Leela Floyd

"'Leela Floyd is the author of "Indian Music", published by Oxford University Press in 1980. [ [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0193213303 Amazon.co.uk: Indian Music (Oxford Topics in Music): Leela Floyd, Kenneth McLeish, Valerie McLeish: Books ] ] [ [http://browse.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780193213302&tabname=custreview Barnes & Noble.com - Books: Indian Music, by Leela Floyd, Paperback ] ]

The book was commissioned by Oxford University Press in 1979, when she was awarded an Associateship as a Leverhulme scholar at the Institute of Education, University of London. It is the very first school textbook on Indian music in the UK and has been widely used all over the world including the USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden.

There is also an audiobook by Oxford University Press. [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0193213400 Amazon.com: Indian Music (Topics in Music): Leela Floyd, Kenneth and Valerie McLeish: Books ] ]

Throughout her career as a lecturer, writer and researcher, Leela Floyd's main focus has been on bringing other cultures into mainstream education. She has contributed chapters to Music in Practice (edited by Paul Farmer), published in 1984 by Oxford University Press [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0193210940 Amazon.com: Music in Practice: Paul Farmer: Books ] ] and Pop, Rock and Ethnic Music (edited by Graham Vulliamy and Ed Lee) published in 1982 by Cambridge University Press. [ [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000MRT1YW Amazon.co.uk: Pop, Rock and Ethnic Music in School (Resources of Music): Graham Vulliamy, Ed Lee: Books ] ]

Born in Singapore as Leela Charles, she went to school in India and the UK. In 1958, her parents took her on an epic journey across the world by car from Southern India to England. Hers, was the first Indian family to have successfully completed this extraordinary adventure and a photograph of their arrival was printed in The Times of Sat. 2nd August 1958; pg 12; Issue 54219; col A. She completed her schooling in London, where she was the first Indian pupil to attend Clapham County Grammar School.

At sixteen, she began her studies at the Royal Academy of Music and graduated with a L.R.A.M. During her time at the Academy, she met her first husband, the composer, John Barham , through whom she met several important figures including George Harrison of the Beatles, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and others. For a brief period, she worked for Apple, transcribing pop records for the archives; and with John Barham she transcribed Indian music into western notation, an example of which is published in Peggy Holroyde's book, Indian Music, A vast Ocean of Promise, c.f. Ameer Khan's Raga Marwa George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 1972, ISBN 0047800208.

In 1982, she was employed as a music researcher on a series of innovative children's programmes on Channel 4 called Everybody Here--created by the children's poet laureate, Michael Rosen and produced by Telekation International--in which she introduced several ethnic artists, as well as authentic music into the soundtrack of the series.

She has written for newspapers and magazines including the Times Educational Supplement, The Observer, ArtRage, Yours magazine; she is a regular adjudicator at the Music For Youth festival in the UK.

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