The Power of Music

Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, I had often wondered what about the atmosphere of the musical scene. It was easy to see that the Islamic fundamentalists in Iraq had no or little tolerance for Western "classical" music, and I remember reading an article about classical musicians in Iraq that were forced to stop playing or flee the country to pursue their talents.

Now my curiosity is piqued again because an 18-year-old woman, Zuhal Sultan, has founded a youth orchestra in Iraq. The story is very uplifting, and the courage and resourcefulness of this teenager proves that there is still beauty that flourishes in a war-torn country. She contacted a high-ranking Iraqi government official for a donation to the orchestra and received 50,000 dollars! She sent out email messages and posts on Twitter looking for conductors and musicians. In three languages, Sultan recruited Iraqi youth to play in the orchestra, and got more than 50 responses.

The most innovative and astounding aspect of this groundbreaking orchestra is that each of the selected (33 players) youth received online instruction in their instrument from a teacher in the United States or the UK. To me, someone who has taken many online courses, is appreciative of the ability to learn from someone who is potentially on the other side of the world. Sultan and her orchestra are an inspiration.

Read the article here: