New Website!

We are excited to announce the release of the beautiful, new Musicians without Borders website! 
We invite you to explore the website and check out all of the programs here: http://www.musicianswithoutborders.org/

Also, the Music Bus Goes Palestine blog will be moving here. Please keep updated with our projects and don't forget to subscribe!

Huda the Music Leader!

April 9^th was the beginning of the Music Leadership Training Workshop for kindergarten teachers from the South Hebron area. Though the training workshop itself ended after a week, the music leadership has not ceased!

For the sake of sustainability and continual local leadership, Fabienne has planned to follow up with teachers after giving them adequate time to utilize the music material in their classrooms; Sunday was the first follow-up. We set out to the newly donated kindergarten building in Khashem al-Daraj, the location of the training. This time a room full of Huda's sweet, shy students rather than outgoing teachers welcomed us.

Sometimes when Fabienne checks up on trainees after a workshop, she finds that workshop leaders have struggled to put the new material into action. The obstacles can be due to many different factors, from simply forgetting a verse in a song to being too shy to implement more music in the classroom. At the end of every training week, the trainees receive a list with a description of all the activities and a CD with the music and songs that were used during the training. Rather than leaving the teachers empty-handed, Fabienne makes sure to support the teachers as they work to successfully accomplish the various activities with the children. 

However, Huda’s classroom proved to be a pleasant and unique surprise.

Fabienne prepared to review the songs and activities from the training, so that Huda could regain comfort and confidence. Rather, we quickly realized that each and every activity had already been performed! So instead of reviewing previous material, Fabienne taught Huda a new activity for her wonderful students to enjoy.

 We were so pleased to see the success in Huda's classroom, as she has shown to be a very ambitious leader and fast-learner! This success story has only increased the excitement to meet up with the rest of our new music leaders!

Much appreciation and thanks to these organizations for making all of this possible: 

World Vision International, Hebron International Resources Network (HIRN), and Musicians without Borders UK.

Celebrating Arab Deaf Awareness Week!

In honor of Arab Deaf Awareness Week, we have a very special gift to share with you! 

A massive amount of time and energy went into creating our gift, a very special music video about the deaf community living in Palestine. Not only is the music video about the deaf community living in Palestine, but also the lyrics are written and signed by those belonging to the deaf community.

The writers of the texts share their enthusiasm:

"I'm so happy due to the first song by the Deaf in Palestine! When I saw the final video, I started downright crying."
- Halimeh Sarabtah 

" I'm proud of myself because I am deaf. Despite the deep sorrow of the painful realities, we will continue to challenge the difficulties to deliver our message to all."
- Amineh Sarabtah

Halimeh, Amineh, and Abdullah share their authentic stories regarding the challenges they must face being deaf. Rap formation Palestine Street from Dheisheh refugee camp rap these original texts. Each verse drips with truth and fresh perspective. The video was produced by Tamara Abu Laban from Dheisheh refugee camp. 

This masterpiece came to life through collaboration between the hearing and deaf communities in the West Bank. However, the collaboration was about more than simply producing a stellar music video; we want to produce continual solidarity between these communities. 

Please assist us in generating global solidarity and awareness!

We ask you to please share this unique gift of music in honor of the deaf community living in Palestine! 

Verse 1

The sun rises

A beautiful girl dresses into school uniform

She arrives to class and sits at her desk

She sees the teacher speaking, but she didn’t hear

She complains, but the teacher didn’t understand

It’s the situation of silence,

‘From inside, I’m talking

But there is no response

I try to express myself, but they face me in rejection’

She didn’t try the to write her papers

Rather she paints an educational system that needs to be destroyed

The time is up, and the paper remains empty

Who must be blamed?

A deaf person who has the right to receive special treatment,

Or and educational system who does not recognize special needs?

So the result is no ink on the paper

She fails, but not because she didn’t study

It’s not about difficulty in learning

But it’s the problem of adapting to a disorganized educational system

‘They want me to learn, but without a translator

In the class everyone was talking

And I was trying to understand, but I couldn’t

There’s a feeling that something is missing

Am I different, or is the community just crooked?

Not accepting a deaf who needs to learn

Verse 2

I have 17 certificates

Yet it’s impossible to find a job

Why? I don’t know

I’m qualified, capable and I am not disabled

Unfortunately I am living in a society that can’t communicate with deaf people

I want to do something for the country

But the people in the country don’t want anything to do with me

I don’t want your sympathy

I want you to appreciate me

Together we can build a community, which will accept me

There is no equality in marginalization

I refuse to live on the margin with minds that have intellectual apathy

I am deaf, but I am able to say what’s on my mind

Erase your tears; do not cry

I am not indigent

Your sadness for me is a knife in my heart

I want you to actually know me

I want to build communication bridges

If I am just some dependent obstacle,

God would have never created me

Verse 3

After the difficulties in graduation and finding a job

I wanted to marry,

But I was confused

Shall I marry a girl who talks or a girl who is deaf?

But I wasn’t given any choices

The community is not for the deaf girl, because we’ll make deaf children

But between the talking girl and I,

There’s no communication

I am deaf, but I have feelings

I just want to marry a deaf girl

It’s not discrimination

But it’s just addressing my reality

The reality that represses my category

So what’s next?

Are the people going to give me my freedom?

Will they take my case into consideration?

Do not deny my existence

I have my own identity

We can’t change our place or the time

But we can change the human mind

For those who talk,

I have a question

If you were in my shoes, what would you choose?

Double Trainings!

Wow, what a busy week for Music Bus Goes Middle East! Not only did we have the delightful opportunity of hosting two trainings, but we also welcomed a guest from Musicians without Borders UK!

The exciting week began with the arrival of Lis Murphy, the director of Musicians without Borders UK. We greatly appreciated her fresh skills and perspective at both trainings. Her natural leadership and passion for community music were highly beneficial. Together, Lis and Fabienne brought an energy that composed empowerment for many blossoming Palestinian leaders. 

Lis & Fabienne leading in Bethlehem.

Each morning we ventured to the hills of South Hebron to host Music Leadership Training Workshops for kindergarten teachers from the different villages and Bedouin communities from the area. The women who participated in the training boasted the youthful joy of the children they teach. Warm smiles and fits of laughter accompanied this busy week of music activities, discussion, and singing.

By the end of the week, not only was there an increase in the number of participants, but there was also a noticeable increase in confidence, comfort, and charisma- all of which are important attributes required for leadership.

Each afternoon, we journeyed back to Bethlehem to host the Assistant Trainers Training Workshops. Simply upon entering the room, one could feel all of the energy offered by the diverse team of leaders: youth and adults, men and women, deaf and hearing, as well as refugee camps and isolated villages from the North and the South.  Together, the team helped encourage one another as they constructively built upon their existing gifts of leadership.

This solidarity was very visible throughout the course of the whole week, but particularly when each participant gathered the courage to lead his or her own activity with the group. The varied styles of leadership accurately reflected the unique personality of each participant.

                                                                       

During these months that follow, we are enthusiastic to see how all of these leaders use all of their newly founded skills and talents! 

A note from Lis Murphy:
"My week training MwB assistants in Bethlehem and women in South Hebron was really inspiring, informative, and moving. I felt privileged to meet so many people doing fantastic work in very difficult circumstances. We enjoyed learning vocal exercises, playing music games, sharing songs from around the world and writing our own songs. There is a huge need for the work of Musicians without Borders in Palestine. To be a part of supporting people to continue to care for and educate children and young people was a fantastic experience."

Thank you so much to Lis Murphy for your time and lovely leadership!
A great deal of thanks goes out to the following people and organizations for making all of this possible: Dr. Felicity Laurence, Artists for Gaza, World Vision International, Hebron International Resources Network (HIRN), Mwb UK, and MwB International.

We welcome you to learn more about  Musicians without Borders UK  here.

The School Song

After much anticipation, I am happy to share with all of you the lyrics of the inspiring song that came from the hearts and minds of the passionate Palestinian youth. With the amazing translating skills of Mohammad and Hisham, rap workshop leaders from Dheisheh refugee camp, we now have the musical narrative of the youth's experiences in school.

Ahmad from Dheisheh camp while recording verse 1

Though it was saddening to hear of the pressure felt by the youth in school, it was even more so inspiring to realize the desire of the children to transform their schools to be as enlightening and empowering as possible. As Mark Twain once said, "Never let formal education get in the way of your learning." 

SCHOOL SONG

Verse 1

It’s seven in the morning, and I’m awake

I get dressed, I wash my face, and I brush my teeth

I put my shoes on

I start running so that I’m not late

Scared of the teacher

He’ll scold and punish me due to my violation

Instead of teaching me respect

He insults me saying, ‘you’re a donkey!’

That’s how the school day starts

The first class is pressure

The second class is pressure

The third class is pressure

And suppression on my chest

Verse 2

I am waiting for the break

It’s a chance to breathe

In the class you just sit

Not allowed to state your opinion

Not allowed to express your ideas

You’re told to just close your mouth

It’s a system of indoctrination

Is this type of learning for my benefit?

Or is the benefit for someone else?

If the manner of the teacher makes me hate history and science

Then teacher, teach us mathematics

Do not treat us like animals

Encourage us to study

Encourage us to understand

Do not create fear of the courses and exams

Verse 3

I study eleven different subjects

315 minutes of school,

but yet no music class?

There are 40 students in the classroom

But not even one teacher who is fair

I wish for a teacher who can deal with all levels of learning without distinguishing

I need motivation to reach my highest intellectual potential

That’s correct that we don’t have any extracurricular activities

But I truly have real talents

Take care of these talents

Develop these talents

So that one-day, you and I can celebrate it

We encourage you to support the youth in their intellectual ambitions and musical efforts by listening to and purchasing this powerful song at http://musicbus.bandcamp.com/

Firing Hope!

At first glance, this may not appear to be the prime place to host Musicians without Borders’ next workshop.

A closer glance may not help the location seem more appealing either- considering that the seemingly neglected pillar is actually a sign to make people aware of the Israeli military’s firing zone. 

This sign reads: Danger! Firing Area Entrance Forbidden

             

But in actuality, there is a very special community nestled in these vast, open hills of South Hebron. This area is home to a number of cherished Bedouin communities. Starting April 9^th, Musicians without Borders will be hosting a Music Leadership Training Workshop for kindergarten teachers from all over South Hebron. This training is intended to benefit the Bedouin community, who according to a recent UN report are “particularly vulnerable to displacement and dispossession.¹

For more information we encourage you to read the following UN-report concerning these precious communities:

Bedouin communities in general are particularly vulnerable to displacement and dispossession. Eighty per cent of them live in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea area and around Hebron, constituting the majority of the population in closed military training and firing zones. Many of these communities have already experienced multiple displacements. Many are food insecure, do not have access to basic services, and are not connected to the electricity grid, the road network or water systems. More than 90 per cent face water scarcity, living with less than one-quarter of the minimum standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).² The Israeli army routinely demolishes their shelters and property, including those provided by or built with the assistance of aid agencies and international donors. In the South Hebron hills, eight villages are at risk of eviction to make way for a new firing zone.³

Through the gracious donation of the UN and their partners, this community now has something very special in their possession, a newly donated kindergarten building. This is where we are welcomed to host our upcoming trainings in April.

Stay tuned to Musicians without Borders to learn more about the upcoming Music Leadership Training Workshops in Khashem al-Daraj!

 1 United Nations. 7th February 2013.
  2 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “The Humanitarian Impact of Israeli-  declared ‘Firing Zones’ in the West Bank”, August 2012, available   from www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_firing_zone_factsheet_august2012_english.pdf
  3 United Nations. 7th February 2013.

 This blog entry is created by Kristin, an amazing volunteer from the USA. We are very lucky to have her with us for the coming months!

We Need Music Classes!

Today I got a precious present from Mohammad, a rap workshop leader from Dheisheh refugee camp. Together with Hisham and Diya he has given ten rap workshops to a group of teenagers in his refugee camp during the last two months. In the workshops the youth learned about rap music and wrote their own rap texts. Three new songs are the result of this training and the first song has just been recorded. So what was the present I got from Mohammad? You can read it yourself...this is exactly why I love working with MwB!

Mar7ba! [hello]
I have good news. 
One song is done from Dheisheh kids and two songs are left. 
The song is amazing with great job from the kids. I think this song is special because it talks about their needs in the school and things they need, like music classes and another way in teaching from the teachers for example without screaming and in a way to develop their talents.
you'll like it when you hear it and we hope to make some changes in the schools after this song! 

Recording their song in our recording studio in Dheisheh refugee camp, with Mohammad on the left

Thank you Mohammad and all the other rap workshop leaders for your great and important work! You are amazing role models for the kids and together with them we can make the change!

We can only continue the rap program with your help. Please visit our Bandcamp site to download a song made during our project or make a donation here. Thank you!

Samba Fever

For the past two months, Mark, who volunteered to teach samba, has trained six different groups in al-Wallajah, al-Ma'sara, Hebron, Aida refugee camp, Silwan and a group of deaf people. Some groups received workshops twice a week, others, like Silwan just started playing and are waiting for a new trainer. Because after two months of drumming, Mark went home. These days he is editing a video clip of his latest project in Palestine: two rappers from Dheisheh refugee camp recorded a song with four drummers from al-Wallajah. Coming soon!

Thank you Mark for all your patience, understanding, teaching and facilitating the workshops!

"It's has been nearly two months since I arrived in the West Bank, with some drum sticks, a head full of rhythms and few Arabic words as part of a Musicians without Borders project that aims to bring samba percussion to Palestinian groups of young adults. Samba being suited for group drumming as it is very inclusive. Individuals can play a simple pattern but be part of a complex and beautiful rhythm that makes it impossible not to swing your hips or tap your feet to.

Samba workshop for the deaf in Aida Youth Center in Aida refugee camp

I had lot's of ambition to teach different styles of drumming, to give the four different groups a large 'repertoire' but also to sow the seeds for ongoing bands. The reality has been of course much more difficult. It has been eye opening to see the everyday realities of lives under Occupation affect the workshops, which at times have been cancelled due to killings, protests, checkpoint delays and today because of tear gas in and around the community center.

Surdo, the big Brazilian drum, means deaf because the sound is
so low and loud that even deaf people can 'hear' it. Abdullah is deaf and definitely proves that he can feel the rhythm!

Samba fun in al-Wallajah

Fabienne and Ahmad from Musicians without Borders and also the participants of the different groups, have been amazing in regards to helping me settle in and to deal with any of these arising issues. By now I have run many workshops with five different groups, from villages to refugee camps to youth centers. It is great to see the rhythms that in the first weeks were impossible for many have now been played in front of audiences cheering and dancing. But the greatest moments are when you see the faces of concentration slowly relaxing into a smile, when the drummers start to enjoy the rhythm and their input into it.

Learning a new rhythm on the caixa in al-Wallajah

Learning a new rhythm on the surdo in al-Wallajah

Still lot's to do before I go and I hope to also take away a rhythm or two taught to me by the participants. Whilst some of the groups might need more samba trainers, local or international, to come, I am hopeful that at least two of the bands have enough samba fever to continue learning by themselves."

Silwan Samba

For two months we are lucky to have the amazing samba trainer Mark with us in Palestine. After coaching samba groups in Hebron, Aida refugee camp, al-Ma'sara and al-Walajah, he started today in a new location: Silwan, Jerusalem. In cooperation with Madaa Silwan Creative Center and with the help from the center's staff we held the first practice today. 



Mark writes:

"As the workshop progressed more and more participants came and joined. Amazing how quickly they learned a rhythm, two musical breaks and how to stop and start. It seemed that all enjoyed themselves, even with neighbors and nearby people in cars clapping and drumming along. And it was also good stimulation and a break from the oppressive everyday realities for the young adults in that area. Great day. Can't wait for next week."

Deaf Drumming!

"But they are deaf!"
Yes, they are. But deaf people can drum too!

Today was the first Samba percussion training for deaf people from the Bethlehem district. To make things more complicated, we have

• an English-speaking Samba trainer: translation English - Arabic needed;
• deaf participants that understand Palestinian sign language: interpreting Arabic - sign language needed;
• a deaf participant that understands lip-reading: translation Arabic - lip reading & facial expression needed.

Soon we all got used to this three way translation and we could focus on the music. Our amazing Samba volunteer trainer Mark Rietema started with a warm-up in which every person had to share his name in sign language and express in a movement how his or her morning was. Deaf people give people two names: one name that can be spelled (for example M-a-r-k) and one name that is chosen by deaf people and expressed with a movement (for example 'combing' Mark's hair in the front). During this warm-up, we found out that Mark had been in a hurry in the morning, Amineh had fed her rabbits, and poor Abdullah had left his house at 8.00 o'clock, arrived at 8.30 at the meeting point, and waited until 10.00 for the Samba training to begin.

After some clapping and rhythm exercises it was time to take the drums. Mark taught them some basic rhythms, a stop sign and a break sign. Any visitor to this workshop would never have guessed that these youth are deaf: they are amazingly talented and they were playing together as any other beginners group with people that do hear.

Halimah playing the Caixa

Khaled playing the Surdo

Amineh playing the Repenique

Magedah playing the Repenique

Mark shows the girls a new rhythm

The Surdo's keep the beat

At the end, during the evaluation of the workshop, the mother of one of the participants expressed her wishes for this training:

"my son is very shy and sometimes people don't treat him well because he is deaf. I want him to become more secure and less shy. Today I saw that he was very happy to play the drums, and when he is happy I'm happy. I hope that drumming will make him believe in himself!"

Thank you Mark for your great work, thank you Magedah for your sign-language interpreting, and thank you Im Khaled for translating lip-reading to your son. Thank you Habshe for taking the pictures and arranging us the space in Aida Youth Center. Amineh, Halimah, Magedah, Abdullah and Khaled: you rock!