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Online platform teaches music fans to play instruments

By Muath Freij - Nov 19,2017 - Last updated at Nov 19,2017

AMMAN — A local online platform has launched a project to document traditional Jordanian and Palestinian songs, and teach them to music enthusiasts through online courses. 

The website, called Izif, has brought together 190 songs out of 250 songs they are planning to document, according to its founder Bisher Abu Taleb. 

“I founded Izif in 2012, making it the first online Arabic musical school. One of Izif’s projects is to document Jordanian and Palestinian songs,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on Sunday. 

Abu Taleb said that he and his team started this project at the beginning of 2017, adding that they will wrap up by the end of this year. 

“Around six full time staff members and five freelancers have been working on this project, meeting with people who are interested in this field and conducting research on the existing literature,” he added.  

Abu Taleb said that the website displays two videos, one screening the song and the second showing an instructor teaching how to play this song. 

He added that they have posted 2,000 videos on their website so far, covering 37 courses and eight musical instruments. 

“There are around 13 instructors and 4,000 subscribers from 55 countries,” he added. 

 Rim Qutishat, Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation’s (AHSF) grants coordinator, said that the foundation has been supporting Izif’s project to document traditional songs, as part of AHSF’s literature and art project. 

“Many people in the Arab world are interested in learning such songs,” she told The Jordan Times at her office, describing the project as “significant”. 

If they are not documented, she continued, “these songs would vanish and the new generation might not know about them”. 

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