When Heartbeat: Jerusalem (a youth ensemble of Israeli Jews and Palestinians) wrote “Choosing Sides,” it was at an extremely intense time when Jerusalem was experiencing a wave of violence in the form of physical violence and oppression and intensified structural violence. The ensemble was only in just its beginning months when this wave of violence erupted. “Choosing Sides” became in some ways an emotional anthem of the group as both Israeli and Palestinian youth musicians sought ways to cope with the harsh realities outside and turn pain into understanding of their realities and of each other. Meeting once a week during this intense time was crucial to sustain their equalizing space and provide place for self-expression.
Usually the process of songwriting includes having a dialogue about a certain topic that is either part of the educational process (equality, dignity, narratives, identity, issues of “Us vs. Them” and majority-minority, national and religious holidays, etc.) or connected to something happening currently in the lives of the youth musicians (war, school life, violence, accomplishments, family, etc.), and then proceeding to co-writing melodies and lyrics. This process of dialogue and musical co-creation is continuous over several weeks to even a month until the youth musicians feel that they have completed the song.