MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS by Sabrina Shah

Musical, Cultural Writerly Conversation with Sabrina

Join Sabrina and me as we have a lovely writerly chat about music, culture, picture books and more! We talk about using picture books in the classroom and how they can serve as windows and sliding glass doors for students, as well as benefits picture books provide to adults as well as children. Listen in and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS by Sabrina Shah

MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS, written by Sabrina Shah, with art by Minal Mirza is lush in its culture, its language and its art.  It is a story of courage and perseverance.  Roohi is learning from her Neeka Baba (grandfather) to play the rabab, but she isn't feeling confident and ready to play for her school's Eid celebration.  When Neeka Baba falls ill, it makes it even more difficult for Roohi to practice.  This book is beautiful in theme as well as words and pictures.  It honors our ancestors and what they taught us. It honors those who empower us to find our own voice and make our own music.

A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)

I chose to highlight this piece of music for a couple of reasons: 1.  Some beautiful close-ups of the rabob and 2. gorgeous mountainous scenery of Pakistan that ties in so well with the title of the book.  There are additional rabab selections in the links section on the YouTube playlist. You can also find a QR code in the back of the book which will lead to some authentic rabab music as well.

​Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics

Social Studies!

• Pakistan
  • Geography/map skills
  • Culture
  • Virtual tour
  • Eid
• ELA (English/Language Arts)
  • Onomatopoeia
    • Scavenger hunt (in the book or see if you can find real life examples of the onomatopoeia that are mentioned in the book)
    • Charades/Act it out/Guess the onomatopoeia
    • Onomatopoeia poems
    • Check Pinterest board in the links section
  • Alliteration
    • Search and find
    • Write you own alliterative phrases/sentences
    • Check Pinterest board in the links section
  • Other poetic/figurative language
    • Metaphor
    • Personification
    • Simile
• SEL (Social Emotional Learning)
  • Bravery/courage
  • Persistence/Tenacity
  • Stage fright/nervousness/anxiety
• Art integration
  • Henna "tattoo" hands art projects
  • Check Pinterest board for other artistic connections

​​Tips and Topics for Music Teachers

Cultural music from Pakistan

• Rabab
  • Listen to examples
  • Explore a rabab in person if practical or use images or videos to show close-ups
  • Learn more about how rababs are made and/or played
• Compare music of rabab and other string instruments
  • String instruments from around the world
  • String family
  • Compare rabab with guitar
• Rhythm patterns from the book (Clap them, use notation, use "clap" [quarter note] and "de" [eighth note] to create additional patterns)
  • clap de clap clap
  • clap de clap de de
• Rhythm vs. beat
• Musical vocabulary
  • rhythm
  • beat
  • harmonious
  • rabab
  • concert
  • pegs
  • strings
  • chords
  • strums
  • stage
  • note
  • melody
  • audience
  • pluck 
  • strum
• Check out the back matter of the book for more musical ideas!
• The Pinterest board and YouTube playlist have additional ideas

​​Writing Prompts from Tonnye

1. Write a report about a rabab
2. Write about a time you were trying to learn to play an instrument
3. Have you ever had to have courage about something?  Write about that.
4. Write your own story about someone who is very anxious or nervous.
5. Do some research on a topic from the book and write a report (Pakistan, rabab, Eid, etc.)
6. Write a story about girls getting their hands decorated with henna.
7. Write a story about you and one of your grandparents.
8. When Roohi's grandfather is in the hospital, she wipes away tears. Write about a time you were sad because someone you care about was sick.
9. Would you rather play a guitar or a rabab? Why?
10. There is a lot of figurative language in this book.  Write a story about your family that includes at least one example of personification, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, and alliteration.
11. Write about a concert you either attended or performed in.  Describe it. How did it make you feel?
12. what is the difference in rhythm and beat. Which one is more important? Why?
13. Write about a celebration in your culture where there might be a concert or a performance.
14. Write an alliterative poem about your favorite musical instrument.
15. Write song lyrics for a song celebrating something special to you.
16. Write a diamante poem with rabab at the top and guitar at the bottom.
17. Write a letter to Roohi, encouraging her to keep trying.
18. Write a letter to the author, telling her your favorite part of the book, and one thing you wish she had done differently.
19. Neeka Baba tells Roohi to "feel the rhythm, feel the beat  of your people." What do you think he meant by that?
20. If you were to write about the rhythm or the beat of YOUR people, what would it sound like?  Write about that.

Writing Tips from Sabrina
​

1. Age old but a classic - read read and read some more. If you want to write a certain genre or in a specific style, read books in those genres and styles. Be a sponge and learn from them - ensure you are studying those mentor texts. You really can't write something you've never tried to read before. 
2. Beware the burn-out. We always say 'try to write everyday' but sometimes pushing ourselves to do that results in work which feels forced; alongside emotions such as writer's guilt, imposter syndrome and even lack of writer's worth. Know when to have that break from your manuscript because life does inevitably get in the way and to force yourself to keep going in your writing world can actually make you crumble faster. Listen to your mind and body. 
3. It's okay going back to previous drafts - pick that line back up, readjust a character arc - you don't need to throw it all on the back burner forever if you feel something is missing. Some of our best work comes from earlier ideas and brainstorms when they are fresh and haven't had a thousand pieces of feedback thrown at it - but know how to integrate it into your newer version and ask yourself over and over 'does it work'. 

Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!
​

YouTube playlist with rabab music, videos about Pakistan culture, Eid celebrations, and activities for the classroom.

Pinterest board with crafts, Pakistani information for kids, classroom activities, pictures of rababs, etc.

Guest Links and Giveaways

Sabrina's socials and links:
www.sabrinashahauthor.com
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​MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS Goodreads page (check out reviews, find links for purchasing, leave a review and more!)

​Sabrina is offering a picture book critique to one lucky winner!  To be eligible to win, simply leave a comment below