The Bellydancer’s Music Toolbox:
How to Discover, Select & Edit Music for any Stage or Occasion
with Phaedra Darwish
Sunday, March 29th 1:00 PM PDT/ 4:00 PM EDT
It all begins with the music.
Whether you’re a student building your first performance set, a teacher curating your class playlist, or a working professional navigating everything from restaurant gigs to Arabic weddings, your music choices matter. What’s “best” depends on where you’re performing and who your audience is. The track that lights up a party crowd may be completely out of place at a cultural festival.
But there’s a common pitfall in learning what works.
The longer you are in the bellydance world, the easier it is to fall back on your personal favorites for performing and teaching. Our playlists can get stale and leave us less inspired. We need to keep our eyes and ears open not only to new music emerging from the culture, but also taking a fresh look at music of the past to find hidden gems we may have overlooked.
And let’s not forget this common problem.
The music that we adore and fills us with inspiration rarely fits neatly into a hafla or competition slot.
As Middle Eastern dance artists, we carry a unique responsibility: to respect the musical traditions of this art form, even as we have to comply with time restrictions. We have to approach music editing with cultural sensitivity and musical integrity.
Let’s fill your Music Toolkit.
This lecture gives you the practical tools to do all of that with confidence. You’ll learn how to feed your musical inspiration, how to choose music that fits your specific performance context, and how to edit respectfully so your music always sounds intentional, complete, and ready for the stage. You don’t need a music theory degree- just an effective set of listening skills and guidelines – skills that will be useful through every stage of your dance career.
In this talk you will:
- Discover sources to stay current with new MENAT music releases and trends
- Rediscover beyond the “must know” standards and mine for the hidden gems of classical Arabic music
- Learn expert tips on music selection for different performance contexts and audiences
- Upgrade your editing skills – how to make your music impactful and complete sounding while still respecting the music
- Get an overview of the newest, most approachable tools for music editing.
Get your spot and step up your music game!
Your $35 Registration includes Live lecture and 30 days streaming access to the recording
30-day replay rental after the live event is $45
About Our Presenter….
Phaedra Darwish is an award-winning dancer who has been performing as well as teaching workshops and classes in Chicago and throughout the US for the past 14 years. As an Arab-American of Lebanese descent, she also produces and takes part in cultural events, citywide festivals, and community fundraisers as a musician, producer, and dancer, and feels that this is a beautiful way to share her heritage with others. Through active engagement, maintaining a high standard of execution, and participation in quality programming, Phaedra hopes to spread enthusiasm and respect for Middle Eastern dance as more and more people get acquainted with its roots and enchanted by its beauty.