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Upbeat: The Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq
The story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq is here told by its musical director from its inception to its eventual end. The NYOI came through the most difficult and dangerous of times to produce fine music not only in Iraq but also in Britain, Germany, France and the United States. A beacon of hope and achievement the young musicians and their tutors made bridges across their own ethnic divisions, made great music in the most trying and tragic of circumstances, and became their country’s best ambassadors in 5000 years.
- GenresNonfiction
419 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2016
6 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Paul MacAlindin
2 books4 followersreviews of UPBEAT:
'The great adventure of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq deserves not only to be recorded for posterity but also to serve as an example of how the essential can survive catastrophe.’
-Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
‘Be prepared to laugh, cry and - above all – to discover music’s power to overcome seemingly irreconcilable differences and create harmony out of chaos.’
-Julian Lloyd Webber
'An amazing and deeply inspiring story.' -The Bookseller, Book of the Month, August.
'Fragile, precarious, quixotic and almost insanely heroic.' -BBC Music Magazine
"...one of the most unlikely, and genuinely heroic, stories you re ever likely to read.'-The Spectator
'..the fact that any sort of orchestra could be brought together seems a miracle.' -The Daily Telegraph
'Even if it doesn't reform, the orchestra was a victory for art and light in the face of darkness. And in the year of Chilcot, Mr MacAlindin's Upbeat seems a timely homage to this fragile but beautiful thing created by an inspirational Scot and the bravery and dedication of the musicians.' -The Herald
'Upbeat serves as an inspiring and insightful guide towards understanding a land too long dominated by war and violence.' --The Express
"Ultimately, it’s the tale of one man’s crazed, ever-vulnerable route towards a heartfelt act of reparation and a hugely enjoyable testament to the healing power of music." - The National, Dubai, UAE
Paul MacAlindin discovered from an early age that he loved being an artist leading artists. As a musician, dancer and all-round performer, he found his voice through conducting, a passionate journey that has led him to work with orchestras and ensembles all over the world, from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to the Armenian Philharmonic to the Düsseldorf Symphoniker. He was Music Director of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq from 2008-14.
Passionate about: conducting orchestras, leading, creating & innovating, writing, public speaking, training others, lifelong learning, exploring cultures & masculinities, loving men, freestyle olympic wrestling, the history and meanings of male circumcision, healthy mind & body advocate. Currently researching Sibelius.
'The great adventure of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq deserves not only to be recorded for posterity but also to serve as an example of how the essential can survive catastrophe.’
-Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
‘Be prepared to laugh, cry and - above all – to discover music’s power to overcome seemingly irreconcilable differences and create harmony out of chaos.’
-Julian Lloyd Webber
'An amazing and deeply inspiring story.' -The Bookseller, Book of the Month, August.
'Fragile, precarious, quixotic and almost insanely heroic.' -BBC Music Magazine
"...one of the most unlikely, and genuinely heroic, stories you re ever likely to read.'-The Spectator
'..the fact that any sort of orchestra could be brought together seems a miracle.' -The Daily Telegraph
'Even if it doesn't reform, the orchestra was a victory for art and light in the face of darkness. And in the year of Chilcot, Mr MacAlindin's Upbeat seems a timely homage to this fragile but beautiful thing created by an inspirational Scot and the bravery and dedication of the musicians.' -The Herald
'Upbeat serves as an inspiring and insightful guide towards understanding a land too long dominated by war and violence.' --The Express
"Ultimately, it’s the tale of one man’s crazed, ever-vulnerable route towards a heartfelt act of reparation and a hugely enjoyable testament to the healing power of music." - The National, Dubai, UAE
Paul MacAlindin discovered from an early age that he loved being an artist leading artists. As a musician, dancer and all-round performer, he found his voice through conducting, a passionate journey that has led him to work with orchestras and ensembles all over the world, from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to the Armenian Philharmonic to the Düsseldorf Symphoniker. He was Music Director of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq from 2008-14.
Passionate about: conducting orchestras, leading, creating & innovating, writing, public speaking, training others, lifelong learning, exploring cultures & masculinities, loving men, freestyle olympic wrestling, the history and meanings of male circumcision, healthy mind & body advocate. Currently researching Sibelius.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 26, 2016
BOTW
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07nrfb5Description: The great adventure of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq deserves not only to be recorded for posterity but also to serve as an example of how the essential can survive catastrophe.' - Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
Musician and conductor Paul MacAlindin was eating fish and chips in an Edinburgh cafe in 2008 when he first read the story in the Herald newspaper - "Iraqi teen seeks Maestro". That Iraqi teen was the astonishing Zuhal Sultan, a pianist who dreamed up the idea of a National Youth Orchestra of Iraq aged only 17.
Paul was intrigued.
Barely out of war, with no discernible orchestral tradition that he knew of, what could there be to work with? What instruments did they even have? How could it be that we in the West had heard so much about war and bloodshed in Iraq, but knew so little of who the Iraqis really were?
Fixated on the article, fish trembling at the end of his fork, Paul simply said to himself, "I know how to do this."
The following year, after auditions via Skype, a promise of a bespoke piece from the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, favours called in, massive logistical complexities and financial hiccups, they ran their first summer school. And so the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq was born.
In a few short years this group of young musicians came through the most difficult and dangerous times to produce fine music, not only in Iraq. Read by Kenny Blyth
July 6, 2019
An exciting read about the story of a unique orchestra. The book is an honest and cutting edge story of the power of music to reconcile and heal people when fairness, justice and meritocracy are adhered to, no matter the cost. The book is written in lively language - the author writes as he would speak. There are a few inaccuracies (e.g. "there is no feminist movement in the Middle East") and the last chapter on music and politics in Iraq could have included some sources, but overall it was an eye-opener into how music can unite. The saddest part of the story was to find out how the orchestra were treated by the USA authorities!
August 21, 2016
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week:
'The great adventure of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq deserves not only to be recorded for posterity but also to serve as an example of how the essential can survive catastrophe.' - Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
Musician and conductor Paul MacAlindin was eating fish and chips in an Edinburgh cafe in 2008 when he first read the story in the Herald newspaper - "Iraqi teen seeks Maestro". That Iraqi teen was the astonishing Zuhal Sultan, a pianist who dreamed up the idea of a National Youth Orchestra of Iraq aged only 17.
Paul was intrigued.
Barely out of war, with no discernible orchestral tradition that he knew of, what could there be to work with? What instruments did they even have? How could it be that we in the West had heard so much about war and bloodshed in Iraq, but knew so little of who the Iraqis really were?
Fixated on the article, fish trembling at the end of his fork, Paul simply said to himself, "I know how to do this."
The following year, after auditions via Skype, a promise of a bespoke piece from the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, favours called in, massive logistical complexities and financial hiccups, they ran their first summer school. And so the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq was born.
In a few short years this group of young musicians came through the most difficult and dangerous times to produce fine music, not only in Iraq
Read by Kenny Blyth
Written by Paul MacAlindin
Directed and Abridged by Polly Coles
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07nrfb5
'The great adventure of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq deserves not only to be recorded for posterity but also to serve as an example of how the essential can survive catastrophe.' - Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
Musician and conductor Paul MacAlindin was eating fish and chips in an Edinburgh cafe in 2008 when he first read the story in the Herald newspaper - "Iraqi teen seeks Maestro". That Iraqi teen was the astonishing Zuhal Sultan, a pianist who dreamed up the idea of a National Youth Orchestra of Iraq aged only 17.
Paul was intrigued.
Barely out of war, with no discernible orchestral tradition that he knew of, what could there be to work with? What instruments did they even have? How could it be that we in the West had heard so much about war and bloodshed in Iraq, but knew so little of who the Iraqis really were?
Fixated on the article, fish trembling at the end of his fork, Paul simply said to himself, "I know how to do this."
The following year, after auditions via Skype, a promise of a bespoke piece from the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, favours called in, massive logistical complexities and financial hiccups, they ran their first summer school. And so the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq was born.
In a few short years this group of young musicians came through the most difficult and dangerous times to produce fine music, not only in Iraq
Read by Kenny Blyth
Written by Paul MacAlindin
Directed and Abridged by Polly Coles
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07nrfb5
December 28, 2020
An insight into the world of youth orchestras abd the cultural divides between western and Iraqi musicians, and a look at the individual stories of young people caught in the Kurdish/Arabic divide.
MacAlindin's fight against bureaucracy, and getting funding for the audacious project stands in contrast to the descriptions of the music performances.
Not an easy read, but I took time to absorb the stories if these yiung people who no doubt came through a process that gave them an opportunity to grow, one summer course at a time.
MacAlindin's fight against bureaucracy, and getting funding for the audacious project stands in contrast to the descriptions of the music performances.
Not an easy read, but I took time to absorb the stories if these yiung people who no doubt came through a process that gave them an opportunity to grow, one summer course at a time.
March 14, 2019
Honestly, I couldn't really get into this book for some reason, perhaps because I had never heard of the NYOI before reading Upbeat. It is an incredible story about music and the way it can transform a war-torn and destablized country, however, I had to renew it from the library 4 times because I genuinely don't think I was that interested. I feel this is probably an unfair bio as it actually was decently written with lots of good stories and I'm sure for someone more interested in music this migh actually be very enjoyable.
September 28, 2021
An amazing story but needed editing by someone with some distance from events. One moment the conductor is relying on someone, the next they are unhelpful or uncooperative without any reflection about what might have caused such a perceived change from the reader's point of view. And then an offhand comment implies there has been an argument or resolution without any explanation either. It hops around a bit a bit too in terms of the narrative themes.
July 23, 2018
This was a quite fascinating book. Took time to read but really captured the high and lows and difficulties of getting the orchestra to practice and play.
May 6, 2021
Inspirational history of the musical, linguistic, financial and cultural difficulties facing a determined group of young musicians.
October 27, 2016
The book takes the reader to the perennial hero's journey of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq - an incredible initiative of daring, commitment and passion for classical music. The book gives a detailed insight into a world of which one – as an outsider – otherwise perceives only the beautiful appearance – or in this case: sound.
The author – and conductor of the orchestra – illustrates the difficult scene before which this hero's journey takes place: with numerous references to the historical and political background. It addresses the financial, political, cultural and war-related obstacles of this endeavor. Plus, the burdens connected to climatic, culinary as well as hygienic peculiarities – not to speak of group dynamics, organizational, acoustic and last but not least musical trenches.
The events are told in chronological order and allow an understanding of the turbulent history of the project. I often had the feeling to be in the middle of the events as the author reveals personal insights to his own doubts and emotions. It is also a very personal book as the author provides perspectives of his childhood and youth.
For me, it was fascinating to read what can grow from a great vision, much courage and perseverance and a great willingness to sacrifice.
A recommended reading not only for lovers of classical music!
The author – and conductor of the orchestra – illustrates the difficult scene before which this hero's journey takes place: with numerous references to the historical and political background. It addresses the financial, political, cultural and war-related obstacles of this endeavor. Plus, the burdens connected to climatic, culinary as well as hygienic peculiarities – not to speak of group dynamics, organizational, acoustic and last but not least musical trenches.
The events are told in chronological order and allow an understanding of the turbulent history of the project. I often had the feeling to be in the middle of the events as the author reveals personal insights to his own doubts and emotions. It is also a very personal book as the author provides perspectives of his childhood and youth.
For me, it was fascinating to read what can grow from a great vision, much courage and perseverance and a great willingness to sacrifice.
A recommended reading not only for lovers of classical music!
September 21, 2021
'The great adventure of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq deserves not only to be recorded for posterity but also to serve as an example of how the essential can survive catastrophe.’
-Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
‘Be prepared to laugh, cry and - above all – to discover music’s power to overcome seemingly irreconcilable differences and create harmony out of chaos.’
-Julian Lloyd Webber
‘An amazing and deeply inspiring story. ’
-Book of the Month (August), The Bookseller
"Ultimately, it’s the tale of one man’s crazed, ever-vulnerable route towards a heartfelt act of reparation and a hugely enjoyable testament to the healing power of music." - The National, Dubai, UAE
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews