12/20/2019 Palestine!

December 20, 2019 by FM in News

I just returned from two weeks in the Palestine, my first visit to the Middle East. For many years, I have been inspired to hear of music schools sprouting up in the Palestinian Territories. While making music is a wonderful end in itself, music study teaches important life skills: discipline, concentration, teamwork, communication skills, openness to new ideas, expecting excellence from ourselves, etc. And so I’ve always believed that music study is one of those indirect paths toward solving the world’s more intractable problems.
Since 2006, I have been contacting people associated with these school, looking or ways to be helpful. Finally, this year I was invited to teach and perform for Al Kamandjati (translation: The Violin), a music school that first opened in Ramallah in 2005, and that now has eight satellite schools throughout the West Bank, the Gaza strip and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. I readily accepted, and Al Kamandjati contacted other schools. Finally what was arranged was an incredible 2-week tour sponsored by Al Kamandjati, the Edward Said National Conservatory of Palestine and Beit Al Musica. Here’s a poster for the concerts:

From November 26 to December 9, I taught and performed in Shafa Amer, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jerusalem, Jenin, Ramallah, Deir Ghassane and Qalandia. I played solo classical, chamber music, a Mozart piano concerto, jazz and Arabic music (yes!) I taught privately and in master classes. It was a pleasure getting to know the dedicated faculty and staff at these schools, and playing with some very fine musicians among the faculty. The trip afforded me a view of Palestine that very few Americans get to experience. I met the loveliest, most appreciative and hospitable people you could imagine. We discussed politics, religion, music, family, history — everything. I always felt safe and well-cared-for.

Below are some photos from my trip: