CELEBRATING ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

The sounds of an ensemble comprised of the oud, darbuka, riq, and double bass flowed through an assembly at PS 172 (Brooklyn) in April – supported by energetic vocal and body percussion from the school’s students. 

SCS Teaching Artist Marwan Allam, in celebration of April's Arab American Heritage Month, led three assembly programs at PS 172 sharing Arabic music with students and inviting them to join in on the fun through their own music-making. 

Marwan and the band were pleased with the program’s impact -- especially noting the looks of excitement on students' faces as the instruments of the ensemble were revealed.

Marwan also said that the joy of sharing music with new listeners supported the ensemble's play, prompting them to change tunes and explore the music differently in each session to maintain a fresh experience for everyone. 

A PS 172 PTA representative conveyed the school's own excitement from the event, sharing: “Thank you again for bringing such beautiful live music, instruments and learning to our school. The students had a wonderful time, and my son was talking about the oud at dinner that same night!” 

SCS works to share Arabic music and culture with students throughout the year with our unit Ya Habibi: A Musical Journey through the Arab World . Students travel through a variety of musical traditions from the Middle East and North African regions; they play musical games and explore melodies and rhythms -- from Moroccan and Tunisian trance music to Lebanese Dabke, Andalusian music, and Maqamat.

Stay tuned for Ya Habibi videos and lesson plans as we roll out the Ya Habibi unit on our Learning Resources site!