Wrapping Up a Successful Fall of After-School Programs

As 2020 approaches, Al-Bustan is closing out another successful year of After-School Arab Arts Programs at public elementary schools in Philadelphia. With support from the William Penn Foundation, we continued our longstanding partnership with John Moffet School and began a new one with Juniata Park Academy.

Percussion continues to be a huge draw for students at both schools. At Juniata, we welcomed twelve new drummers, many of whom had never heard Arab percussion before our in-school demonstration with Percussion Director Hafez Kotain. As they begin to master Arab rhythms, students are working toward showcasing their learning in a spring performance.

Our Advanced Percussion group at Moffet School have now moved out of Arab Percussion Book 1, and have advanced into Book 2, meaning they are sight-reading music and working through complex rhythmic patterns with ease. Our robust Beginner Group, which boasts more than twenty-five students, has mastered the basics and in January will approach reading music for the first time. Our Beginner Group had a tremendous diversity of ages this year, including many second graders eager to become part of the famous Moffet drummers for the first time, but also more than a few fifth graders who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn Arab percussion before graduating in the spring.

Choir with Percussion Director Serge El-Helou has brought new faces at Juniata and many returners from Moffet to continue to hone their singing in Arabic, English, Spanish, and French. Serge has worked with students this fall not just on singing and performing, but on developing an understanding of music theory—knowledge that complements students’ studies in percussion.

Art class with Visual Artist/Educator Lisa Volta has brought students into conversation with two contemporary Arab artists: Naguib Moein, an Egyptian sculptor, and Hiba Kalache, a Lebanese visual artist. Students created silk paintings inspired by Kalache’s fantastical worlds and clay sculptures modeled after Moein’s ancient mythology influenced ceramics. Both projects afforded students an opportunity to work with materials many had never used before and were hugely popular with both groups.

Al-Bustan looks forward to continuing its work with these two amazing schools and communities in the New Year and new decade!