Abstract
The Middle East at large, and Israel most specifically, are often characterized as embodying an ecology of conflict and of war. When this on-going unstable reality peaks into actual acts of war, as has happened since October 7th 2023, people and communities that exist within this ecology face horrific and traumatic outcomes. Soundscapes of war, as unfolding in the Israeli context, include almost constant bombardment of loud, unexpected, disruptive and terrifying rocket launches, landings, and mid-air explosions. Sporadically, various areas experience additional bombardment of single and bundles of gun shots, shouting, violence and destruction.
In the Israeli aftermath of October 7th, hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens of all religions have found themselves displaced as they were forced to leave homes that were destroyed and/or became too dangerous to live in. As a music educator, I took part in volunteer work in make-shift schools that were set up to host the children of such displaced communities. In this presentation I will share the education principles that I employed in my attempt to help these children regain agency over sounds, noise, and rhythms.
My main claim in this presentation is that amongst many difficult losses experienced in a war ecology, the loss of agency and control over sound can be a major trauma factor. Therefore, my choice in engaging displaced children in drumming and percussion activities was designed to allow these children first and foremost to be the ones making the "noise". Further activities strived to offer positive experiences of organized and synchronized sound that may in fact turn "noise" into music. Finally, within the process of experiencing synchronized rhythm, the moments of communal silence became framed as an act of control – perhaps the very opposite of living in a soundscape of war.
About the speaker
Amira Ehrlich is Dean of the Faculty of Music Education at Levinsky- Wingate Academic College, Tel Aviv, and a former faculty member of Mandel Leadership Institute’s Program for Ultraorthodox women in Jerusalem.
Amira is a music educator with more than 20 years’ experience in the field of music, as a teacher, producer, and researcher. Her published writings explore sociological and cultural aspects of music education. Between 2015 and 2020 Amira has been a member of the international research team of Global Visions Through Mobilizing Networks: Co-Developing Intercultural Music Teacher Education in Finland, Israel, and Nepal research project funded by the Academy of Finland. Since2020 , Amira has been the chair of the International Society of Music Education’s special interest group for spirituality in music education and a steering group member for MSW Music Spirituality and Wellbeing.
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