Tonight in Beirut…

I just returned home from a wonderful concert by Naseer Shamma–a master oud player from Iraq. My Iraqi students had told me I would love his performance–and they were right. The moment he stepped on the stage, he was greeted by a standing ovation. His musical genius was on full display when he played a challenging piece using only one hand. Another song–meant to evoke Syria–brought back many cherished memories of my time in Damascus. After the last standing ovation of the night, I began my walk home to the accompaniment of a different sound–the call to prayer, echoing from the minaret of the mosque near my house…