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About the Course

What's musicality? Musicality is a personal connection with the music, which each person will describe in an unique way when listening to a song or instrument. Musicality is emotion, it is expression, and knowledge. The long experience of Sami Abu Shumays with music will give you a perspective of how musicians connect with music. He will explain what musicality is for him and will share some interactive exercises to guide you and make you connect and understand music better.  


Your Instructor

Sami Abu Shumays

Sami Abu Shumays is an Arab violinist and vocalist based in New York City.  He co-founded and leads the group Zikrayat, which brings together classic Raqs Sharqi and tarab music from Egypt and the broader Arab world.  Sami is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and creator of the YouTube Series Maqam Lessons, which has made the Arabic melodic system known as maqam more accessible to thousands of students.  He has performed and taught across the US, and is dedicated to spreading his love for maqam and for oral traditions of learning.

Sami Abu Shumays
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