Save the Amman Symphony Orchestra

I will not copy and paste what's written in the program of the last concert for the Amman Symphony orchestra, nor will I copy the words in the video about the ASO or the petition, although I will post the links for both at the end, I will talk as a Jordanian musician who's been a member in the orchestra for 5 or 6 years now.


I started playing in this orchestra after I graduated from school in 2006, it was the National Music Conservatory orchestra, we used to rehears in the "main hall/ only hall" in the old NMC I am sure if you know it you know what I mean.


One day the NMC moved to downtown Ras Al-Ain in the long term plan of the Amman great municipality of developing the heart of Amman and merging arts with daily life, in this development the ASO was born, musicians were chosen based on an audition we all did, then there were musicians coming from all over the world to help developing the orchestra and raising more wind players for it in the NMC.

Musicians started dreaming of having a job that they can actually live on from music, just like any other country in the world!

All of a sudden the Municipality decided to cut the funding of the orchestra, after signing the contracts between the Amman Symphony Orchestra and the musicians the funding was cut and the Orchestra was left hanging in the air, the orchestra cannot keep on going without funding as salaries are not getting paid, and cannot stop as they can't pay the penalty of canceling the contracts.


As a musician I have no idea what will happen in the future, I know that the people who started this orchestra have worked very hard for 25 years to build it and if we lose it now I don't know if we'll ever be able to build it again! 


I do believe that together we can save the Amman Symphony Orchestra, because in spite of who is the manager or who built it or who's playing in it, it is still the AMMAN Symphony Orchestra, it belongs to this country not to a certain person and no one should have the right to stop music development in Jordan.


Please sign this petition and spread the word around, tell your friends and the people you know about our orchestra, encourage them to attend our concerts which we work really hard to carry out, we promise you that you will not regret attending our concerts, try it once and you will like it.

Save the Amman Symphony Orchestra

young students and time!

When I was a student our band teacher gave us copybooks she called them "practice logs" we were asked to do 6 hours a week, surely I didn't like the idea at the beginning, I didn't like to be monitored, yes I enjoy goofing around with my instrument but no I don't like someone telling me what to do with it.

Last week we distributed these copy books to our students, asking for 6 to 8 hours every two weeks and they just flipped, there was no way to get them to be quiet or just to simply listen to us.

I was annoyed and angry that these students were saying they have no time, they have 24 hours but have no idea how to use them.

When I was their age I was in 3 bands playing two instruments, I was a computer addict, and a hungry reader, yet I don't remember using the term "I don't have time"

Please parents help us teach your kids how to manage their time to get successful men and women in the future, Jordan needs ambitious active citizens not lazy dependable ones.

Let's remember how we were raised and raise our kids that way, don't use the term "no time" in front of them, there is always time there are 24 hours a day!!!

Bahjat Abu Gharbieh

yesterday I was introduced to a great man, only it was too late as it was after his memorial service.


Bahjat Abu Gharbieh, a man who spent most of his life fighting for his land, a man that lived through wars and battles in Palestine since 1933 and until 1949 , he even was there when the great leader Abd Al-Qader Al-Husseini was killed in the Kastal battle.


Mr. Bahjat died on the 26th of February this year and still some how we did not study about him, and no one ever mentioned him in front of me until two days ago, I even was not curious to know about him until yesterday night, and I consider my self a girl that reads and know Palestine's history very well.


I wish that one day my kids will study about people like Mr. Bahjat, miss Jameela Bu Heidar, and others, ones that are still alive today and ones that died defending our land.


I urge everyone to google بهجت أبو غربية and just be surprised by how much this man accomplished and yet never asked for anything in return.

A letter to the "new" parents

I am a 23 years old girl, I was raised in a traditional Jordanian family, we had rules, boundaries, and we didn't get whatever we wanted easily, this helped all 3 of us; me, my brother, and my sister become well raised men and women independent and responsible


9 was bed time till I finished high school, 2 hours a day maximum for computer and tv, and playing outside or visiting friends was for the weekend...I didn't have an Xbox, I didn't have a PlayStation, and I didn't have a mobile till I was in the 12th grade.


I have no idea why a 6th grade student would be up using Facebook at 12 am, and I have no idea why the sentence "I don't have time" is on their tongue all the time...since I am a teacher I know the curriculum didn't change much since I was in school, it didn't get much harder although I admit these boys and girls are smarter now...so where did I go wrong with the math?? 


let's go back to the way our parents raised us...let's make sure our kids don't start drinking coffee at the age of 12...stick to milk I still have it almost everyday!!!


give them the right to be kids, don't take that away from them they have plenty of time to stay up late and get irresponsible about their health...

مماعيط الذنب...

درسنا في المدرسة أن المجتمع الأردني هو مجتمع فتي، وقال لنا الملك الحسين رحمه الله "الإنسان أغلى ما نملك" وعززها ملكنا أدامه الله الملك عبد الله الثاني بقوله "على قدر أهل العزم" ودعّمتها ملكتنا بالتوجه نحو المدارس ورعاية أبنائنا بمبادرة "مدرستي"...

كل هذه الشعارات، وكل هذه الجهود الحثيثة لنصطدم بواقع مؤلم واستخفاف واقعي من مجلس نواب نجح ووصل لمقاعده بفضلنا نحن الشباب...

مماعيط الذنب...مماعيط الذنب يا سيد خلايلة هم من أوصلوك إلى هذا المقعد...هم من يدفعون الضرائب ويرفعون اسم الوطن عالياً...هم من يسعون لتغيير هذا البلد نحو الأفضل لا الركود والجلوس على مقاعدهم بانتظار سن التقاعد...

كل الإحترام لكل محترم لحقوقنا نحن ممعوطي الذنب...كل الإحترام للنائب أحمد الشقران وغيره من النواب الذين يؤمنون بجهود ملكنا الحثيثة لإعلاء شأن الشباب واستثمارهم لرفع مكانة بلدنا...ويثق بأن جيلنا هو جيل التغيير وجيل العمل الحقيقي والفعلي لا جيل القول والشكر والحمد والجلوس وراء المكاتب...

Banks in Jordan

I'm 23 years old, I work in a descent school and I play in Amman Symphony Orchestra, I considered myself in a very good financial situation in relevance to my age, until the day came and I decided I really need a car.

I chose the car I want, not a fancy one but one that would last with all the driving I have to do and would fit my instrument (the Tuba). The hard part came next, paying for the car.

I started doing the papers the bank asked for, the dealer was helping me, but I discovered later that I really need to prove that I don’t need the loan so I can get it!!!!

My salary was not enough (although I have two salaries) my bank statement was not convincing, and my sponsors were not reliable.

Seriously Jordanian banks, look beyond your nose…you technically can take the car back anytime I don’t pay, you have my bank accounts in your mercy…and I have 2 jobs…what more do you want? Believe me if I had the cash I wouldn’t even bother with you…

المعهد الوطني الأردني وأوركسترا عمان السيمفوني

آلمني ما قرأت في جريدة الرأي اليوم وقبل يومين من هجوم سخيف على مؤسسة أردنية قامت بتأسيسها الملكة نور وتنتمي الآن إلى مؤسسة الملك الحسين.

لقد درست في المعهد الوطني للموسيقى حتى حصلت على درجة البكالوريوس في الموسيقى، وأفتخر بأنها كانت بمنحة من شركة أمنية قدمت للمعهد الوطني، والذي قدمها إلي بصفتي أول عازفة توبا في الأردن. خلال فترة الدراسة تدربت في أوركسترا المعهد الوطني، والتي أصبحت فيما بعد أوركسترا عمان السيمفوني، وأعمل بها عازفة توبا حتى اليوم وأفتخر بذلك.

دراسة الموسيقى كانت حركة اعتبرت في وقتها تهوراً وتعتبر الآن جرئة حيث أن مستقبلها لم يكن معروفاً وكان والدي متردداً ومتخوفاً من مستقبل مجهول، إلا أن الدكتور كفاح والأستاذ محمد عثمان صديق ساعدوني مشكورين لإقناعه، حتى اقتنع بعد سنتين من بدء دراستي أنني لم أرم مستقبلي في الهواء، بل على العكس تماماً أقدمت على مهنة ستساعد في تنمية الوطن ورفع ذوقه العام.

نحن لا نقول ان المؤسسة كاملة ولا أخطاء بها، ونؤمن بأن الإصلاح ممكن، ولكن الهدم خطر، فالمعهد الوطني وأوركسترا عمان السيمفوني في مرحلة نمو وبناء، تحتاج أن نقف جميعاً معها وفي صفها حتى تكبر وتتقدم.

أتمنى فعلاً أن أرى عازفين أردنيين في أوركسترا عمان فهي أردنية ولكن الحلم يحتاج إلى عمل، ويحتاج للوقت كذلك، فبدلاً من العمل على مهاجمة المؤسسة لنصرف هذا الوقت على تشجيع أبنائنا لدراسة الموسيقى، كفانا أطباء ومهندسين ولنهتم بإخراج أيدي عاملة موسيقية لهذه الأوركسترا بما أن وجود الأجانب يثير حميتنا.

19 عاماً قضاها الأستاذ محمد عثمان في محاولة بناء المعهد وبناء الأوركسترا، فقد قام بتشجيعي وتشجيع زملائي للدراسة والتقدم موسيقياً ولم يقصر معنا يوماً واحداً في تدريبنا بقوة وحزم حتى ننجح ونتقدم، وهو ما زال يشجع الطلاب الصغار والكبار لدراسة الموسيقى ولم يحاول صد أي قائد أردني موسيقي، بل على العكس ساعدهم ونحن نعرف ذلك.

لكل من يحاول مهاجمة الأوركسترا والمعهد، ليكن هجومنا بناءً ولنحاول دعم المؤسسة للتقدم بدل التكسر، فهي تحتاجكم جميعاً.