Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025
2:15 pm - 4:15 pm
In this engaging series, Dr. Andrea Shaheen Espinosa will provide an overview of music in the Arab world, with a particular focus on Syrian performance practices. Drawing on her experiences as a Syrian-American musician and researcher, she will share insights from her current work, which examines how migration, nostalgia, grief, and trauma shape traditions and performance practices among Syrian diasporic communities in the U.S. Southwest and Northern Mexico. Each session will feature live performance demonstrations and interactive learning experiences—so come ready to listen, learn, and dance!
In this two-hour presentation, Dr. Shaheen Espinosa will provide an overview of diverse musical genres from throughout the Arab world, with a special focus on the performance practices of Syria. She will discuss specific musical instruments and song styles and their significance within sociocultural, religious, and national contexts. Furthermore, Dr. Shaheen Espinosa will guide participants in exploring the interplay between music, heritagization, and identity in the region, providing insight into the important role that music holds within contemporary Syrian society. Throughout the presentation, Dr. Shaheen Espinosa will take questions, demonstrate musical instruments and dancing, and engage audience members is Syrian song and dance practices.
Instructor
Dr. Andrea Shaheen Espinosa
Andrea Shaheen Espinosa is an associate professor in the School for Social Transformation and the School of Music, Dance, and Theater at ASU. Her current research explores the ways migration, nostalgia, grief, and trauma impact notions of tradition and performance practice within Syrian diasporic communities in the U.S. and Latin America. In addition to research, Shaheen Espinosa maintains an active performance schedule and directs and performs with ASU’s SWANA music ensemble, Layali Al-Sham.