But man’s greatest strength lies in his
capacity for irrelevance.In the midst
of pestilences, wars and famines, he builds cathedrals; and a slave, he can
think the irrelevant and unsuitable thoughts of a free man.
Aldous Huxley Antic
Hay p. 127
The Gaza Music School may be an
irrelevance in the poverty stricken war zone of the Gaza Strip, but that makes
it all the more necessary.The children
of Gaza have very few opportunities to sample the joys of life.They have very few opportunities to help them
recover from trauma of the constant threat of violence and the periodic bouts
of full-fledged war.The Gaza Music
School is one avenue they may take toward healing.http://www.indiegogo.com/TheGazaMusicSchool/x/703244
In Gaza Strip , closures, isolation and
fragmentation imposed by Israel, are negatively affecting all forms of
Palestinians’ daily life. This project contributes to activating cultural life...
Such activities have a great influence
to elevate people’s hope, resilience, perseverance and steadfastness amid all
daily encounters of despair and frustration.
The Gaza Music School was launched in July
2008, in response to growing demand for music education in the Gaza Strip,
offering the first-ever structured and long-term music education program in
Gaza. In January 2009, GMS was destroyed during the Israeli war on Gaza. Almost
miraculously, with the help of international donors, the School re-opened three
months later in a new expanded space, and adding to the team to accommodate the
growing number of students.
THEY NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE TO
SERVE THE CHILDREN OF GAZA
The Palestine Youth Orchestra
recently completed a tour of Italy, overcoming obstacles that young performers
could not even imagine.They have to leave the country by
different routes, getting permission to leave is difficult, and even performing
within Palestine is almost impossible.The following is an information bulletin that tells more about creation
of this incredible group of you musicians that stand out as shining examples of
Palestinian culture.
The Palestine Youth Orchestra , a flagship project
of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine , was created in
2004 with the aim of overcoming geographical boundaries by bringing together
young Palestinian musicians from Palestine and the Diaspora, creating a body of
musicians from different parts of the globe who will address the world with the
harmonious universal language of music.This vision incorporates the enhancement of the Palestinian cultural
identity, creating cohesion amongst the larger Palestinian society – a vehicle
towards nation building in an effort to overcome the barriers that have been
erected between the Palestinians over the past decades.
Another dimension is to facilitate the coming
together of Palestinian youth with their peers from other cultures, creating a
channel for dialogue and exchange and learning about each other.In addition to the guest conductors and
coaches, the PYO invites annually young guest musicians from other countries
further enriching the experience for all participating members. The PYO today
is composed of about sixty young musicians from Palestine, Jordan, Syria,
Egypt, Europe and North America and very recently from South America. They
constitute together a full fledged orchestra on a par with similar bodies
around the world.
The PYO is a
unique ensemble performing the classics of the symphonic repertoire as well as
promoting the works of Palestinian and Arab composers.It is also unique because of what it conveys
to Palestinian society and to the different communities and people abroad who
have the opportunity to attend its performances, the PYO represents a new image
of Palestine,a new generation that
loves life and loves music and is full of aspiration for a better tomorrow.
The PYO members have been honored by prestigious conductors such as
Anne-Sophie Bruening and Walter Mik from Germany and the award winning British conductor
Sian Edwards who led the PYO in three concerts in Jordan, Lebanon and Greece
and will be leading them again in the summer of 2012.
