Afghan Jazz Project
E. Shawn Qaissaunee brings his love of Afghan culture and music together with a lifetime’s dedication to the American art form of jazz to create a musical “love letter” to the world with his Afghan Jazz Project. The compositions and performances are engaging, exciting and enriching for heart and soul. His masterful quintet of world-class musicians deliver performances with sounds both familiar and unfamiliar and entertaining for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Qaissaunee’s desire and ability to bring the world together around a shared appreciation of the universal language of music is infectious, uplifting and so necessary during these trying times for the global community.
Pennsylvania Curriculum Standards
(A=Assembly; W=Workshop; R=Residency)
9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts A, W, R
15.4 Learning Through Experience A, W, R
25.3 Pro-Social Relationships with Adults W, R
25.4 Pro-Social Relationships with Peers W, R
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Art Form(s): Music, Media
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Genre: Jazz, Middle Eastern, Multicultural, Technology
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Instrument(s):
Video Residency Available
Assembly, Workshop, and Residency Offerings
Afghan Jazz Project Assembly
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Best for: K-12
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Afghan Jazz Project Workshop
Artist/band would work with students on music fundamentals and compositional approaches.
Preferred that participants have some musical background and currently in some sort of music program, jazz band, concert band, etc.
Best for: 6-12
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Afghan Jazz Project Residency
Musical performance and interaction around concepts of rhythm, harmony and melody. Greater discussion of the importance of music and its place in American society, Afghan culture and the world.
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Best for: K-12
Featuring: E. Shawn Qaissaunee (kay-saw'-nee)
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Berklee College of Music Alumnus (Jazz Composition/Music Education) E. Shawn Qaissaunee has been in demand as a multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger and music instructor for over thirty years. Sought out for his talents on guitar, bass, piano, percussion and the rubab and dutar, two instruments from his native Afghanistan, Shawn is known for his musical virtuosity, sensitivity, lyricism and spirited creative energy in the jazz tradition. His constant devotion to musical traditions, while at the same time striving to bring new energy and relevance to his live performances has made him a beloved and admired artist in the greater community and beyond.
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Joined Musicopia: 2022
