Exploring Artistic Identity, Healing, and Resistance - A Palestinian Musician's Journey by Richard Alsadi

This thesis is an autoethnographic investigation of artistic identity, healing, and liberation, informed by my journey as a Palestinian musician and artist navigating the connections of music, heritage, and political turmoil. Through collaborations with artists across cultures, improvisational methods, and exploring various global music traditions, I investigate the psychological and cultural dimensions of a contested identity that both carries and alters collective pain. The heart of this work lies in a continuous dialogue between the self, the collective, and sound—a triad that reveals layers of creativity and survival intertwined within my identity. This research comprises original compositions, interviews, and collaborations with Palestinian and international artists, resulting in a diverse soundscape where tradition and innovation coexist. Working with the qanun and other instruments, I seek to recall personal experiences and the shared memories and complex realities of people who have endured. The research culminates in performances that offer glimpses of hope, humanity, and connection, framed within the broader context of Palestinian artistry in a world that frequently dismisses or deliberately denies its existence. Ultimately, this thesis questions and redefines what it means to be a creator in a world marked by systematic erasure. It argues that art can be a powerful reclaiming of voice, a way of confronting the fragmentation imposed upon an identity. In exploring how music becomes a pathway to the inner self, a bridge to ancestral memory, and a gesture of solidarity, I hope to illuminate the essential human drive for expression and the enduring will to survive.

1. Introduction

This thesis, Resonating Voices: Waves of Sound and Spirit in a Palestinian Musician's Quest for Identity and Freedom, is an autoethnographic exploration of artistic identity, informed by my journey as a Palestinian musician navigating the intersections of sound, identity, and political struggle. By adopting artistic research and reflexive autoethnography, I position myself as both researcher and subject, engaging in a deeply self-reflective inquiry to uncover how personal and collective complexities, the lived realities of Palestine, and global influences shape my artistic expression and worldview.

This thesis is a continuation of my previous Master of Fine Arts research in Music, with a specialization in Improvisation and World Music Performance at Gothenburg University, Sweden. Building on the foundational work with my primary instrument, the qanun—a central instrument in the traditional Arabic ensemble, which I have played for over 21 years— this study expands my exploration of its expressive possibilities and the significance of voice and poetry as a medium for emotional resonance and cultural connection. By navigating the complexities of my Palestinian identity and the challenges imposed by geopolitical realities, I aim to illuminate pathways toward a more inclusive and dynamic musical landscape.

While this inquiry is deeply personal, it extends outward to connect my evolving artistic practice with broader collective narratives. It situates the qanun within the lived experiences of a people whose history is marked by a profound struggle for self-determination and fundamental human rights. It reflects how individual expression can resonate with and amplify the broader pursuit of cultural resilience and the fundamental yearning for freedom.

Born in Jerusalem in 1990 and raised in Bethlehem during the First and Second Intifadas, my upbringing was profoundly marked by occupation, restrictions on freedom, and witnessing everyday acts of oppression imposed by military violence until this day (Abualkibash, 2017). These experiences, compounded by historical and intergenerational trauma, have deeply influenced my artistic identity. Music became both a refuge and a means of reclaiming agency—a way to channel personal pain while connecting with the enduring power of tradition, resilience, and collective identity. An identity and a narrative that was determined for it to cease to exist and had been veiled by the orientalist narrative that paved the way for the colonial narrative and existence (Said, 1977).

The sociopolitical environment of the Palestinian lives is enmeshed in collective social injustices, therefore, it requires to consider the "holistic being" within the sociopolitical context in order to understand the individual (McClure, 2010). Through this inquiry, I seek pathways to examine my emotional landscape and my music remains inseparable from the broader Palestinian struggle for dignity and freedom, particularly as my homeland endures immense suffering at this very moment, impacting the nature of my reflections and creations. The accumulated impact of trauma, loss, deprivation, and daily humiliation manifests in various ways, including feelings of internalized oppression and self-recrimination that have, as every child and youngster in Palestine, affected me as well (Barron, 2015).

Improvisation and experimentation are central to this inquiry, offering a liberating framework for articulating the inexpressible and cultivating profound connections with others. Two primary case studies guide this research: Sonic Exile, a collaborative project with Jano Doe, merging the traditional sounds of the qanun and Poetry by Palestinian poets with modular synthesizers and my long-standing collaboration with Faris Ishaq, a global Nay master and percussionist from Bethlehem, Palestine. Faris’s rootedness in his Palestinian heritage, his passion for the Nay, and his ability to blend tradition with innovation continually inspire my work. These projects delve into themes of displacement, cultural resistance, and human connection, drawing on Palestinian folk songs, poetry, and personal experiences to craft evocative soundscapes that embody longing, defiance, and hope, while uncovering a profound sense of shared vulnerability. This dual function of music—as a space for personal healing and as a means of resisting—forms a key focus of this research.

In addition, the project will look at my month-long collaboration with the Palestinian Amwaj Choir in Hebron and Bethlehem, followed by a tour in Italy. Within Amwaj, young Palestinians are reclaiming their narratives, using music to preserve their heritage amid relentless attempts at erasure. As Weiner (2023, p.996) puts it “Palestinians have been 'denied subjectivity and "permission to narrate" their own history and experiences” a condition exacerbated by the settler colonialism that continues to strip them of their language, identity, and equal participation in all aspects of life across historic Palestine. In this light, the act of singing and sharing stories through music becomes an essential counter-narrative—an assertion of existence and a refusal to be silenced. The transformative role of music in shaping both individual and collective consciousness resonates with Aldridge’s insight that music has the power to elevate awareness, foster hope, and renew the spirit (Aldridge, 1995). As such, these collaborations hold profound significance, not only in personal growth but also in their broader global resonance.

Reflexive ethnography forms a cornerstone of this study, aligning with the creative processes of collaboration and improvisation. The main focus of reflexive ethnography is addressing the topic of culture and subculture, where authors draw on their personal experiences to reflect on themselves and relate to self-other (Ellis, 2000). Through the weaving of my experiences with those of my collaborators, this reflective technique allows the study to investigate the layers of self and cultural expression, offering a nuanced perspective on the sociopolitical forces shaping Palestinian music.

The following chapters guide the reader through this exploration. First, I outline the key concepts framing this research, including identity, resilience, and cultural memory. This is followed by a discussion of the methodological approaches used to navigate this reflexive autoethnographic inquiry. As mentioned, the core of the thesis is comprised of two primary case studies: Sonic Exile, and my collaboration with Faris Ishaq. Then, I discuss my month-long collaboration with the Palestinian Amwaj Choir during a tour in Italy and Palestine, where young musicians reclaim their heritage through music.

These case studies address central questions, such as: How can Palestinian music serve as a medium for asserting artistic identity and resisting cultural erasure? and How do improvisational and cross-cultural collaborations reshape artistic practices and contribute to self-definition? The thesis concludes with a broader reflection on these findings, situating them within the wider discourse on music’s potential as a transformative tool for navigating the complex intersections of identity, cultural continuity, and sociopolitical resistance.

Finally, the concluding chapter reflects on the findings. This structure offers a cohesive pathway, guiding the reader through the intricate dynamics of artistic expression and resistance within the Palestinian context.

Tip

Tip