Heartbeat, a non-profit organization which unites Palestinian and Israeli youth musicians, will visit the State Department this week for a musical performance and discussion. Aaron Shneyer leads the group and is a former Fulbright-mtvU Scholar, and has continued to lead Heartbeat since his grant ended in 2008.

The group, based in Jerusalem, is meant to “build trust among Israeli and Palestinian youth through the power of music in what they call a sustained music-based dialogue.” The group practices and plays songs in French, Hebrew, Arabic, and English. The group has an EP available for download, and they blend both modern and classic instruments in their music which features jazz, hip hop, folk, and rock.

The Fulbright-mtvU program provides U.S. scholars with a year grant to spend going abroad and working with music as a way of encouraging a global understanding and respect. Although the partnership between the Fulbright program and mtvU is a public-private one, these collaborations provide U.S. students with unique opportunities around the world.

Since its inception, the Fulbright Program has provided funding for over 318,000 scholars to “study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.”

– Christina Kindlon

Source: U.S. State Department
Photo: Art Fuse