The Sounds of Cambodia

On February 20th, a Cambodian band of musicians came to SNA to perform for students and teachers. The band consisted of six members, including Dr. Alan Williams, a professor from UMass Lowell, who discussed the history of Cambodian music with the students. Each member described the history of their instruments and how they each have a unique design, such as the takei, which is a stringed instrument meant to look like a boat. Other instruments included the percussive chhing, skor touch, the tro ou, the roneat ek, and the khim. Students also had a chance to ask the band thoughtful questions about each member, the instruments, and Cambodian culture as a whole. They played multiple songs for the SNA community, each instrumental part weaving with one another and melding into perfect harmonies and beautiful compositions as a whole. We are grateful to the band for engaging with the students and teachers and immersing them in the sounds of Cambodia.