Oud player brings melodies to youth in daily crisis zones.
Fifteen-year-old Youssef Saad, formerly a student at the Edward Said Conservatory, now cycles through bombarded streets in Gaza to sing and play for children traumatized by war. Even amid drone strikes and shelling, he stops at shelters and day centers, offering a few notes, a brief escape, and a reminder of childhood, beauty, and hope. His small music sessions are more than performance; they are acts of psychological relief.