Teacher in Palestine employs drone noises to instruct students in a chilling video recording
In Gaza, a Music Teacher Turns Drone Sounds into a Tool for Education
On a fateful day in January 2025, Mohand Al Ashram, a Palestinian singer and Oud player, found himself teaching a class of children in Gaza amidst the haunting sounds of Israeli drones. The incident, which took place in the midst of ongoing conflict, was a poignant example of resilience and creativity.
The sound of drones in Gaza is so constant and intense that it has become a part of daily life for the children there. However, during a music lesson on January 14, 2025, Mohand Al Ashram creatively turned this unavoidable ambient noise into a tool for teaching musical scales. The children were singing to drown out the sound of the planes, and Mohand Al Ashram used the sound of the drone to teach them the notes of the scale.
As the drone's sound changed, Mohand Al Ashram instructed the children to wait and shift to another note. He used Solfège, a method of teaching music using syllables instead of sheet music, to teach the children aurally. To help match the pitch of the drone, Mohand Al Ashram even used his guitar.
The video of Mohand Al Ashram's class was part of an article titled "Amid rocket fire, violinist plays poignant Brahms in a bomb shelter during Israel-Gaza conflict." The video was shared online, showcasing how music transcends despair and continues to be played amidst conflict.
Music lessons have continued to be taught in Gaza despite the devastation, with musicians such as Sama Najm giving music lessons to children in shelters. The heartbreaking scenes show how music continues to be played on both sides of the conflict.
This approach of adapting sound environments and technology to preserve and cultivate musical identity and learning in diverse cultural settings is not unique to Gaza. Similar instances of innovative or context-driven music education involving non-traditional sounds can be found in other parts of the world. For example, the Artists + Residents program showcases projects that explore Arab music and sound through experimental use of electronic and traditional instruments, blending organic elements with digital production to challenge Western music software defaults. Community music projects also use simple, easily playable instruments tuned to specific scales, like kalimbas and monochords, for sound healing and collective music-making, often emphasizing cultural and elemental themes.
In summary, the Palestinian teacher's use of drone sounds is a poignant example of resilience and creativity, leveraging the unavoidable ambient noise to enrich music education for children under challenging social conditions. This approach, while not without precedent, is a testament to the power of music as a means of expression and education, even in the face of adversity.
- Despite the persistent sound of drones in their daily lives, education and self-development continue in Gaza through unconventional means, as demonstrated by Mohand Al Ashram's innovative music lessons using drone sounds as a teaching tool.
- The adaptation of sound environments and technology for music education, as seen in Gaza and various other global contexts, suggests a creative approach to preserving and nurturing musical identity under challenging social conditions, thus underscoring the transformative power of music in education and self-development.
