Tag Archives: music

Teaching Through Music

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One of my favorite television programs growing up was Schoolhouse Rock. The show taught children about U.S. history and government – as well as other basics like grammar, math and science – through catchy songs that helped make the lessons stick. To this day, I still know that bills must be approved by congressional committees before they become law, that the preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins “We the People,” and that the 19th Amendment gave women in the United States the right to vote.

The show stopped airing regularly in 1999, but members of the production team have occasionally reunited to record new songs. Most recently they released an Earth Day-themed series this past March that focuses on environmental issues such as solar energy and ocean conservation.

Are there programs like Schoolhouse Rock in other countries? If you know of any, please share!

Harmonizing for Humanity

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This month, several of my co-workers and I will join musicians around the world in the 8th annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days. Since 2002, individual concerts every October have commemorated the birthday of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered by extremists in Pakistan four months after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Pearl’s untimely death moved his family to create the Daniel Pearl Foundation, which seeks “to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music and innovative communications.” To this end, the foundation supports journalism fellowships, youth initiatives, lectures and interfaith dialogues — as well as the annual musical performances.

Although Pearl was known for his work as a journalist, he was also a mandolin player and a classically trained violinist who used his love of music to make friends across cultural and religious divides. As Michelle recently observed in Kosovo, music has a remarkable power to bring people together. President Obama also recognized this in an October 1 message marking the start of this year’s World Music Days:

“Music has been called a universal language that transcends cultures and borders,” he said. “Its power to move us, touch our hearts, and speak to our souls enriches our lives. Through artistic creativity and expression, music can build bridges between individuals and communities thousands of miles apart. This month-long event to celebrate music and honor the legacy of Daniel Pearl is a fitting tribute to a man who promoted respect and dialogue throughout the world. On this occasion, we recommit ourselves to tolerance, compassion, and ‘Harmony for Humanity.’”

Music Bringing People Together?

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A few days ago I discussed how basketball in Serbia is bringing youth from the former Yugoslavia together. Today I saw how music is also a cultural bond for youth.

In northern Kosovo, the town of Mitrovica is divided by the Ibar River. To the north of the river is a Serb community, the south is Albanian. Rarely do the communities interact.

But they both enjoy rock music. In fact, Mitrovica used to be referred to as Kosovo’s capital of rock, though in recent years it’s been most known for local conflicts.

Each side of the town has its own rock music school for teenagers, organized by the local NGO Community Building Mitrovica and the Dutch NGO Musicians without Borders. While the two music schools can’t perform together in Mitrovica due to security reasons, they do bring some of their most talented musicians together for a summer music camp in Skopje, Macedonia. There the students form inter-ethnic bands and perform a big concert together.

For these teens, this summer camp is often the first real interaction they have ever had with their peers from the other side of the bridge. I asked some of the Albanian students how they got along with their Serb peers. Speaking different languages and coming from different cultures, at first they weren’t sure they could get along, said 15-year-old Gjylizha Cena. But they quickly became friends. And until they can play in bands together again, they keep in touch over the Internet, she said.

Why was it so easy to become friends? Because, despite their differences, they have one important similarity. “The music is the same for everybody,” said 17-year-old Shaban Behzami.