Classical music veteran honoured
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“I got the shock of my life!” exclaimed Joy Ferdinando. “I never even in my wildest dreams pictured such an honour.” A veteran in the classical music field in Sri Lanka, and the Founder and Director of the International Institute of Music, Speech and Drama, Joy who has nurtured many talented young Sri Lankans in the arts was honoured by the British and International Federation of Festivals of Music, Speech and Drama at a conference in the UK.
September 28 was when she was pleasantly surprised at the conference when the British and International Institute of Music, Speech and Drama to which Joy’s Institute is affiliated, recognised and awarded her for more than 10 years of service.
The services that had gained recognition were the Summer Camps that Joy and her team tirelessly organise and work towards making a success every year and the Competitions titled “Sri Lanka Festival of Music, Speech and Drama.” The competitions commenced in 1998 and have grown to be a well known exhibition of local talent.
Joy’s passion for the education of children of all parts of Sri Lanka has resulted in her Institute conducting examinations in areas as far as Mannar, Batticaloa, and Hambantota to name a few. “Musical knowledge is not only for children in Colombo,” she stresses. “The examinations we conduct are different because teachers are able to request a date for the exams, and awards are given to the best scores from each centre.” According to Joy this encourages participation from all parts of the country.
“The flexible and accommodating nature of the Institute does not mean our standard is not up to par with international standards,” she says. “We have examiners who are trained and qualified not to mention our syllabuses are approved by global bodies.”
Among many other achievements including her teaching, which is over 50 years rich in experience, she has been offered an honorary fellowship of The Society of Teachers Of Speech and Drama in the UK which will be awarded to her early next year.
Despite having perhaps one of the busiest schedules a great grandmother of two would cope with, she still manages to hold firm to what she loves doing and proudly says, “I still teach.”