AMMAN — Despite stereotypes and pushback from friends, local
drummer Hala Maimoun has battled to pursue her interest in a field dominated by
men.
اضافة اعلان
“My main message is
to support and encourage any female that wants to do music, especially because
the music scene in Jordan is dominated by men,” Maimoun said in an interview
with
Jordan News.
The 26-year-old musician began practicing music at a young
age. “My musical journey began when I was in school, I used to take classes and
courses,” she said.
The young artist pursued her passion for music while
studying marketing at the American University of Madaba.
“Joining
Drum Jam (a percussion group) in 2014 when I was in
university gave me a huge push; they supported me a lot, and it’s still
ongoing,” she noted.
Maimoun said that when she first started, her social circle
did not approve of her choice of instrument.
“People used to ask me, ‘why would you want to become a
drummer? You are a female,’” she said. “Even my family, in the beginning,
didn’t like what I am doing, but when they saw that other females are playing
drums as well, they became supporters.”
Stereotypes about instruments are not limited to Jordan. A
2012 study found that grade school students view instruments as highly gendered
— and drums are strongly associated with boys. This association has
consequences for girls, who are less likely to choose to play drums.
Maimoun eventually found community in a group of female
artists.
“In 2019 I joined Jordanian Female Artist collective (JFAC).
It is an initiative all about female artistry” that includes artists “from
different backgrounds, with a variety of interests,” she said.
Maimoun described her passion for passing on her musical
knowledge through teaching.
“At the moment I teach music,” she said. She explained that
by teaching music, she is helping another individual to achieve his or her
dreams. She added that “It is very important to teach music for children in
school, so there will be more awareness for people to know what music is.”
As a teacher, Maimoun thinks that parents should give their
children the freedom of choice when it comes to their children’s talent and
passion.
“I advise parents, if their child is interested in music, to
support their talent. Also, I advise parents not to pressure their child to
play a specific instrument. Rather, let them choose whatever instrument they
want to play,” the drummer said.
The current pandemic has affected Maimoun’s musical
projects, but she did not allow it to stop her.
“At the moment, because of the pandemic, it is hard to do
any kind of projects, but we are working on various things,” she said. “In 2020
we were part of the Amman Jazz Festival; it was an amazing thing that we did.”
Maimoun advises artists in Jordan to separate money making
from their artistic practice because it is not always possible to make a
sustainable profit from art.
“Unfortunately, I can’t rely on the profit I make from my
music. I advise people who want to be an artist to have something on the side
to help you be financially stable because the music industry isn’t stable yet
in Jordan,” she said.
Maimoun is inspired by the success of other Jordanian
artists, particularly
Issam Al-Najar, whose song “Hadal Ahebek” has achieved
international popularity.
“Issam Al-Najar’s song will make a huge difference in the
music seen in Jordan especially because his song went viral on TikTok, which
created a kick start for the music seen in Jordan,” the drummer said. “I would
be proud if we can reach a level where Jordanian music is known globally.”
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