STANDISH
It’s been said that music is the language that breaks all barriers; its players finding common ground through the bars of a song. One group, Heartbeat, contends that the harmony they strike could help create harmony in the most troubled, war ravaged corners of the world. And they should know. Each member of Heartbeat has grown up amid bombings and the familiar jarring of a sudden outburst of gunfire. They are Israelis and Palestinians, two groups too often pitted against one another. In Heartbeat’s music, these groups are united, beautifully, representing one voice, one peace.
The group’s northeast tour brings them to the Viola George Auditorium stage at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3. The free concert is open to the public.
“Heartbeat’s pursuit of bringing peace to the Middle East through non-violent musical dialogue exemplifies our core values of faith, excellence, integrity, community, respect, compassion, and justice,” said Saint Joseph’s biology professor Camilla Fecteau. “In our institutional quest to enlighten students about human dignity and encourage them to be advocates for justice and peace, Heartbeat’s mantra of tolerance and acceptance of others serves as an excellent lesson. Plus, their music is excellent!”
Heartbeat describes its music as “a dynamic blend of Eastern and Arabic music, Western rock, hip hop, jazz and reggae.”
Heartbeat is the brainchild of Aaron Shneyer, a then-student at Georgetown University who watched two specific student groups form on his campus: the Israel Alliance and Students for Justice in Palestine. Each group relentlessly worked to win over the campus to their side. Shneyer, recognizing a need to bring the groups and the campus together, created a Jewish-Arab band.
Post graduation, delving further into his interest in bridging conflict, Shneyer traveled to Jerusalem to work for the Maine-based Seeds of Peace. Based in Otisfield, Seeds brings together young people from regions of conflict to teach communication and leadership skills that they can take home with them to share with their communities. What Shneyer saw and learned in Jerusalem led him to apply for a Fulbright MTV Scholarship geared toward yearlong projects using the ‘power of music’ to achieve mutual understanding. Shneyer’s Fullbright MTV application outlined a program that would bring together Israeli and Palestinian high school students to write and play music and then share their collaborative music, first within their communities. A short time later, Heartbeat was launched.
Now, eight years later, rotating members of Hearbeat travel all over the globe, bringing Shneyer’s vision of harnessing the power of music to transform conflict with them, along with their instruments and equipment. To date, more than 100 youth musicians have participated in Heartbeat retreats, workshops, camps, field trips, overseas exchanges and citybased chapter ensembles
To check out Heartbeat’s music by visiting www.youtube.com/watch?v= K83w8xMFAhQ.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
