An archive of News, Events, Teacher's Corner blog posts, and In The News notes that are tagged with the subject of "arab music"

June 28: Intro to Arab Music Course

March 6, 2010

AL-BUSTAN is pleased to partner with UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS to offer a new 5-day course for educators, musicians, and music enthusiasts!

INTRODUCTION TO ARAB MUSIC: Theory and Performance

Dates: June 28 – July 2, 2010; Mon-Fri, 9am – 5:30pm, with evening performance on July 2

Location: Springside School in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Deadline to Register: extended until June 13, 2010

Fee to Al-Bustan: $400

Fee to UArts: $450 for teachers seeking Pennsylvania ACT 48 credits; sign up at UArts Professional Institute for Educators for ED 8425 01 (3 graduate credits), and see full policy on tuition discounts — PIE offers a variety of tuition discounts as well as a $250 scholarship for teachers in the School District of Philadelphia.
Note: this $450 fee is in addition to Al-Bustan’s fee of $400.

Instructors: Director Hanna Khoury, Hafez El Ali Kotain, and Hicham Chami

Designed primarily for K-12 music teachers, as well as instrumentalists, vocalists and music enthusiasts, this course provides a rich and engaging opportunity to learn about the Arab culture and people by working with renowned musicians/scholars and gaining an appreciation of Arab music through playing an instrument, singing, and performing in an ensemble. Participants spend the morning learning about Arab music theory, melodic modes (maqam), and rhythm. In the afternoon, participants attend a lecture exploring the cultural traditions and music of Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Each day ends with small and large group ensemble instruction in Arabic songs and playing the nay, qanun, and various percussive instruments. Teaching resources are provided to use and adapt in participants’ classrooms. The program week culminates in an evening reception and performance featuring participants and faculty. To supplement the program week, participants are invited to observe music instruction as part of Al Bustan’s Arabic language and culture camp for youth held at Springside School during week of July 5.

Download pdf of Course Flyer and Course Registration Form.
Any questions, contact Al-Bustan or call 267-809-3668.

Music Director, Violin, and Vocals, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture / Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble

Hanna Khoury - Music Director, Violin, and Vocals, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture / Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble

hafez-1

Hafez El Ali Kotain - Percussion and Vocals, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture

Qanun, Arabesque Music Ensemble

Hicham Chami - Qanun, Arabesque Music Ensemble

By Hazami Sayed | Posted in Events, Music Instruction | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

June 21: Sunrise with Al-Bustan Percussion Ensemble at Kimmel Center

June 3, 2009

Percussion Ensemble Performs at GAMP School, May 2009

Members of Percussion Ensemble perform at GAMP School, May 2009

Al-Bustan Percussion Ensemble Closes the

Kimmel Center’s Annual Summer Solstice Celebration

Sunday, June 21, 2009 5AM

B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Drum)

Under the leadership of Hafez Ali El-Kotain, Al-Bustan’s Percussion Ensemble welcomes the summer with fellow Philadelphians.  The talented drummers will lead the break-of-dawn drum circle at the Kimmel Center’s Solstice Celebration, ending fifteen hours of continuous performances that begin on Saturday.

Wake up – or end your night – with our teens  as they greet the daybreak and welcome summer with percussive panache.

5:00 AM (not always their best time of day…) at  Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza, Broad and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia.

Sand Pails Used as Drums at 2008 Solstice Celebration

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in Events | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

South Philly Review features Concert of Arab Music

June 3, 2009
The GAMP High School Jazz Band Performs

The GAMP High School Jazz Band Performs

Cross Cultural Concert

by Amanda Snyder, South Philly Review
published May 28, 2009

‘With a growing Lebanese population around 10th and Federal streets, and pockets of Arabs in the North and Northeast, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is using the universal language of music to bridge the potential gap between younger generations and the understanding of countries such as Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The communications lesson hit a high note May 19 at Girard Academic Music Program, 22nd and Ritner streets, with three jazz bands, a choir, as well as Al-Bustan’s percussion and music ensembles, performing classical and jazz fusion Arabic music for an audience that may have been hearing the cultural strains for the very first time.’

Click here for the full article and review of Al-Bustan’s concert of Arab Music, co-presented by GAMP School in their beautiful new auditorium located at 22nd and Ritner Streets.

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in In the Media | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Simon Shaheen leads Youth Ensembles in Master Workshops

May 23, 2009

Video Clips of Youth Ensembles in Master Workshops with Simon Shaheen, internationally-acclaimed Palestinian composer, educator and performer.

As part of Al-Bustan’s music instruction program, funded largely through the National Endowment for the Arts, Simon Shaheen was invited on November 18, 2008 to conduct a workshop at the Kimmel Center for 100 Philadelphia public school teachers and local musicians.

In January 2009 Mr. Shaheen returned to conduct a series of lively master workshops with six youth ensembles, teaching each group a repertoire of traditional Arab music and his own compositions of Arab/Jazz fusion. The six ensembles included:

Pennsylvania Girlchoir
William Penn Charter School Jazz Band
Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble
Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) High School Jazz Band
Settlement Music School Jazz Ensemble
Al-Bustan Percussion Ensemble

Please take a few minutes to view video clips, editing by Corey Chao, showing some of the master workshops with Mr. Shaheen, held at the Kimmel Center in January 2009.

Pennsylvania Girlchoir learning Nassam Alyana

William Penn Charter Jazz Band learning Aziza (composer Mohammad Abdel-Wahab) and Waving Sands (composer Simon Shaheen)

Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble learning Blue Flame (compser Simon Shaheen)

GAMP High School Jazz Band learning Blue Flame (composer Simon Shaheen) and Dance Mediterrenea (composer Simon Shaheen)

By Hazami Sayed | Posted in News | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

May 21: Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration

May 20, 2009
Celebration in May 2008

Celebration in May 2008

Please Join Us For the Second Annual
Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Atrium, School District of Philadelphia

440 N. Broad Street
metered street parking available, some parking lots nearby

Performances 11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Activities/Demonstrations 12:30-1:15 pm
Arabic coffee and tea will be served

Join Al-Bustan’s staff of fantastic teaching artists as we celebrate the inspiration they have given to students and teachers through the Arab Arts and Heritage program in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia.

The poetry of Arab-American author Naomi Shihab Nye was our theme this year and served as a framework for students to explore their lives and heritage and express themselves through the arts.  The celebration on May 21st is a culminating showcase of Al-Bustan’s Arab arts programming in various Philadelphia public schools this academic year.

The event will showcase the hard work, creativity, and enthusiasm of students as they present a performance of music, dance, art, and poetry from the following schools:

•    John Moffet Elementary School
•    Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences
•    Penn Alexander School
•    Motivation High School
•    Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds
•    Philadelphia Military Academy at Elverson
•    Benjamin Franklin High School

We hope that you will attend to see the beautiful work of these young people and to show your support for Al-Bustan’s partnership with the School District to bring quality Arab arts education for Philadelphia students!

For more info, call 267-809-3668 or email ctucker@albustanseeds.org

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in Events | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

May 19: An Evening of Arab Music

May 19, 2009

kimmel-1Please Join Us For

An Evening of Arab Music
Tuesday, May 19, 7:30-8:30 pm  •   GAMP School Auditorium

22nd & Ritner St (south of Passyunk Ave)
free parking, enter at 22nd St between Ritner & Porter

free and open to the public
refreshments following concert

This evening features several youth ensembles performing classical Arab music and Arab/Jazz fusion compositions by internationally acclaimed Palestinian-American composer Simon Shaheen.

The concert is the culminating event of Al-Bustan’s program, funded largely through the National Endowment for the Arts, where Mr. Shaheen was invited last November to conduct a workshop at the Kimmel Center for 100 Philadelphia public school teachers and local musicians. In January Mr. Shaheen returned to conduct a series of lively master workshops with six youth ensembles, teaching each group a repertoire of traditional Arab music and his own compositions of Arab/Jazz fusion.

The concert will feature the following groups presenting an enchanting evening of Arab melodies, rhythms and songs:

  • Pennsylvania Girlchoir
  • William Penn Charter Jazz Band
  • Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble
  • GAMP High School Jazz Band
  • Al-Bustan Percussion Ensemble
  • and the premiere of Al-Bustan Music Ensemble under the direction of Hanna Khoury

To view short clips of each group’s master workshop with Mr. Shaheen in January, click here:

Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) School is graciously hosting this event in their fabulous and amazing new auditorium. If you haven’t been in this space yet, be sure you come on the 19th!

For more information, call 267-809-3668 and speak with Chloe

By Hazami Sayed | Posted in Events | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

April News

April 12, 2009

Spring is here. . .and our spring programming is blooming at Al-Bustan. We’re reaching more studentsin more ways than ever before!

We are busy providing a larger variety of quality arts education at sites throughout Philadelphia.  We’re excited to work with acclaimed artists Hanna Khoury and Tremain Smith for an inspiring series of Encaustic Painting and Arabic Calligraphy Workshop, set to begin on April 18, and our pilot series of Arab Music Workshops beginning April 15.

We are supporting the School District of Philadelphia’s Arabic language program with a variety of cultural arts offerings at four high schools. Arabic calligraphy artist Elinor Aishah Holland is training Arabic language teachers in calligraphy and will demonstrate in-class to students learning Arabic. In addition, these students are enriching their language acquisition through instruction in Arab rhythms and folk dance.

Our School District program will culminate next month with the 2nd Annual Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration at the School District headquarters on May 21, 11am – 1pm.  This event will be  an opportunity to celebrate and honor the creative work and energy of students at seven public schools participating in “Arab Cultural Arts: Self Expressions through Naomi Shihab Nye,” which is led by the dedicated efforts of Al-Bustan’s teaching artists and staff.

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in News | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Philadelphia Inquirer profiles Shaheen Concert

March 20, 2009
Simon Shaheen playing the 'oud

Simon Shaheen playing the 'oud

Simon Shaheen’s concert at the Kimmel Center on February 1, 2009 garnered attention from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Click here for the article

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in In the Media | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

February 1: Simon Shaheen in Philadelphia: Concert & Reception

January 1, 2009

February 1st:  Simon Shaheen in Philadelphia
Concert: 3-5pm
Reception: 5-6:30pm

Simon Shaheen playing the 'oud

Simon Shaheen playing the oud

Please join us for an afternoon of amazing Arab culture with Palestinian-American master musician Simon Shaheen, and stay for an artists’ reception following the concert.  With the troubling events in the Middle East, this is an opportunity for music, friendship, and community to strengthen us during difficult times.

For Concert & Reception, $100 ticket provides you the best seat in the Concert Hall, followed by a reception serving hors d’oeuvres and dessert (cash bar available) in the Kimmel’s restaurant.  This Meet The Artists Reception is also an opportunity to support the only Arab arts and culture non-profit organization in Philadelphia.

To purchase tickets by check, mail your check (payable to “Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture”), with number of attendees, names, address, daytime phone number and email, to the address below.

For Concert only, click here: kimmelcenter.org
$35 and $45 tickets.  Please purchase tickets from Kimmel Center and use Promo Code:  SEEDS.

For questions: 267-809-3668

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in Events | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)