Percussion Presentation by Alber Baseel and Alejandro Castellano

Alber Baseel is a Hand Percussionist from Bethlehem, Palestine. His musical talent and practice emerged when he joined the Terra Sancta Scout Troop band at the age of 12. He was a lead percussionist in the Scouts’ Marching Band a few months after joining, and later became the leader of music in the Scout Troop. At 14 Alber began his conservatory music education at the Edward Said Conservatory, studying Classical Arabic tradition, where he learned what would become his principal instruments: Darbuka and Riq. After graduating from Bethlehem University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Alber was a percussion teacher at the Sounds of Palestine, childhood music and social development program, and was also a workshop leader for the international music program Musicians Without Borders. In 2021 Alber completed his Bachelor's degree in Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Through his experiences at Berklee, Alber deepened his musical knowledge by working with musicians from all over the world. At Berklee, Alber also added more percussion instruments to his repertoire, including drum set, cajon, congas, and djembe. Some of the musicians Alber has collaborated with since his arrival to the United States in 2017 include Simon Shaheen, Leo Blanco, and Alain Mallet. While darbuka and riq remain at the center of his discipline, his style has expanded to include Latin and African percussion.