Teacher in Palestine utilizes drone melodies for instructing schoolchildren in a melancholic video
In the conflict-ridden region of Gaza, music serves as a beacon of hope and resilience for its people. A unique teaching method has emerged, where the ominous sounds of Israeli drones are being utilised by a music teacher to teach children the notes of the scale.
Mohand Al Ashram, a Palestinian singer and oud player, is at the forefront of this innovative approach. In a video shared online, Al Ashram is seen teaching a classroom of children, with the constant drone of an Israeli aircraft in the background.
Al Ashram uses his guitar to match the pitch of the drone, encouraging the children to join in and learn the notes of the scale using the drone sound. He employs Solfege, a system of fixed syllables that represent the pitches of the scale, to teach the children aurally.
"Wait... match the sound of the drone. Wait for it to change the time so we can shift to another one... it's the same tone as the drone, right?" Al Ashram tells the children, guiding them through the lesson.
This unconventional method, while unusual, is deeply rooted in the region's struggle. Al Ashram captioned his video, stating, "The sound of the occupation planes is trying to disturb us, but we are exploiting their sound to teach music to children in Gaza."
Music institutions in Gaza, such as the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, have also adapted to the circumstances. Lessons are being conducted in displacement camps and damaged buildings, helping maintain cultural life and providing a "glimmer of hope" for children and the community despite ongoing airstrikes and violence.
For the children in Gaza, music offers a form of escape, hope, and emotional relief from the surrounding fear and destruction. A 15-year-old student expressed that when she plays music, she feels like she is flying away, and that music eases her fear and gives her hope.
Through this unique teaching method, Al Ashram and other music teachers in Gaza are harnessing music as both psychological relief and a form of cultural endurance against the backdrop of the trauma associated with the sound of Israeli drones and conflict.
- Mohand Al Ashram's innovative approach to teaching music in the conflict-ridden region of Gaza includes using the constant drone of Israeli aircraft as a musical teaching tool, guiding students to learn the notes of the scale by matching the pitch of the drone with his guitar.
- In line with this unconventional teaching method, music institutions like the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Gaza conduct lessons in displacement camps and damaged buildings, fostering cultural life and offering a "glimmer of hope" for children and the community amidst ongoing airstrikes and violence.
- For the children in Gaza, the emotional relief and escape offered by music, in an environment fraught with fear and destruction, creates a powerful bond between the resilient population and the art form, using music as both a psychological force and a beacon of cultural endurance.
