Features

Providing music education in Palestine and Jordan

At a time when so much news of conflict and suffering is emerging from the Middle East, cellist Fabienne van Eck of the charity Musicians Without Borders demonstrates the power of music to bring healing and hope.
In Bethlehem, the Bara'em Ghirass project draws children from surrounding refugee camps and villages to learn violin, oud, qanun and Arabic percussion
In Bethlehem, the Bara'em Ghirass project draws children from surrounding refugee camps and villages to learn violin, oud, qanun and Arabic percussion - Courtesy Musicians Without Borders / Ghirass Cultural Center, Bethlehem

It's Thursday afternoon, and I am conducting the Musicians Without Borders orchestra in Bethlehem, Palestine. In this free music education programme, 50 children participate in group instrument lessons (violin, oud, qanun and Arabic percussion), choir, social-work group sessions and orchestra twice a week. The children come from Bethlehem, from surrounding refugee camps and villages. The programme includes children who are enrolled in special education schools, and serves mainly girls.

We have a very simple rule during the orchestra lessons: when a child has an important question related to the music or rehearsal, they raise their hand, pointing one finger in the air. When a visit to the toilet is urgent, two fingers go up. This way I don't need to stop the music; I can just make a gesture to the child to show that permission is granted.

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