The Heart Beat Project
This organization seems to really advocate the idea of bringing Israeli's and Palestinians together. Their tactics are very similar to the orchestra that of David Barenboin and Edward Said. They have used music to bring Palestinian and Israeli musicians together in order for them to have a chance to be able to communicate and build a community of trust. Music is used as a platform to bring groups together.
However, the Jerusalem Music Project tells another story. The Project is "...dedicated to encouraging the country’s finest talents, bridging the distance between Israel and the rest of the music world...We believe that music is about inter-human communication and cooperation." As I first looked through the website, I was expecting yet another music project that brings young Palestinian and Israeli musicians together. But as I read on, it gave a different mission statement than the Heart Beat Project. Though the Jerusalem Music Project does not say that it excludes others, one of their mission statements explicitly says that this Project is a chance for Israeli students to learn and meet from renowned musicians. However, instead of uniting Palestinian and Israeli musicians, it united musicians within Israel. In their special project, it emphasizes on bringing Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs together. These special projects focus on playing Arab music and introducing musicians to Hebrew poetry. Though it brings Arabs and Jews together, it does not focus on Palestinians. Though the leaders of the project may not to opposed to that idea, they seem to focus within the state.
Compared to the Heart Beat Project, the young musicians seem refined, and focused on excellence and development of their talents. Where else in the Heat Beat Project, we see that these musicians are diverse and carrying electric guitars and some kind of stick. Yes, it is a place to learn music and explore their creativity, but the emphasis seems to revolve more on bringing people together. Where else in the Jerusalem Project, it is an effort to expose and play wonderful music of Arabic origins.
Jacqueline, just wanted to comment that there are no Israeli Arabs, they are Arabs living in Israel. Although they have the Israeli citizenship, but they are not treated as equal citizens as the Jewish citizens of Israel. Arabs are considered 3rd degree citizens of Israel.
ReplyDelete"...this group combines the sounds of traditional Arabic and Western instruments, and brings together Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs to recreate this fascinating old art." Interesting how they put it like that. Thank you for your comment. It kind of changed my whole perspective on the Jerusalem project.
ReplyDeleteYes Jacqueline, i was not correcting you by the way. But this is how the Israelis try to name the Palestinians who live inside who are around 1.5 million people. We as Palestinians consider them part of our people and nation, we call them 1948 Arabs or Palestinians inside Israel. I just commented so you can know more about the terminology that might be used to deceive the readers.
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