School teacher in Palestine utilizes drone audio to educate students in a hauntingly captivating video
In the heart of Gaza, on a day marked by the sounds of conflict, a Palestinian music teacher named Mohand Al Ashram, a singer and Oud player, was teaching children the notes of the scale. On January 14, 2025, this extraordinary scene unfolded amidst the audible presence of an Israeli drone.
Mohand titled the video of the lesson, "The sound of the occupation planes is trying to disturb us, but we are exploiting their sound to teach music to children in Gaza." The video, available online for public viewing, showcases the heartbreaking yet inspiring scenes of music transcending despair.
During the lesson, Mohand used Solfege to teach the children aurally, and he ingeniously used the sound of the drone to match the pitch of the notes. He encouraged the children to join him in matching the drone's pitch, creating a unique and unconventional method of teaching the notes of the scale.
The teacher's creative approach was not an isolated incident. Music lessons have continued to be taught in Gaza, despite the devastation. Volunteers like Ahmed, a displaced father and musician, conduct free music lessons using borrowed instruments and whatever materials are available, turning learning spaces into therapeutic environments where children relearn to breathe and express themselves through rhythm and song.
These sessions serve as a form of therapy, helping children cope with loss, trauma, and grief by spreading joy, love, and happiness. Music classes provide a means for children to express emotions such as anger and fear in a constructive way, for example, through playing drums. Even with scarce resources and ongoing restrictions like the Israeli blockade blocking teaching equipment, these sessions offer the children a sense of normality, hope, and future possibilities, fostering a brief respite from the harsh realities they face daily.
Children report feeling moments of relaxation and serenity during music sessions, which is crucial for their mental well-being in a conflict zone. Thus, in Gaza’s current conflict context, music serves as both a therapeutic tool and an educational activity, helping traumatized children process their experiences and momentarily escape the overflow of fear and loss.
The incident underscores the power of music as a coping mechanism for children in Gaza during the Israel-Gaza conflict. It serves as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Palestinian people, who continue to find solace and hope in the face of adversity. The video of Mohand Al Ashram's lesson, with its poignant blend of conflict and harmony, serves as a powerful reminder of the healing power of music in times of turmoil.
Despite the continuous sounds of conflict and the presence of an Israeli drone, Mohand Al Ashram, a Palestinian music teacher, utilized the drone's sound to teach educational-and-self-development lessons on music in Gaza. As a part of their therapy, children in Gaza learn entertainment such as music to cope with loss, trauma, and grief while fostering a sense of hope and future possibilities.
