Simon Shaheen is a musician who performs and composes music that reflects traditional Arabic culture while embracing modern jazz and classical styles of the Western world.

Shaheen’s father was a professor of music and a master oud player. “Learning to play on the oud from my father was the most powerful influence in my musical life,” Shaheen recalls. He began playing the oud at age five, and studied violin at the Conservatory for Western Classical Music in Jerusalem. “When I held and played these instruments, they felt like an extension of my arms.”

In 1982, Shaheen formed the Near Eastern Music Ensemble in New York and established a series of Arab music workshops and lectures for schools. Today, Shaheen also produces annual festivals and retreats to promote Arab arts.

Shaheen has recorded several albums with his musical group, Qantara. The band, whose name means “arch” in Arabic, brings to life Shaheen’s fusion of Arab, jazz, Western classical, and Latin American music.

“I want to create a world of music exceptionally satisfying to the ear and for the soul,” says Shaheen, “This is why I selected members for Qantara who are all virtuosos in their own musical forms, and whose expertise and knowledge can raise the music and the group’s performance to spectacular levels.”

Musical Instruments of the Arab World

Much of the world’s scientific understanding of music comes from the Ancient Greeks (the word “music” comes from the Greek word mousiki, the science of composing melodies). But it was the book by Muslim philosopher Abü Nasr al-Farabi (872-951 BCE), Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir, that significantly expanded upon Ancient Greek theories by exploring the aesthetics of music and providing detailed information on musical instruments.

As Europeans began to travel to new lands during the Middle Ages, Arab musical instruments and the writings of al-Farabi became known to the Western world. In fact, Arab culture is responsible for the introduction of practically the entire drum family to European music.

Understanding Arab Music with Simon ShaheenThursday, February 5, 2009

Grades 5-811 a.m.-12 p.m. ET

Simon

Sha

heen

About the ProgramWestern music is very connected to the rich history of Arabic music. Many of our Western musical instruments are direct descendents of Arabic stringed and reed instruments as well as the use of complex melodies and improvisation in performance. Master musician and composer Simon Shaheen, along with his ensemble Qantara, demonstrates the unique sound and range of several Arabic instruments, performs traditional Arabic music with jazz and classical influences, and involves students in learning rhythms and patterns used most frequently in traditional/classical Arab music.

Drums

The tabla is a large drum held between the legs or suspended by a cord over the shoulder. It is played with both hands and produces different sounds when beaten near the edge or near

the middle. The tabla was adopted by European armies for their military bands,

which had previously only been served by trumpets and horns.

The bendir is a round, flat drum with wires stretched across the inside, which creates a sound similar to a snare drum. The taar is similar to the bendir, but with jingling plates in the rim, similar to a modern tambourine.

The dumbek is a goblet-shaped drum, similar to the African djembe, played with both hands while held under one arm. It produces a diverse range of sounds, from crisp (played near the edge) to

resonant (played in the middle).

The naker is a pair of drums with rounded bodies played with wooden drumsticks. The larger European orchestral kettledrum, or timpani, is a direct descendent of the naker.

Stringed Instruments

The body of al-‘ud, also called the oud, is shaped like a pear and has up to 12 strings. European

minstrels originally played harp-like instruments until Arabs brought the al-‘ud (Arabic for “wood”) to Europe, where it was adopted and renamed the lute.

The Spanish word guitarra (guitar) was derived from the Arabic qitara.

The qanoon is a large flat instrument with between 64 and 82 strings. A similar multi-stringed instrument, as-santoor, is played with wooden sticks. The European word kanon (canon) is derived from qanoon.

The rababeh is a single-string instrument with a square sound-box, played with a bow. The rababeh spread to Europe (as the rebec), and is considered a precursor of the violin.

Instructional Activities:

Activity 1After watching “Understanding Music with Simon Shaheen,” select a familiar melody that students can easily sing. Divide the class into three groups. Play the melody on the piano or other stringed instrument. Then have one group of students sing the song as written. Next play the same melody on the piano selecting one note in the melody that is played one-half step lower than written. Have the second group of students sing this ‘new’ melody with the one lowered tone. Finally, ask the third group of students to sing the ‘new’ melody but raising the one altered tone slightly to find the quarter tone sound. Have each group sing their note in succession to hear the difference in the altered tone.

Activity 2The Kennedy Center’s international festival, Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World, is showcasing the varied cultures of the 22 Arab nations that represent the Arabic speaking world. Explore the diversity of these countries by having students select one country of their choice and research the country’s geography, traditions, religion, and contributions to the Western world. Have each student share their findings with the rest of the class.

Resources:

BooksAhsan, M. M. Muslim Festivals. Vero Beach, FL.: Rourke Enterprises, 1987.

Child, John. The Rise of Islam. New York, NY.: P. Bedrick Books, 1995.

Gordon, Matthew S. Islam. New York, N.Y.: Facts on File, 1991.

Internetwww.simonshaheen.com

RecordingsBlue Flame, 2001 Simon Shaheen & Qantara

Turath: Masterworks of the Middle East, 2002Simon Shaheen

Saltanah, 1997Simon Shaheen, Vishwa Moham Bhatt

The Music of Mohamed Abdel Wahab, 1991Simon Shaheen