Palestinian music teacher uses drone sounds to teach school children in haunting video

14 January 2025, 12:12

Children in Gaza sing to drown out sound of planes

A music teacher in Gaza uses the sounds of a nearby drone to teach Palestinian children the notes of the scale.

A Palestinian music teacher has been using the ominous sounds of an Israeli drone to teach children how to sing the notes of the scale.

In a video shared online, Mohand Al Ashram – a Palestinian singer and Oud player – sits in front of a small classroom of children. In the background, you can hear the distinct sound of a drone.

Matching the drone’s pitch with his guitar, in a darkly comic moment Mohand encourages the children to join in, whilst teaching them the notes of the scale.

“The sound of the occupation planes is trying to disturb us, but we are exploiting their sound to teach music to children in Gaza,” Mohand captioned his video.

Read more: Amid rocket fire, violinist plays poignant Brahms in a bomb shelter during Israel-Gaza conflict

Mohan uses Solfège to teach the children aurally, telling them, “Wait... match the sound of the drone. Wait for it to change the time so we can shift to another one... it’s the same tone as the drone, right?”

The heartbreaking scenes show how music transcends despair and continues to be played on both sides of the conflict.

In Gaza, music lessons have continued to be taught despite the devastation, with musicians such as violin teacher Sama Najm (above) giving music lessons to children in the shelters in Gaza.