Well, the Ukuleles for Peace orchestra really has a lot to be proud of today: two out-of-town shows in less than half a day! We all woke up at the crack of dawn, climbed on a tour bus and headed for the first show, at a school near Beit Shemesh, south-west of Jerusalem. The orchestra made a totally stellar effort (see above), and performed a half-hour set to huge applause from the few hundred students and teachers in the audience. Afterwards they had a meeting with some of the local students to discuss co-existence projects and, of course, ukuleles.

The next show was a 20 minute drive away, and while the orchestra put on another solid performance, it was a tough gig for them: the sound system was far from adequate and the kids in the audience weren't always exactly attentive, to say the least. But nonetheless, the students in the UFP orchestra gave it their all, and a concert & meeting afterwards with a smaller group of less rowdy local students put everyone in a good mood again.

I think I might be a little biased here, but these kids really are inspiring. They have worked so hard and improved so much, even in the short time that I've been here. As well, their behaviour and performances today gave ample evidence that as musicians they are not only mature but also, considering their average age is 10, very professional. But what is most amazing, and something I think I only fully realized today: their good times and bad times, in learning, playing, recording and just being together, have formed a very strong bond between them.

Of course, at the end of the day, they still face the obvious ethnic, religious and linguistic differences, and the political climate remains uncertain at best. But despite the fact that they come from worlds so different that it is sometimes hard to believe they are neighbours, these kids have had powerful experiences through music that hold them together; in other words, they are a band.

Check out the attached mp3s, and the photo below: that's Suhair from Tira and Hillai from Hod Hasharon, demonstrating their masterful two-headed, three-armed ukulele technique.