Draft:Center for World Music

The Center for World Music is a nonprofit organization located in San Diego, California. Its mission is to foster intercultural awareness and understanding through in-depth encounters with the world’s performing arts traditions. It sponsors cultural education and performances of world music and dance, primarily in the San Diego community.

History
The organization was founded in 1963 as the American Society for Eastern Arts by Samuel H. Scripps and his wife Luise E. Scripps. Initially focused primarily on Asian cultures, the organization began by recruiting Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan and Indian dancer Balasaraswati. By the mid-1970s, the organization had 45 artists in residence, many from India and Indonesia. Hundreds of American students trained under these artists at their location in Berkeley, California. In 1971, the Center began to offer study abroad programs for its American students. In 1974, the organization's name was changed from American Society for Eastern Arts to the Center for World Music, becoming one of the first institutions dedicated to world music.

Subsequent Growth
In 1979, ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown, who originated the term “world music ,” brought the Center for World Music to San Diego. There, the Center continued to provide instruction and concerts of music, dance, and theatre from Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America. It has also partnered with the local San Diego Indian, Persian, Hmong, Chicano, and Filipino communities. In the 1980s, the Center began offering summer programs at Flower Mountain in Payangan, Bali, a retreat center built by Dr. Brown.

Alumni
Notable alumni who studied at the Center for World Music include:
 * Deena Burton
 * Jody Diamond
 * Kuo-Huang Han
 * Joshua Redman
 * Steve Reich
 * Daniel Schmidt
 * Julie Taymor

World Music in the Schools
In 1999, the Center launched its World Music in the Schools program, inspired in part by music educator Shinichi Suzuki. Through this program, the Center offers more than 50 artist residencies each year, featuring teaching artists from around the globe working with students in local K–12 schools.

World Music Concerts
The Center's world music concert series has presented more than 450 performances in small and medium-sized venues. These have included an outdoor summer concert series at Seaport Village, and a series of three events in 2018 featuring local San Diego refugee artists. In September 2021, the Center launched an ongoing series of world music and dance concerts in partnership with the Mingei International Museum in San Diego's Balboa Park.

Odissi Dance School
In the 1990s, the Center began offering classes in Odissi dance in collaboration with the Orissa Dance Academy, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The classes are taught by visiting artists from India, including Gangadhar Pradhan, Guru Manoranjan Pradhan, and Yudhisthir Nayak.