By Tori Mier
Elm Staff Writer
Music is arguably one of the greatest human accomplishments as a whole; it unites the divided and speaks the unspoken. Despite music’s universality, many avid listeners can get caught in a rut of sorts by only exposing themselves to select genres of music. Though Washington College’s campus may not be in the middle of a big city’s music scene, the Hotchkiss Noon Hour Concert Series provides ample opportunity for students and residents to experience all kinds of music.
Dr. Nabeel Abboud Ashkar joined forces with Grace Eun Hae Kim to create a beautiful 45 minute performance featuring the violin and the piano on Sept. 7, to kick off the concert series.
The duo played gorgeous renditions of Mozart and Beethoven’s work, the intimate space in Hotchkiss Theatre providing a truly exemplar listening experience. The event attracted both serious music enthusiasts and quite a few students who wanted to forget the stresses of college and take a moment to enjoy the simplistic beauty of violin and piano working together.
What is most impressive about the entire program was Dr. Ashkar’s background. Born in Nazareth, Israel, Dr. Ashkar began playing the violin at 8-years-old, eventually completing his master’s in 2007. He then proceeded to take his profound gift and use it to bring young Arabs and Jews together, earning him international praise.
When asked what ultimately drew him to these two cultures, Dr. Ashkar responded that his parents had a huge role in his music career. Where he was from, there was absolutely no exposure to classic music, but with his parents’ influence, he grew up listening to Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. When he created Polyphony, an Israeli music school, in 2006, he admits that he wasn’t exactly thinking about bridging two cultures, but instead about breaking the myth that his people could not play classical musical well. During his first year with the school, Dr. Ashkar’s purpose was to convince these children that playing was even a possibility; the second year consisted of playing in tune and the third year’s focus was “how we can express ourselves through music?”
Dr. Ashkar cites this expression as the essential step. Using music in a social way, to bridge cultures, only became part of the picture after a high level of performance was established. As Dr. Ashkar says himself, Arab and Jewish children discovering world peace “is a long process – 10, maybe 15 years … But we start. A long journey starts with one step. And we are taking that step.”
Many more visionary and musically gifted individuals are scheduled to visit Washington College’s campus in the Hotchkiss Noon Hour Concert Series.
This extremely underutilized event deserves to have a much greater turn out – benefiting not only the music program, but also those who make the wise decision to attend.