Singing for Peace

by Lucy Barr and Cristina MuÑoz-Pandya
Grade 8—Silver Spring International Middle School

Photo: Natasha Kornilova

When we first walked into the Unitarian Church for the first rehearsal of the Carpe Diem Community Choir, we didn’t know what to expect.

Between the two of us, we had experienced the previous four Carpe Diem residency projects: upbeat Ooolation folk music with the world-renowned Malcolm Dalglish and Glen Velez, moving world music composed by cello virtuoso Eugene Friesen, soulful gospel with David Griffiths, and fast-paced South American music with the band of Ecuadorian brothers Andes Manta, Coral Cantigas, and their director Diana Saez. We had to ask: what was left? What was left was a world-shaking experience that changed our lives.

The Roads to You Tour was created by Zade Dirani, a Jordanian pianist and composer. The object of the tour is to bring people together and to promote and inspire world peace through music. Including Zade and the conductor, Ivan Arboleya-Montes from Spain, the orchestra consists of 32 people, representing 15 different countries, some from war torn regions of the world. Many of the musicians attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

In the next weeks, they will visit Houston TX and Los Angeles CA, and next spring the tour will include other cities, including Louisville KY, hoping to deepen the understanding of different cultures. [In response to the Reuters article by Andrea Shalal-Esa that went out on Yahoo News (5/12/06), Zade received over 300 email messages in one day from arts presenters and peace-builders in cities and communities world-wide, inviting the Roads to You musicians assembly to visit and perform.]

Zade Dirani, only 26 years old, has had two recordings on the Billboard charts and has been profiled in major newspapers and magazines worldwide, including People Magazine, the Washington Post, Boston Herald. He has performed for Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth, Laura Bush, Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Queen Rania and the King of Jordan, among many others.

The Carpe Diem Choral Arts Residency Project was created by Busy Graham, founder of Class Acts Arts, with the goal of bringing people from our diverse community together for the pleasure of singing and working with world-class musicians and composers, representing a broad range of cultures and traditions. It’s been going strong since 2003, when the first eight-week session under the direction of Margie T. Farmer culminated in a sold-out performance featuring recording artist/ composer/ hammer dulcimer virtuoso Malcolm Dalglish and percussionist Glen Velez, along with many other guest musicians and dancers, including Shizumi and the Kodomo Dance Troupe, Irish and Appalachian stepdancers, bagpipes, fiddle, guitar and piano.

The only requirement for participation in Carpe Diem is a love of singing and an ability to carry a tune. The project is tied to Class Acts Arts, a non-profit arts outreach organization based in Silver Spring, that facilitates over 2,500 culturally diverse performances, workshops and residencies, reaching an audience of more than 450,000 each year, throughout Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Class Acts’ mission is to strengthen community and education and celebrate diversity through the visual, literary, and performing arts.

For the Roads to You project, we learned the five songs we were to sing in a span of four weeks, directed by Eric Byrd and Michael Holmes. All of the songs were so exciting and so much fun to sing. Every song offered something new and different. The directors made it even more fun with their witty jokes, so that even the most uptight and professional chorus members loosened up and laughed. We both looked forward to each Tuesday evening when we could let go of whatever was bothering us and just sing our hearts out. Zade, who was there for two of the rehearsals, proved to be very sociable and friendly by coming over to many of the choir members to say hello and to thank them profusely for participating in the project. We of course said it was our pleasure.

When we got to the dress rehearsal at the Performance Hall of Riderwood Village in Silver Spring, we were amazed to find out how many people were involved in this project. There were more than 80 musicians and singers setting up chairs and microphones, moving the piano, getting instruments out, talking, laughing. Even though it was our first time working with the director, Ivan Arboleya-Montes, we clicked almost immediately. Ivan has conducted many performances such as the Principe de Asturias Foundation and the Siero Musical Society. With his vast experience, it was easy for him to give us tips on pronunciation and how to visualize the music.

Since we had only heard the vocal sections of the pieces before, it was a big shock to hear what Zade had arranged for the orchestra. Music filled the room with chord progressions that gave us goose bumps. It was as though the music told a story, with ominous undertones getting louder and louder and attacking into the melody. Zade had written the music so it conveyed perfectly the messages he wanted to send – that there was more to life than fighting and war, and that we should celebrate life and different cultures, and all that we share in common. It all fit together so beautifully.

Washington, D.C. was the first stop on the first-ever Roads to You tour. The concert was on May 13th at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. Beforehand, we got to meet Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, who was a patron of the project. She was very gracious in shaking everyone’s hand and wishing us good luck. All of us were nervous – we were going to sing for at least 1,000 people. But we were used to it; all of Carpe Diem’s past concerts drew big crowds. We were also worried about conveying what Zade wanted us to through what we sang. Could we do it? However, when it came time to step into the blinding lights and face the cheering audience, all of our worries disappeared. There wasn’t anything but smiles on our faces.

It was absolutely wonderful being a part of this project. Being onstage with our faces lit up, and watching Zade as he put his heart and soul into his music, we think we can speak for the whole choir when we say that there was nothing we would rather have been doing on a Saturday night. A group where everyone loves what they are doing and are all working towards the same goal is something everyone should be a part of. Carpe Diem and Roads to You have given us that privilege. Both groups succeed in bringing different people together and making everyone feel welcome. It’s people and projects like these that help us believe we can reach Zade’s goal – to seize the day and change the world.graders at Silver Spring International Middle School, in the French and Spanish immersion programs, respectively. Lucy has been singing in the Carpe Diem! Community Choir since its first concert in 2003, and Cristina joined in 2005.

For more information about Our Voices Together, visit www.ourvoicestogether.org.
To learn more about and about Class Acts Arts and Carpe Diem, visit www.classactsarts.org.

To purchase recordings and to get more information about Roads to You and Zade Dirani of Jordan, please visit www.roadstoyou.com and www.zade.com.

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