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'Women work twice as hard to prove themselves': How this Emirati musician juggles passion with a full-time job

Lawyer by day and cellist by night, Elham Al Marzooqi, who became the first Emirati female to play the cello, reflects on the hardships that come with balancing passion with profession, family, and society

Growing up in Abu Dhabi, Elham Al Marzooqi received her early musical education at her mother's music institute, one of the pioneerin schools established in the Emirate during the 1980s. At the time, little did Elham know that her childhood passion would lead to her becoming the first Emirati woman to play cello professionally in the country.

“My mum loved music and wanted to start something, so she just went for it. She was one of the pioneers for this and at the time, I didn't have much of a choice; she insisted that I study music,” says Elham, 45, who started learning piano at the tender age of five, and quickly progressed through the ranks.

Soon, she became captivated by orchestras, hoping to be part of the classical music community some day. “As I grew up, I developed a love for music and participated in school bands and other musical activities. Later on, I decided that I wanted to play in an orchestra, but there weren't any opportunities available at the time. When the chance finally arose, I took up the cello and found a teacher.”

Pivoting from playing the piano, Elham discovered her passion for cello during her brief move to the UK. “We were based in the UK for a year and a half when I gave birth to my son. During that period, I found a really good teacher and learned everything about the cello,” she recalls.

“I would travel by bus, leaving my son with my husband so I could have two-hour lessons every week. Then, I would come back and practise every day, leaving my husband to take care of my son. I did this for myself because I was so passionate about it. I became obsessed with it.”

Navigating a male-dominated industry

Though the classical music industry continues to be a male-dominated field, Elham, who is also part of the pioneering all-women Firdaus Orchestra in the UAE helmed by the music maestro AR Rahman, believes that things are changing for the better.

“If you look at European orchestras, and even American or Canadian orchestras, they're very male-dominated but I do believe that we are moving towards including more women in the music industry,” says Eham, who’s enjoyed an illustrious musical career, performing twice with the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Being part of the women's orchestra has also provided her with numerous opportunities, including collaborations with world-renowned artists such as Beyoncé, AR Rahman, and Anoushka Shankar. “In the Firdaus Orchestra, we even have a female conductor and female sound engineer and the orchestra is always looking at celebrating female artists. So in a way, the UAE is breaking that mould,” she adds.

By challenging stereotypes and fostering equitable opportunities, the classical music industry can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women to thrive in their careers. “As Emirati women, we’re already breaking all the stereotypes,” says Elham.

“We see so many powerful Emirati women taking high ranking positions whether in government or C suite positions at multinational organisations. It’s thankfully no longer the exception but more the norm. To strive to succeed is something inbuilt in our DNA and we are privileged to have the backing of our leadership.”

Balancing passion with profession

Though overjoyed upon being selected for the Firdaus Orchestra, Elham had one request: to join the orchestra as a part-timer. “I was over the moon when I found out I got selected, but due to my full-time job, I requested to join part-time and committed to practising with the orchestra twice a week,” says Elham, who works full-time as a senior legal counsel at Ethara, Abu Dhabi.

“Fortunately, it was a very supportive team with all women, who truly understood my challenges. We’d always encourage each other.”

Being a woman comes with its own challenges, especially when trying to balance passion with profession. Juggling demanding schedules with family responsibilities whilst trying to manage the other commitments can often come in the way of career advancement, making tenacity the ultimate key.

Multitasking — boon or bane?

The snapshot of Elham’s day when preparing for Firdaus Orchestra would very often look like the following: She’d wake up at six, take her kids to school, go to work. After finishing work, she’d head to Expo City, about 50 minutes away from her office, and rehearse for four hours, returning from an 18-hour-long day.

“If you love something, you have to make things work for you,” says Elham. “Being a woman sometimes means having to work twice as hard to prove yourself in certain industries. But it also means being strong and fearless, not taking no for an answer. Women have the superpower of multitasking and getting things done.”

“Having a supportive partner is the most important. My husband is my rock, he’s always pushing me forward,” she adds.

Adding a fourth parameter to her jam-packed schedule, Elham also works towards fostering a sense of community for the Emirati musicians in the country through her work as vice president and board member of the Emirati Musicians Association (EMA)—a not-for-profit organisation supported by the government, aiming to benefit musicians from the country.

“This initiative is ongoing, and we hope it will reach amazing heights. We're really excited about it, but it also requires a lot of work. All the Emiratis I know who are part of this association also have other jobs. We're not full-time musicians; we lead multifaceted lives,” says Elham. “Perhaps one day, we can transition from our day jobs and become full-time musicians. Hopefully, that will happen.”

Making music a full-time profession

When asked why she never made a full-time switch to the music industry, she responds, “Being a musician isn't the most secure profession”. “As a lawyer, you receive benefits, pay, pension after years of service—factors that influence your decisions, especially when you have children and need to consider education costs and other factors,” she adds.

“At the moment, I'm not in a position to pursue music full-time, so that’s why I balance both. Perhaps when I retire and receive my pension, then I can.”

So, how can aspiring musicians move towards taking up full-time work in the industry? “That's why we're working towards building the Emirati Musicians Association, so we don't have to wait until we're in our 50s to pursue our passion full-time. We definitely need to find a way to bridge that gap so Emiratis can pursue this on a full-time basis,” says Elham.

“There's no reason why we can't; it's just that we lack the infrastructure and support. For example, there's no music education in governmental schools. We don’t have music colleges, conservatories, or universities like other countries have. Without these institutions, we won't have Emirati musicians and artists emerging. Through EMA, we hope to change that.”

somya@khaleejtimes.com

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