The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

Brief History of Organization:

In 1990, five Palestinian musicians and music teachers conducted a study on the status of music in Palestine upon a request by the Welfare Association. The preliminary findings of the study convinced the team that there was an urgent need to establish a music school, to fill the huge gap in music education within the Palestinian society. In 1993, after three years of concerted efforts by these musicians, and with the support and encouragement of a number of friends, the Conservatory was launched as the “National Conservatory of Music” under the umbrella of the board of trustees of Birzeit University, who appointed the following founders to the Supervisory Board at the Conservatory. In October of that year, the first branch of the conservatory opened in Ramallah with 40 students, three part-time teachers, a secretary, and a volunteer director, co-founder, Amin Nasser. A few years later, the conservatory opened two other branches in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and in the summer of 2010, the Nablus branch was launched.






The ESNCM started its first year with only 40 students and 5 teachers on part time basis. Today the number of students exceeds 730 students in all four branches in Ramallah, Jerusalem,Bethlehem and Nablus in addition to 220 students from the outreach program. The teaching faculty today is comprised of 55 Arabic and Western music teachers and 33 administrative staff.

In September 2004 and as a tribute to the late Prof. Edward Said, honorary board member and great supporter of the Conservatory, the supervisory board took the decision to give his name to this institute to become the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM).

Vision:

To encourage a lively and creative musical culture in every home, that will contribute towards the consolidation of Palestinian identity, and the education of future generations.

Mission:

Teaching music and delivering musical performances music to all Palestinians, wherever they are, within the framework of strengthening the cultural and national identity of Palestine.
Goals:

• Providing the Palestinian society with the creative and committed musicians capable of teaching music and promoting it.
• Encouraging and enhancing music appreciation and interest amongst the general public and official spheres.
• Upgrading the ESNCM’s performance towards fulfilling its vision, mission and sustainability.

Overall Objectives:

1. To provide the Palestinian society with musical human assets qualified in innovative music teaching and promotion.

2. To increase and widen the interest and appreciation of music among the public at large as well as official bodies;

3. Upgrade the ESNCM’s performance towards fulfilling its vision, mission, objectives and sustainability.

Main Fields of Work: Teaching and promoting music*.*

Activities:

1. Teaching music to children.

2. Training music teachers for schools.

3. Preparing music curricula for schools.

4. Training instrumentalists for future ensembles and orchestras.

5. Securing grants for promising students to further their training abroad.

6. Supporting and guiding existing music groups.

7. Enhancing music appreciation in general.

8. Studying and rotating Palestinian folklore music.

9. Encouraging musical research.

10. Facilitating students' involvement with the local and international music scene.

Areas of Works:

Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Jericho, Tubas, Hebron, Salfeit, Na’len Tulkarem and Refuge camps in West bank and Lebanon.

PROJECT

Empowering Children and Youth through Music in Rural and Under Privileged Areas

Project Justifications:

Children in the underprivileged areas of Old city in Jerusalem, Hebron, Jericho, Tubas, Salfeit Na’lin , Tulkarem and refuge camps are the social group most affected by the deteriorating conditions where they live. They feel socially isolated and are often left to fend for themselves outside school hours. They experience trauma induced by the circumstances of the poverty and military occupation their families endure. Their regular education lacks an art and cultural component.

The “Empowering Children and Youth through Music in Rural and Under Privileged Areas project ” is an education and cultural outreach project that will bring music education for the first time to marginalized children living in these areas. This project targets children between the ages of 8 to18, the population age group most affected by deteriorating social conditions. It will be carried out in cooperation with community centers in the different locations.

This project contributes to filling in the huge gap of music teaching in schools and among marginalised children and youth where arts courses in general and music in particular have been constantly negligencted in Palestinian schools generally. Arts centres in underprivilalged areas are either inexistnet or lack the specialized cadre, let alone discouragement from the schools or families for their children to get enrolled in such creative fields. Moreover, due to the continous closures and Israeli check-points which fragment the whole country, cultural and musical activities have become focused in the central areas (Ramallah, Jerusalem); such activities are almost in existent or far reached in other areas. Therefore, this project is a challenge to the imposed closures and state of isolation as well as a challenge to social hindrances since it involves equally male and female students.

Music in this sophisticated socio-economic context is crucailly important as an important field of expression with a vital role in the process of character building and development. It is known to improve academic acheivement, provide many skills, and an outlet to deal with trauma. Children served by this project will be able to avoid street life and practice music together. In view of its importance and in an attempt to bridge the music education gap among underprivileged children, especially in refugee camps’ schools and remote isolated villages, the ESNCM will bring music to children in their environment, hence, helping them look towards a brighter future, and contributing to their character building and contribute to the cultural development as part of the Palestinian national identity. This in our view contributes to an overall sustainable development in Palestine. Talents from marginalised sectors and areas also exist. They have the right to be caterd for and nurtured musically. This projects will focus on these talents and develop their skill further, hoping they will also share in shaping the Palestinian musical identity and life.

Project Goal:

• Talented and underprivileged Palestinian students empowered, enabled and encouraged through music as positive and important actors to sustainable development in Palestine.

Objectives:

• Partnership between the ESNCM and different stakeholders working to serve children and youth in various communities enhanced.

• The music skills, the performing skills, in addition to the self-esteem and confidence are enhanced among the underprivileged children and youth, through a beautiful languge of expression.

• All forms of closures, isolation and social stereotypes challenged through a universal language.

• The beauty of local and Arab musical traditions are revelaed, protected and taught

Project Description:

The “Music Education in Remote and Underprivileged Areas” is an education and cultural project which brings music to marginalised Palestinian children and youth in their own environment. It emerges from the strong conviction on the integral part of cultural expressions in development, the beauty of music as a universal langugage, its importance as an educational tool provinding many skills: coordinatin, discipline, precision, perseverance and imagination- all needed in the Palestinian context for coping and creating a brighter furute in the midst of extraordinary circumstances that Palestinian children are experiencing on daily basis. In addition, music is an expression of people's ressiliance and steadfastness in Palestine. With this in mind, the ESNCM seeks to reach out to as many sectors and areas as possible with its high quality music programs. Therefore, this project targets children and youth between the ages of 8-18, the population age group most affected by the consequences of the deteriorating social conditions and as important actors in sustainable development, coming from some of the most isolated areas in Palestine. It involves at least 15 music teachers in classical Arabic and Western music travelling to different locations on weekly basis and teach music to the students .

This project is housed within ESNCM's outreach program initiated since 1999. Currently, the project brings music education to more than 220 underprivileged children living in Hebron (old city and the town ), Jericho areas , Tubas , Salfeit ,Al Jalazon Refugee Camp and the Old city in Jerusalem.The proposed project here will capitalise on the current activities by 1) developing further the current program in the seven locations 2) expanding to include two more locations in Tulkarem and refuge camps in lebanon , 3) advancing further the academic levels of the students from Jericho ,Hebron and Tubas by upgrading the status of the project there into three branches of the ESNCM.

The project will i) provide a creative arts dimension to their education, ii) improve their psychosocial well-being, iii) strengthen the social inclusion of these children who live in rural and isolated areas, iv) help protect the rich and diverse Palestinian musical heritage, and v) strengthen ties between community stakeholders working to serve youth and culture.

The ESNCM opened a branch in septemember 2010 in Nablus city after four years of intenisve work in Nablus,the programs became stable in terms of students and staff .