Arabic maqam – Storytelling through Song! – Arts for Learning Northwest

Seffarine

Arabic maqam – Storytelling through Song!

This program offered by: Seffarine

In this workshop vocalist Lamiae Naki and oud player Nat Hulskamp use the sounds and structures of traditional Arabic music to teach compositional concepts such as development, intention, progression, tension, and resolution. With instruments from the Middle East and North Africa, participants will work with both teaching artists to learn basic tones of Arabic percussion and how to produce them on frame drums. Going far beyond using Western music’s major and minor scales to express mood, Arabic music has over 50 maqamat scales/modes that can be used to express specific feelings (ex: cheerful, sad, tense). Students will be introduced to examples of maqamat on the oud (the Arabic precursor to the lute and guitar) and will use their new vocabulary to create their original rhythms and compose a story song through a progression of maqamat. Through the session, students will also become familiar with the Arabic alphabet and learn some Arabic words.

Questions?

If you have questions or would like to request this program, please contact [email protected].

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Details

Program Model: In Class

Art Form: Music

Curriculum Connections: Character Education, Community Building, Language Arts, Social Justice, Social Studies, World Cultures

Grades: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, K, Pre-K

Program Requirements: Two chairs without armrests.

Instruction Language(s): Arabic, English, French

Min. Residency Sessions/Classroom:

Seffarine

About the Artist

Seffarine

Moroccan singer Lamiae Naki and flamenco guitarist/Arabic oud player Nat Hulskamp of the group Seffarine embrace and extend Morocco's musical crossroad of Arabic, Iberian and West African cultures. Their original music is deeply rooted in their backgrounds in Arab-Andalusi and flamenco music and has led them perform at prestigious events and venues around the world, like the Chicago World Music Festival and Lotus Fest, winning over audiences from Indonesia to Spain. They have brought their musical vision and cultural knowledge to community audiences and schools across the US. Seffarine takes its name from the ancient metalworking square in Lamiae's hometown of Fes, Morocco, which is famous for the complex rhythms that ring out from the blacksmiths' hammers, and where her family is well known as masters continuing the tradition today.

"They held my audience captivated both at the engagement activity and at their concert. I have heard lots of positive feedback in the two days since the show asking to bring them back." -Stephanie Wenning, Del Norte Association for Cultural Awareness

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Program Costs

Program costs are based on a variety of different factors including number of sessions, planning hours needed and material costs. Please contact Arts for Learning NW at [email protected] for help determining the actual cost of your programs.