Weaving Words and Music: Fostering a Meaningful Intercultural Exchange through Music Composition

Abstract

"Weaving Words and Music," is the product of a year-long study funded by Viterbo Universityʼs D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership. The study included faculty research and a course-embedded music composition, which broadened studentsʼ understanding of global conflict by incorporating personal experiences of Palestinians living in Bethlehem. Music theory students read human stories of Palestinians caught in conflict from the Arab Educational Instituteʼs publication, "The Wall Museum,". The studentsʼ compositions were part of a Humanities Symposium that significantly impacted and deepened student learning. The benefits and outcomes of this meaningful endeavor are the focus of this paper. 1