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Music, Dialogue, and Empathy:

Theories of Peacebuilding in

Choral Education and Beyond

BENJAMIN BERGEY

tudying abroad in Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and Greece in 2010
sparked an interest in the intersection of music and peacebuilding.
SDuring this time, I conducted research on the utilization of music
within protest movements. Although modest in scope, this exploration laid
the foundation for a doctoral dissertation focusing on the nexus of music
and peacebuilding. This research specifically investigated the activities of
two nonprofit music organizations—The Jerusalem Youth Chorus and The
Polyphony Foundation—which facilitate collaboration between Arab and
Jewish youth through musical engagement and professionally facilitated
dialogue sessions. Motivated by a desire to contribute to the literature of
music’s role in conflict transformation, this investigation aimed to fill a gap
in existing scholarship by examining the methodologies employed by these
organizations, which had received no attention in academic literature.
The specific field of music and peacebuilding or conflict transforma-
tion has been expanding. Many peacebuilders already know that the arts
can be a useful tool in peacebuilding, and they use the arts in different
ways through their work. Many musicians and ensemble directors work to
1
bring musicians together and create beauty but not necessarily using these
theories to describe what they do. Through research, discussion, teaching,
and training, it is possible to build momentum toward more collaborations
between the music community and the peacebuilding community.

Benjamin Bergey
Assistant Professor of Music
Director of Orchestra and Choirs
Advisor of Music and Peacebuilding
Eastern Mennonite University
benjamin.bergey@emu.edu

8 CHORAL JOURNAL November/December 2024 Volume 65 Number 4