This multi-national blessing is also a curse. Different countries play with different tuning standards and this is a challenge for intonation. FSO musicians have to tune higher than the American standard of A440 in Jordan. In the simplest explanation, the pitch standard is one of the most important foundations in music. As an example, woodwind and brass instrument makers customize their instruments differently for different target markets. American musicians would need an instrument pitched for A440, while our European counterpart would play on instrument pitched ranging from A442 - A444 (depending on their country). Of course this pitch value for the note 'A' (440) may be lower or even higher. Adjustments to lower or increase this frequency are not impossible, but not preferable. This is because forcing an instrument to play differently from its target pitch frequency creates a whole host of undesired problems ranging from deterioration of tone quality to embouchure fatigue. In string instruments, increasing the frequency standard requires additionally tightening of their strings. When new strings are put on the instrument, they go through a period of adjustment before 'settling' in. Once the strings have settled, increasing the tension to raise the pitch standard results in additional tension that could cause the instrument to malfunction. It may be costly to repair. The over tightened string will also want to return to its 'settled' position of the lower pitch. Regardless, our musicians responded to this challenge professionally and are adjusting accordingly.

After lunch at the NMC, we visited the Roman Amphitheater and Hill of the Citadel (Jabal al-Qal'a) that is located in the middle of Amman. It was a magnificent sight as we roamed the ruins taking pictures. The Amphitheater rises tall into the sky and some of our musicians braved the steep steps to climb to the very top. We had hoped that our FSO-Amman Symphony Orchestra concert could be performed at the Amphitheater, but due to logistics reasons, it was not possible. It would have been an absolutely amazing experience. The Citadel was located on top of the hill and overlooked the downtown of the city of Amman. It was a spectacular sight as we explored the area that is so full of history. One of our musicians commented that it seems so wrong to be ‘stepping on history’ so casually as we explore the site. After an exhaustive hike on these two attractions, we returned to the Kings Academy for a quick cleanup.

Our rehearsal began at 6:30 P.M., as usual, and we rehearsed mainly the Dvorăk symphony. After the rehearsal, Maestro Fakhouri took us to a local Jordanian hummus restaurant. The food was unbelievably delicious. The Maestro explained that this is one of the most famous hummus restaurants in town. He even demonstrated the proper way to enjoy the hummus Jordanian style! Of course no hummus dinner is complete without a cup of Jordanian tea. The Jordanians enjoy their tea with sugar just like us in the south! However they prefer them hot with a sprig of fresh mint leaves for refreshing flavor. After a filling meal (full of fiber!), we returned to the Academy for the evening, awaiting anxiously for another eventful day in Jordan.

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"Amphitheater ruins towering above us at the entrance"

"Amphitheater view from the middle of the ruins"

"Hercules Temple at the Citadel"

"View overlooking the city of Amman from the Citadel"

"A VERY delicious hummus meal after rehearsal"

"Maestro Fakhouri's other expertise... how to eat a hummus meal in Jordan!"