensemble training in addition to rehearsals, with a focus on bringing not only the highest technical quality but individual and collective musical expression and meaning especially with regard to transforming cultures and societies through music.
Leadership and Community Building
Music for Life International is planning multiple efforts toward leadership and community building, both presently and in future plans. MFLI has created Ubunti-Shruti, which will be developed to a larger fellowship program for three years of immersive innovative artistic training, and mentoring from a circle of distinguished artists and placement as teaching artists in our educational activities locally and worldwide as ambassadors of the techniques of artistic innovation to the larger community. Music for Life Global Fellows will consist of a small number of Ubunti-Shruti orchestral graduates for a one year residency. MFLI plans to establish chapters of young professionals, sponsors, and donors to support the work of MFLI globally. Additionally, Music for Life International provides a limited number of internship positions for current college students to assist in the daily administrative work of MFLI, providing exposure to management, development, and operational skills that enable young professionals to contemplate a future with a cutting edge in the sphere of socially engaged music.