American Voices founder to speak at ECU

East Carolina University will host John Ferguson, founder and executive director of American Voices, Oct. 25 and 26 at A.J. Fletcher Music Center on campus.
Ferguson will present, “Becoming a Cultural Diplomat: Global Leadership in Music.” The goal of the presentation is to help make students aware of best practices in cultural engagement programs and international career opportunities in the performing arts. Fletcher will also present a workshop on how young American university students might design and implement such programs on their own.
Presentations on Tuesday will include “Winning Hearts and Minds,” 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; “Why Do They Love Us So Much,” 4 – 5:30 p.m.; and a film, Camp Unity, 7:30 – 9 p.m.  On Wednesday, “Becoming a Cultural Diplomat” will be held from 10 a.m. to noon.
The event is sponsored by the BB&T Leadership Institute, the ECU School of Music and the ECU Collegiate Music Educators National Conference Chapter.
American Voices aspires to train new generations to reach areas of the world emerging from isolation or conflict through cultural engagement and diplomacy. Members of American Voices work to engage with youth through performing arts in countries emerging from conflict and isolation, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Burma. One of the signature programs of American Voices is the YES (Youth Excellence on Stage) Academies in which students participate in American art forms such as orchestra, hip hop, choir, Broadway, and jazz.
The organization was named one of America’s Top Ten Cultural Diplomacy Organizations in 2010.
For more information contact Dr. Jay Juchniewicz at 252- 328-1251 or by e-mail at juchniewiczj@ecu.edu
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