Conservatory students keep lessons alive despite bombed buildings and displacement.
When war displaced them and their school building lay in ruins, the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Gaza refused to go silent. Teachers reassembled classes under tented shelters, in bomb-damaged schools, or open courtyards, carrying salvaged instruments and sheet music. Students, some having lost homes, some mourning friends, gather to rehearse oud, violin, guitar, and song. One 15-year-old student said that playing gives her a sense of flight beyond the bombardment. Teachers hope music restores dignity, emotional space, and identity for children who otherwise face silence or trauma.