US State Secretary Antony Blinken plays guitar at launch event of Global Music Diplomacy Initiative

US State Secretary Antony Blinken has launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, a worldwide effort to elevate music as a diplomatic tool to promote peace and democracy and support the US’ broader foreign policy goals, according to a fact sheet issued by the US Department of State on Wednesday.

The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative aims to leverage public-private partnerships to create a music ecosystem that expands economic equity and the creative economy, ensures societal opportunity and inclusion, and increases access to education.

It will build on current public diplomacy music programs to create public-private partnerships with American companies and non-profits to use music to meet the moment, convey American leadership globally, and create connections with people worldwide.

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“I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy. Was a pleasure to launch @StateDept’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative,” the US State Secretary wrote on ‘X’ formerly Twitter on Thursday.

He also shared a video of him singing, playing the guitar.

The Secretary announced the American Music Mentorship Program, the Fulbright-Kennedy Center Visiting Scholar Award in Arts and Science, and efforts to bring American music and lyrics into classrooms across the world as part of the United States’ investment in English-language learning worldwide.

Blinken was accompanied by senior Biden-Harris Administration officials, a bipartisan cohort of Members of Congress, music industry icons, leaders from the arts and humanities, and alumni from the Department’s music diplomacy exchanges.

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The launch event included live performances by American and international artists from a variety of music genres and was supported through generous private sector sponsors.

The American Music Mentorship Program, a partnership between the US Department of State and the Recording Academy, will bring international mid-career music industry professionals, which may include musical artists, to the US for mentorship and networking opportunities, with an aim to cultivate a professional music industry ecosystem locally and globally, to support creative talent, and to strengthen the creative economy globally, as per the fact sheet.

The Fulbright Program, the US’ flagship international academic exchange program, will collaborate with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to create a new fellowship opportunity for foreign scholars.

The department will also incorporate music into its existing USD 40 million investment in English-language learning worldwide, including through exchanges, curriculum, and scholarships to provide access to English-learning classes for promising students between the ages of 13 and 20, according to the fact sheet.

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