Busy day

After a day of traveling from Jerusalem to Nablus, we arrived in Nablus well rested and ready to make some music. After a short rehearsal and an evening of conversation we awoke to our first day in Nablus city. We went first to the Al Najahe university to meet some of the music students in Nablus University and make an exchange of our western musical heritage in turn for some of the palestinian music. We played, they played, then we played together. At first the students, although eager to hear us, we very shy, but again music opened the communication where we shared in the differences of the ways in which we make the same art.

After lunch at the university, we made our way into the Balata refugee camp to work with the children for the first time. A group of about 30 boys and 10 girls waited eagerly to hear, play and smile. The music we played, some short pieces from Schubert, Mozart, and Bernstein as well as some eastern european and mexican folk music. The result was phenominal! The smiles on thier faces was bigger than any I've ever seen. The attention they gave and fun that they had reminded us why we came here.

In the midst of these workshops we met with a small circus that we will perform with tomorrow, and many meeting- always with tea, to discuss the situation, the problems, and the beauty of our lives bringing us together.

Now to bed and prepare for another day.

Tom