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Students at UNRWA schools to learn how to play harmonica

By Suzanna Goussous - May 26,2016 - Last updated at May 26,2016

A musician plays the harmonica during a concert in Amman on Wednesday to launch a project to teach UNRWA school students how to play the musical instrument (Photo by Hassan Tamimi)

AMMAN — In celebration of the Kingdom’s 70th Independence Day, UNRWA Jordan and Music In Me International Foundation on Wednesday launched an initiative to introduce the harmonica in UNRWA schools.

At the launching ceremony, the organisers stressed the role of music in enhancing education and encouraging schoolchildren to “think outside the box”.

Musician Mohammad Hassouneh, who is a school principal, said music is a universal language.

Under the initiative, schools will be equipped with the facilities to teach 1,000 students annually to play the harmonica for around four years, he told The Jordan Times.

He said the harmonica is “not a difficult instrument to play”, and it involves students in extracurricular programmes that broaden their horizons.

“Since we live in a secure and stable environment as other countries are witnessing war and destruction, Music In Me saw in Jordan as a safe place to work,” the musician told The Jordan Times.

Since UNRWA has four main areas of operation around the Kingdom, every year, three schools will be provided with musical classes, which means covering 12 schools in total through 2020, the organisers said.

The managing director of Music In Me International, Frans Wolfkamp, said that through music, one can express emotions, regardless of religion, country and age.

“Music is a very important way to get people together for one goal. Music In Me wants to reach out to the Middle East, especially to children in need by using this role of music, because children are open to each other,” he told The Jordan Times.

He added that the harmonica project will start in the capital, noting that introducing the instrument in UNRWA schools “can bring light and joy to children’s eyes”.

Dutch Ambassador to Jordan Paul van den IJssel said music in education would “make children happy”.

 

“I think it’s good [to have children] express themselves in schools, whether that is through music, or any other form of art,” he added. 

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