Group Maqam Singing Classes: Arabic Music for All 7pm-8:30pm, Tuesday October 20th, 2026 Brooklyn School of Music - 126 St Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
This month's maqam class focuses on Maqam Lami, with special guest instructor Zahra AlZubaidi.
Learn Arabic Music from master musician and educator Sami Abu Shumays, co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music and creator of the YouTube series "Maqam Lessons." The group call-and-response singing format of these classes creates a non-judgmental environment that makes learning enjoyable. Non-musicians, beginner musicians, and experienced practitioners will all benefit from the insights and pragmatic approach Sami offers.
This class is special, featuring Zahra AlZubaidi as a guest instructor alongside Sami. Zahra AlZubaidi studied Maqam theory under the esteemed Simon Shaheen and learned to play the oud at Naseer Shamma's Bayt El Oud program in Baghdad. She continues her education and research as a student of the Iraqi Maqam tradition and is a recipient of the NYSCA Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship for 2024 - 2026, under the mentorship of renowned Iraqi Maqam master Hamid Al-Saadi. Zahra honors Iraqi Maqam musical heritage by studying and preserving this rich tradition while also performing and collaborating with musicians from around the world, and has taken the stage at prestigious music venues across the United States, including Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, Joe's Pub, Roulette Intermedium, and the Miami BandShell, among others.
Maqam is known as the unique (microtonal) scale system of Arabic Music, but in its essence it is a melodic practice rooted in the shared vocabulary of the Arab community. Each Maqam tells a particular story, and together we will explore this melodic practice in improvisation and composed songs, through collective singing and listening to repertory.
Each class is stand-alone, and will focus on one maqam. Drop-ins are welcome and encouraged, while those who take multiple classes will develop a more layered understanding.
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About Sami Abu Shumays: One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and his passion for teaching and oral tradition is also expressed through his YouTube series "Maqam Lessons," the website www.maqamlessons.com, and his contributions to www.maqamworld.com. Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat (www.zikrayatmusic.com), Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles, available on all streaming platforms (https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/)
A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.
-- BK Maqam's Fall 2026 Educational season is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the New York State Legislature and administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.